Dear Baha'i friends,
All National Spiritual Assemblies have been aware of the
urgency of our Ridvan 1969 message to the Baha'is of the world when the call
was raised for pioneers to settle in territories in need of pioneer support or
as yet unopened to the Faith, and have been cognizant of the emphasis which was
placed on the need for the believers to arise quickly to ensure the success of
the Nine Year Plan in the pioneer field.
Since that call was raised, no less than 330 of the pioneer
posts in the 184 specified territories in the globe have been filled, and in a
few of those territories additional pioneers have arrived to supplement the
ranks of Baha'u'llah's followers at those posts.
As you will note from the attached list showing the current
status of pioneer goals, some 417 pioneers must yet arise and settle in the
posts previously assigned. After a recent review of pioneer needs we find it is
necessary to call upon the valiant, constantly swelling community of believers
throughout all continents to fill yet another 204 pioneer posts where manpower
is desperately needed, in some territories in order to win the minimum number
of Assemblies or localities called for in the Plan, and in others where vast
new mass teaching areas have been opened to the Faith, thus necessitating
additional reinforcements who must arrive soon if the precious gains are to be
retained. These 204 new pioneer goals have been assigned to specific National
Spiritual Assemblies.
Despite the magnitude of this undertaking and the grave
challenge which your communities face in ensuring the home-front goals, we are
compelled to point out that each of those goals assigned must be considered as
a minimum requirement. Pioneers unable
to go to the goals assigned by their own National Spiritual Assembly should be
encouraged to fill goals assigned to other National Assemblies. Of course a self-supporting believer is free
to settle as a pioneer in any country he chooses.
We call upon the friends to act promptly and decisively in
this vital international undertaking in which the followers of Baha'u'llah are,
in all continents of the globe, summoned to participate. The time is short and
the effort required is truly formidable.
We shall offer ardent prayers at the Holy Shrines,
supplicating that the waves of pioneers required to complete this urgent task
of the present hour shall arise and quickly rush forth into the arena of
service.
With loving Baha'i greetings,
The Universal House of Justice
(‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986’)
