Bahá’í Faith in England

Sections:

An Overview
Relationships with other Institutions
Formation, Characteristics and Functions

A document outlining the work of Regional Bahá’í Councils

AN OVERVIEW

The institutions of the Administrative Order of Bahá’u'lláh, rooted in the provisions of His Revelation, have emerged gradually and organically, as the Bahá’í community has grown through the power of the divine impulse imparted to humankind in this age. The characteristics and functions of each of these institutions have evolved, and are still evolving, as are the relationships between them…

One of the subtle qualities of the Bahá’í Administrative Order is the balance between centralization and decentralization…

Regional Bahá’í Councils partake of some, but not all, characteristics of Spiritual Assemblies, and thus provide a means of carrying forward the teaching work and administering related affairs of a rapidly growing Bahá’í community in a number of situations…

The distinguishing effects of the establishment of Regional Bahá’í Councils are the following:

· It provides for a level of autonomous decision making on both teaching and administrative matters, as distinct from merely executive action, below the National Assembly and above the Local Assemblies.

· It involves the members of Local Spiritual Assemblies of the area in the choice of the members of the Council, thus reinforcing the bond between it and the local believers while, at the same time, bringing into public service capable believers who are known to the friends in their own region

· It establishes direct consultative relationships between the Continental Counsellors and the Regional Bahá’í Councils…

From a letter from the Department of the Secretariat
of the Universal House of Justice
to National Spiritual Assemblies
30 May 1997

RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER INSTITUTIONS

Where there is close interaction between a Council and a training institute, the stage is set for a galvanic coherence of the processes affecting expansion and consolidation in a region, and for the practical matching of the training services of institutions to the developmental needs of local communities. Moreover, the operational guidelines whereby the Continental Counsellors and the Regional Councils have direct access to each other give rise to a further institutional relationship which, along with that connecting the Councils to the National and Local Spiritual Assemblies, effectuates a dynamic integration of functions at the regional level.’

Ridván 156 Message from the Universal House of Justice.

FORMATION, CHARACTERISTICS AND FUNCTION

Election of Regional Bahá’i Councils

If feasible and desirable, an electoral meeting, or several electoral meetings, may be held in the region for those voters able to attend, in order to provide an occasion for members of Local Spiritual Assemblies in the region to consult about the progress of the Cause. Other believers may attend, but would not take part in the voting.

(Letters of The Universal House of Justice, 1997 May 30, Creation of Regional Baha’i Councils)

Characteristics

The institutions of the Administrative Order of Bahá’u'lláh, rooted in the provisions of His Revelation, have emerged gradually and organically, as the Bahá’í community has grown through the power of the divine impulse imparted to humankind in this age. The characteristics and functions of each of these institutions have evolved, and are still evolving, as are the relationships between them. The writings of the beloved Guardian expound the fundamental elements of this mighty System and make it clear that the Administrative Order, although different in many ways from the World Order which it is the destiny of the Bahá’í Revelation to call into being, is both the “nucleus” and pattern of that World Order. Thus, the evolution of the institutions of the Administrative Order, while following many variants to meet changing conditions in different times and places, should strictly follow the essential principles of Bahá’í administration which have been laid down in the Sacred Text and in the interpretations provided by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the Guardian.
One of the subtle qualities of the Bahá’í Administrative Order is the balance between centralization and decentralization.

(Letters of The Universal House of Justice, 1997 May 30, Creation of Regional Baha’i Councils)Function

….the Council must ensure that, as the ranks of avowed supporters of the Faith swell through the institute process, they are deployed in the field of service, reinforcing the work of large-scale expansion and consolidation. This multiplication and deployment of human resources is to be carried out, of course, in the context of a regional plan to move each cluster in the region from its current stage of growth to the next advanced stage.
(ITC, 2003 Apr 23, Building Momentum, p. 14)

Given the far-reaching developments occurring at the level of the cluster and as more intensive programmes of growth are launched, decentralisation of administrative processes becomes ever more important. Accordingly, the strengthening of Regional Bahá’i Councils, where these exist, takes on added significance. The main consideration is related to the devolution of the decision making process to the appropriate level of Bahá’i administration. In practice, this principle applies to both to the devolution of decision making by national Spiritual assemblies to the regional level, and by the regional Bahá’i Councils to the cluster level. It is increasingly evident that where the framework of the Five year plan has been well understood by regional Councils, through their stewardship of the expansion and consolidation process in their regions, the aim of a significant advance in the process of entry by troops is becoming realised.”

“ what is being learnt, then, is that an effective administration with regard to the teaching work is one that aims to release the power of individual initiative, providing the flow of resources and freedom of operation to the co-ordinating structures at the cluster level.”

( Impact of Growth on Administration Processes- prepared by the International Teaching Centre July 2005)

For further information regarding the work of the Bahá’í Council for England in practise, please refer to its past annual reports, which can be obtained by emailing the Council Office on .