Regional Bahá'í Council members for 2022-2023 term
The National Spiritual Assembly writes to the Bahá'ís of Aotearoa New Zealand, in this letter dated 7 November 2022 (4 Qudrat 179):
Tēnā koutou katoa
We are delighted to announce the appointment of New Zealand’s Regional Bahá'í Councils for Te-Ika-a-Māui (North Island) and Te Waipounamu (South Island) for their new one-year term, which commences on the Day of the Covenant, 179 B.E. (26 November 2022).
The National Spiritual Assembly appoints the members of the Councils from a confidential list of names, constituted from the outcome of voting by Local Spiritual Assemblies and persons proposed by the members of the Auxiliary Boards within whose areas of responsibility the region lies.
For Te Ika a Māui (North Island) Council, the following believers are appointed, in alphabetical order: Drisana Brown, Shirin Gabel, June Lim, Andrew McNaughton, Brenda Miller, Sana Motlagh, Robyn O’Connor, Tezhar Paymani, Erica Zemke-Smith.
For Te Waipounamu (South Island) Council, the following believers are appointed, in alphabetical order: Devon Gundry, Ezra Hopkins, Nina Perez, Elti Sannyasi, Onna Tangifolau.
The Regional Bahá’í Councils are pivotal institutions for leading the Plan processes — including the systematic advancement of clusters, the movement of pioneers, and the encouragement of friends and institutions to participate in the activities of expansion and consolidation. During the new Nine Year Plan, these processes are set to intensify greatly. The Councils are well positioned to meet the challenge thus placed on their shoulders, through the significant capacities they have developed over recent years and their readiness to further evolve rapidly. We confidently see them becoming more and more effective backers of the community in its endeavours to release the society-building power of the Faith. The National Assembly urges every individual, local community, Local Spiritual Assembly and cluster to joyfully and wholeheartedly collaborate with the Councils in our collective efforts to extend the embrace of the Faith to an ever widening circle of participants.
Among those who have sacrificially contributed insight and hard work to the development of the Councils are those members who are retiring at this point. They are Arash Mohtadi and Chris Pani in the South Island; and Disee Anorpong, Rizana Imtiaz and Nick Moss in the North Island. We gratefully acknowledge their devoted and capable service.
We assure both of these much loved, hard-working Councils that the prayers of the National Spiritual Assembly are offered for confirmations in their efforts to assist the growth of the Faith in Aotearoa.
[Signed: National Spiritual Assembly]
