Save the date: Unit Conventions 202

Bahá’ís throughout Aotearoa are encouraged to save the date for the 2027 Unit Conventions, to be held on Sunday, 14 February 2027.

Host Assemblies will share further information about arrangements for each Unit Convention closer to the time. For now, friends are encouraged to mark the date in their calendars, and communities and institutions may also wish to keep the day free of other activities.

As we look ahead to Unit Convention, it is timely to reflect on the significance of the Bahá’í electoral process and the sacred responsibility entrusted to every believer who participates in it.

Nearly twenty years ago, in its message of 25 March 2007 to the Bahá’ís of the World, the Universal House of Justice called on all believers to give greater attention to strengthening the processes by which Bahá’í institutions are elected. The House of Justice described participation in Bahá’í elections as both a “bounden duty” and a “high privilege” and drew attention to the spirit of responsibility that the electoral process seeks to develop in every believer. The message reminds us that when called upon to vote in a Bahá’í election, believers are carrying out “a sacred task unique to this Dispensation”, one to be approached prayerfully, seeking divine guidance and confirmation.

Unit Convention provides an important link between believers throughout Aotearoa and the National Convention, where the members of the National Spiritual Assembly are elected. The delegates chosen at Unit Conventions form the body entrusted with this sacred responsibility, they are the foundation of the National Spiritual Assembly, so the care and attention given to their election is essential. Giving thoughtful and prayerful attention to their election helps ensure a strong foundation for the National Convention and, ultimately, for the institution elected to serve the national Bahá’í community.

The 25 March 2007 message offers much to reflect upon as Unit Convention approaches, about what it means to become an active, well-informed and responsible participant in the life of the Bahá’í community. It reminds us that the Bahá’í electoral process calls for careful thought over an extended period and, above all, participation undertaken with purity of motive, freedom of spirit and sanctity of heart.

As Sunday, 14 February 2027 approaches, the friends are warmly encouraged to set aside the date and to revisit the Universal House of Justice’s message of 25 March 2007, shared as a direct link to the Bahá’í Reference library earlier in this article, and as a pdf at the link below, reflecting on the privilege and responsibility that participation in this sacred process represents.

Further details about the 2027 Unit Conventions will be provided closer to the time.