Annual Report describes a community united in action
In its Annual Report for 176 B.E., the National Spiritual Assembly recounts achievements showing that Aotearoa’s Bahá’í community has been fully part of a global surge forward during the current Plan. In the words of the beloved Universal House of Justice in its Naw Rúz message for 177 B.E., “the tireless supporters of the Cause have brought the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh to the strongest position in which it has ever been in its history.”
Signs of Aotearoa’s progress are summed up by the National Assembly in a few key themes: “There is a greater degree of coherence and unity of purpose, approach and action, than ever before, and a very strong sense of resolute intention by the generality of the friends, and by the local, cluster and regional institutions and agencies who serve them.”
Further, because this Annual Report was completed at an historic moment shortly after the pandemic crisis began, the National Assembly added: “It is the progress that has been made during 176 that has allowed the individuals, institutions and communities to swiftly adapt to these changing circumstances. This agility by the protagonists of the Cause in our nation is very heartening to witness.”
To receive a copy of the Annual Report, please email the Bahá’í National Office (nationaloffice@bahai.org.nz). It is currently available in electronic form and soon will be available in printed form as well.
Here is a glimpse of the main areas covered:
Expansion and consolidation
The teaching work received considerable impetus from the National Teaching Conference, “He Raranga Hou”, in May 2019. Study circles, children’s classes and devotional gatherings showed strong growth. Two clusters in the North Island and one in the South Island transformed their programmes of growth into intensive programmes of growth (i.e. reached the second milestone), while Auckland continued accelerating well beyond the third milestone. The spirit of pioneering grew stronger.
Bicentenary of the Birth of the Báb
Influenced by learning about decentralisation from the bicentenary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh two years prior, this bicentenary became very much a grassroots occasion. Twice as many celebrations were held this time. The number of participants in celebrations across the country topped 13,000. A polished and uplifting celebration was held at Parliament Buildings, Wellington.
Spiritual health
A blossoming of devotional meetings led to a palpable enhancement of the devotional character of the community. In the country’s 36 Local Spiritual Assemblies, capacity expanded, notably the capacity to foster a spiritually edifying environment, where growth can flourish. Support for the National Fund surpassed previous years. A comprehensive programme exploring topics relating to the spiritual health of the community began in pilot form with seven Local Spiritual Assemblies in preparation for being shared with all Assemblies. This project is the fruit of collaboration between the National Assembly and the institution of the Counsellors. The Auxiliary Board members and their assistants continue to work diligently to support Local Spiritual Assemblies.
Fund development
The National Assembly expressed its unabated confidence in the capacity of our community to meet the financial needs of the Faith, particularly in light of the strong support for the Funds of the Faith during 176. This included noteworthy support for the Fund for the Shrine of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, alongside a consistent level of contributions to the National Fund.
External affairs
The range and depth of work done by the Office of Public Affairs continues to impress the National Spiritual Assembly. The Office very capably steered appropriate lines of action in two major spheres of the work, namely: participating in the discourses of society on the national stage (on topics such as race unity, role of religion, and role of youth in society), and fostering relationships with government (including defence of the Faith in Iran and Yemen) and civil society.
Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity
As a result of the growing cohort of participants in this learning programme for tertiary students, there is growing capacity in young persons to articulate concepts that relate to both of the two complementary bodies of knowledge and practice, namely science and religion. Forty-five young people from around the country participated in the seminar during 176, and all four years of the programme were offered. Collaboration with Local Assemblies is being strengthened to bring the programme to the attention of potential participants.
Bahá’í summer schools
The summer schools continue to be a highlight of the year, and demonstrate a growing Bahá’í culture of joyful and collaborative service, learning and worship. Around 1200 souls were touched by the spirit of this year’s two summer schools in the North and South Islands. The keynote speaker, Dr Firaydoun Javaheri, a former member of the Universal House of Justice, brought his beautiful spirit of joyful engagement and wealth of knowledge and wisdom to inspire the friends in service to the Cause. Sadly, Dr Javaheri became unwell on the final day of the North Island Summer School and was unable to travel to be with the friends at the South Island Summer School. Dr Javaheri and the National Assembly express their heartfelt regret that it was not possible for him to travel south.
National administration
The National Spiritual Assembly does its work with the close assistance and collaboration of other institutions and agencies, above all the guiding hand of the Universal House of Justice. The Counsellors and Auxiliary Board members are a tireless source of insight and encouragement. The two New Zealanders on the Regional Board of Trustees of Ḥuqúqu’lláh for Polynesia contribute a great deal to educating the community, notably at summer schools. An administrative responsibility that calls out for strengthening is that of participation in unit conventions, and in this light the National Assembly encourages an increase in the study of Books 8 and 9 of the sequence of institute courses. The online version of the national newsletter, Bahá’í Aotearoa, receives a mention as a valuable tool that believers can access to keep up to date with developments. Utilisation and management of the Faith’s properties continue to advance, particularly by way of the new National Property Committee, and progress towards creating a training facility at the Hyde Dunn property.
Reports from institutions and agencies
The National Assembly put on record its loving appreciation for the hard work of all of the institutions and agencies of the Cause throughout Aotearoa, their collaborators, and the National Office staff, as well as for the spirit of loving collaboration that permeates the work of all these friends. The main body of the Annual Report draws on reports provided by the Regional Bahá’í Councils, Regional Institute Boards, the New Zealand coordinating team for the Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity, and the agencies of the National Assembly (Archives Coordinator, Bahá’í Distribution Service, National Property Committee, Office of Public Affairs, Reference Library Coordinator, Summer Schools Logistics Committees, IT adviser, and others).
Final comments
The following comments are reproduced verbatim from the Annual Report’s Executive Summary.
In a great many areas of the country, the galvanising effect of the national teaching conferences and the preparations for the bicentenary led to some valuable re-assessment and re-evaluations, where everyone was seen as a potential collaborator. The special potency of the bicentenary period combined with the increased devotional character of the whole country led to the release of spiritual forces that generated a strong spirit in many clusters.
There is a new coming together across each of the regions, a new coherence and dynamism. An area that needed to be strengthened was the flow of learning, and this is being built and will obviously continue being built so that every cluster is connected to the learning that is occurring in more advanced clusters. There is steady progress in developing human resources, and capacities of the friends are being noticeably strengthened.
With devotional meetings being a high percentage of the total number of core activities throughout the country, we can observe the enhancement of the devotional character of the community. This devotional character enables the friends to draw on the power of divine assistance more fully to aid the efforts we are all making to serve our Lord.
With the changed circumstances of the world, this strong spirit must now carry us all forward with even more commitment, zeal and steadfastness in the work of the Cause, as we enter the final year of the Plan.
Photos below: a small sample of the many photographs that appear in the Annual Report. Click on photos to enlarge.
