Regional Bahá’í Council membership announced
The Day of the Covenant, celebrated on November 26 this year, marks the commencement of a new term of service for the membership of Regional Bahá’í Councils in Aotearoa. In this article, we share the announcement of the members who will serve for the coming year, as well as explore the important role these institutions play in supporting the growth and development of the Faith.
New membership announcement
Earlier this week, the National Spiritual Assembly sent the following message to all Bahá’í communities:
The National Spiritual Assembly is delighted to announce the membership of New Zealand’s Regional Bahá'í Councils for Te-Ika-a-Māui (North Island) and Te Waipounamu (South Island) for a one-year term of service commencing on the Day of the Covenant, 26 November 2026.
For Te Waipounamu (South Island) Council, the following believers have been appointed, in alphabetical order: Mrs Tautala Asaua-Pesa, Mr Devon Gundry, Mrs June Lim, Ms Megan McMahon, Mr Samuel Whitley.
For Te Ika a Māui (North Island) Council, the following believers are appointed, in alphabetical order: Mrs Roya Ebrahimi, Mr Lin Kim, Mr Carlos Medina Panta, Mr Tevita Niupalavu, Mrs Robyn O’Connor, Mrs Milly Paymani, Mr Bodhi Tamasese-Lockie, Dr Viliami Tutone, Mrs Zarrin Vaughan.
We invite individuals, communities, institutions and agencies to support these devoted servants in their role and to wholeheartedly collaborate with these precious institutions, as they shoulder significant responsibilities during the Nine Year Plan, especially as we prepare to enter the second phase of the Plan and strive together to win ever greater victories for the progress of the Cause in Aotearoa.
The National Assembly expresses its abiding love and gratitude to outgoing members, Mrs Shirin Gabel, Mr Aashish Indorewala, Mrs Brenda Miller, Mrs Nina Tu’i, Mr Alexander Rivers, and Mr Tuakalau Sakopo, for their dedicated and sacrificial service on the North Island Bahá’í Council. We offer heartfelt prayers for these dear friends and their families that the Blessed Beauty may continue to guide and confirm their endeavours in service to the Cause. We know that all six of them will continue to lend considerable support using the knowledge, experience and capacities they have gained through their time of serving in this role. The five members of the South and three of the North Island Council who are continuing their service into the coming term, are also wholeheartedly thanked for their sacrificial and dedicated service. The love of the National Assembly and prayers for their coming term are offered.
We take this opportunity to thank all of those members of the Local Spiritual Assemblies around Aotearoa who gave diligent attention and care to voting for the Council membership. Dear friends, the National Assembly is confident that through all of our continued efforts, the light of divine guidance will shine ever brighter in every region, and we invite you to join us in offering prayers and support for these beloved regional institutions of our Faith.
The role of Regional Bahá’í Councils
Regional Bahá’í Councils represent an important development in the evolution of the Bahá’í Administrative Order. In a letter dated 30 May 1997, the Universal House of Justice formally introduced these institutions as a means of strengthening the administration of the Faith in countries where the growth and increasing complexity of Bahá’í communities called for greater decentralisation.
“… from detailed examination of the principles set forth by Shoghi Effendi, we have reached the conclusion that the time has arrived for us to formalize a new element of Bahá’í administration, between the local and national levels, comprising institutions of a special kind, to be designated as “Regional Bahá’í Councils.””
Occupying a place between the national and local levels of Bahá’í administration, Regional Councils operate under the authority of the National Spiritual Assembly, exercising the responsibilities delegated to them while maintaining close relationships with Local Spiritual Assemblies and other institutions and agencies serving their regions.
In its 1997 letter, the Universal House of Justice explained that Regional Councils provide for a level of autonomous decision-making on teaching and administrative matters, enabling them to respond to the needs and opportunities of their regions while remaining within the overall framework established by the National Spiritual Assembly.
Their central purpose is to advance the work of expansion and consolidation of the Faith, strengthen the capacity of communities and institutions, and assist the friends in translating the guidance of the Universal House of Justice into sustained and systematic action.
Fostering growth and building capacity
A central responsibility of Regional Bahá’í Councils is to support the progress of clusters throughout their regions, helping communities advance along a continuum of development. This work involves close collaboration with the Counsellors and Auxiliary Board members, training institutes, Area Teaching Committees, Local Spiritual Assemblies and others engaged in the community-building process.
Regional Councils help to identify opportunities for growth, facilitate the sharing of experience and learning between clusters, support the development of human resources, and ensure that the necessary information, guidance and resources reach those serving at the grassroots.
An equally important aspect of their work is to strengthen the capacity of Local Spiritual Assemblies and other agencies, enabling them to assume increasing responsibility for the spiritual and material progress of their communities. The effectiveness of Regional Councils therefore rests on the administrative functions they perform, and in their ability to encourage, accompany and support the many individuals, institutions and agencies contributing to the advancement of the Cause.
Working together during the Nine Year Plan
As the Bahá’í world advances through the Nine Year Plan, the role of Regional Councils remains closely connected to the collective efforts of the friends to strengthen patterns of community life, extend the reach of educational activities and contribute to the spiritual and social transformation of society.
Their work calls for close attention to the circumstances of each cluster, thoughtful consultation, the systematic application of learning, and the encouragement of growing numbers of people to participate in the community-building process. As such, the collaboration between Regional Councils, and the other institutions and agencies of the Faith and the communities and friends serving the Plan at the grassroots is essential to this collective spiritual endeavour.
In its letter of 30 May 1997, the Universal House of Justice expressed its hope that the establishment of Regional Councils would:
“…carry forward, with increased vigour, the propagation of the Cause of God.”
