CommuNIqué - Newsletter of the Bahá'í Community in Northern Ireland
Issue 83 - 8 Rahmat 160 BE - 1 July 2003 CE

 

NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY

 
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY TRANSFERS INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE BAHÁ'Í SOCIETIES TO THE COUNCIL FROM 1st JULY 2003
Extracts and digest from a letter recently by the National Spiritual Assembly to all four Bahá'í Councils in the United Kingdom

The National Spiritual Assembly strongly believes that the societies continue to have a range of extremely valuable roles. Such roles include:

  • Focusing and developing the three core activities of the Plan
  • Proclaiming the Faith to the university and college populations - which are viewed as potentially receptive populations by the National Assembly
  • Encouraging Bahá'í scholarship
  • Pastoral care activities
  • External affairs activities.

The constitution of Bahá'í Societies was clearly defined by the Universal House of Justice more than twenty years ago. A copy is available from the Council. The National Assembly explains,

“The basic problem is that the university unions (or equivalent) have overall administrative responsibility - not the local Spiritual Assembly for the area. Local Assemblies cannot direct the activities of any Bahá'í Society. Rather their only prerogative is to able to dissolve the Society if it is acting outside of Bahá'í law.”
“"The major responsibilities that the Councils will now have in relation to Bahá'í Societies are as follows:
  • Encouraging Bahá'í students at universities and colleges to form Bahá'í Societies whenever feasible
  • Helping Bahá'í students to recognise the importance of developing the activities detailed above on a regular basis (especially the core activities of the Plan)
  • Encouraging the Societies to apply to their union (or similar administrative body) for whatever type of grants that may be available to them
  • Liasing with Local Spiritual Assemblies to help them understand the administrative relationship between them and the Bahá'í Societies.
In order to service the needs of Bahá'í Societies in the United Kingdom the National Spiritual Assembly has established an Office of University Bahá'í Societies (OUBS).This Office will be specifically asked to organise annual or bi-annual UK-wide Bahá'í Society events and activities.”
 

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