Dearly loved friends,
The Universal House of Justice takes great pleasure in addressing the members of National Spiritual Assemblies gathered in the Holy Land, in the presence of Hands of the Cause of God and Counsellors from all continents, at this fourth International Convention, pausing with you to review the course and needs of the Five Year Plan as we cross the threshold of its final year.
Review of the Progress of the Five Year Plan
The opening of the Plan witnessed the eager response of the
friends, careful study made by the national institutions of the Faith of its
implications and requirements, the establishment of machinery and the setting
up of projects to achieve its goals, and the often arduous struggle to fulfil
the first of its three major objectives -- the safeguarding and consolidation
of all prizes won in earlier campaigns. This phase extended in many countries
over a period of several months, and in others continued as far as the midway
point of the Plan.
The middle year of the Plan saw the holding of the International Conferences and those many regional and national conferences which were held concurrently and diffused far and wide the inspiration flowing from these eight major assemblages of the believers. These gatherings motivated a great acceleration of the work and helped the believers throughout the world to arrive at a new realization of the responsibility entrusted to the followers of the Most Great Name for the spiritual regeneration of their fellowmen.
We are now in the last stage of the Plan, and this Convention provides us with a welcome and auspicious hour in which to assess our progress and to direct our thoughts to the complete achievement of the goals.
Of the 130 National Spiritual Assemblies which will be operating during the last year of the Plan, 50, have either achieved or nearly achieved their teaching goals. Of the remaining 80 National Spiritual Assemblies, some 40 are confidently forging ahead and are assured of victory if the present tempo in their teaching work is maintained. Nine National Assemblies are restricted by conditions which make the fulfilment of their home-front goals dependent upon circumstances beyond their control. The remaining 30 national communities are, alas, seriously lagging behind, and only strenuous and sacrificial effort will enable them to win their goals.
Review of the Second Objective: Vast and Widespread Expansion
The second of the three major objectives of the Plan -- a
vast and widespread expansion of the Baha'i community -- has seen great but
geographically uneven progress. There are now more than 19,000 Local Spiritual
Assemblies and the number of localities where Baha'is reside is over 83,000.
This expansion has been accompanied by an intensification of proclamation
efforts and by increased use of mass media such as radio and television.
There have been notable advances in the process of gaining wider recognition for the Cause of God and in fostering cordial relations with civil authorities, a matter of vital importance in these days when there is a growth of opposition to the Faith from those who, misconstruing its true nature and aims, take alarm at its progress.
Review of the Third Objective: Developing the Distinctive Character of Baha'i Life
Some of the most significant achievements of the Plan have
been towards its third major objective -- the development of the distinctive
character of Baha'i life -- and in the consolidation and strengthening of the
structure of the Baha'i community. The
beloved Hands of the Cause of God, who have been in the forefront of so many
aspects of the work of the Faith, have rendered far-reaching services in this
field.
The Local Spiritual Assemblies, focal centres for the teaching of the Faith and the consolidation of the community, are growing in experience, maturity and wisdom, are proving to be potent instruments for nurturing the Baha'i life and are, in increasing numbers, carrying out plans for the establishment of the Faith in areas outside their own range of jurisdiction, under the overall guidance of their National Spiritual Assemblies, and with the encouragement and help of the Auxiliary Boards and their assistants. The work of developing Local Spiritual Assemblies is a task without end in the foreseeable future. As the Baha'i community, which is still very thinly spread around the world, moves continually and with increasing rapidity into new areas, new Assemblies will come into being and will need patient help and training in their sacred duties.
The devotion and self-sacrifice of the friends, which have drawn to them the confirmations of Baha'u'llah, have resulted in the very great advances made so far. Evidences of this striving are apparent in the growing number of national communities which, under the wise stewardship and challenging leadership of their National Spiritual Assemblies, are becoming financially self-supporting; in the fact that ever more individual believers are adopting for themselves specific goals and plans of service for the advancement of the Faith; in the settlement of more than 2,000 pioneers during the course of the Plan; in the upsurge of travel teaching individually and in teams; in a greater awareness of the power of prayer; and in many other ways. Three vital aspects of Baha'i community life which have seen marked progress during the past four years are the development of the services of women and of youth, and the Baha'i education of children. The youth have long been in the forefront of the teaching work, and now our hearts rejoice to see the women, in so many lands where previously their capacities were largely left unused, devoting their capable services to the life of the Baha'i community. The education of Baha'i children is also receiving much attention, which bodes well for the future generations of Baha'is.
The Continental Boards of Counsellors
Experience has shown that active and loving collaboration
between the Continental Boards of Counsellors and National Spiritual Assemblies
has been a particularly invigorating and strengthening factor in the progress
of the Cause in all aspects of the work. Reflecting the growth of the community
the number of Continental Counsellors has been raised to 64 during the Plan,
and the number of Auxiliary Boards to 675. Under the authorization given to
them, the members of the Auxiliary Boards have till now appointed 3,358
assistants, who are already playing a significant role in the formation and
consolidation of Local Spiritual Assemblies and the fostering of the Baha'i way
of life in local communities. Co-ordinating and directing the work of these
Continental Boards from the Holy Land, the International Teaching Centre is now
well established in the conduct of its responsibilities, foreshadowing the
mighty role that it is destined to play in the functioning of the
Administrative Order of Baha'u'llah.
Seizing Opportunities to Steer the Course of History
The Faith is passing through a time of tremendous
opportunity and development, as well as of increasing opposition and of growing
complexity in the problems confronting it. These opportunities must be seized
and these problems overcome, for so crucial are these times that the future
course of human history is daily in the balance. During this year the Universal
House of Justice will be consulting on the nature, duration and goals of the
next stage in the implementation of the Divine Plan. The firm base of the
achievement of the Five Year Plan goals, both those of quality and those of
quantity, is therefore the burning necessity of the months now before us. Let
us go forward in a spirit of optimism, with confidence, determination, courage
and unity. The greater the love and unity among the friends, the more speedily
will the work advance.
May the Almighty bless the endeavours of His servants and inspire their hearts to arise in His Cause with that degree of radiant faith and self-sacrifice which will draw to their aid the conquering hosts of the Supreme Concourse.
The Universal House of Justice
(Messages from the Universal House of Justice, ‘1963-1986’)
