CommuNIqué - Newsletter of the Bahá'í Community in Northern Ireland
Issue 86 - 5 Mashiyyat 160 BE - 1 October 2003 CE

 

VISIT BY THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY

 NSA and Council

Members of the National Spiritual Assembly and the Bahá'í Council for Northern Ireland after their consultation on 6 September

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United Kingdom met in Northern Ireland over the weekend 5-7 September. On the evening of 6 September a special gathering was held for the Friends. One of those attending gives this report

Almost a hundred Bahá'ís from all over Northern Ireland came together in the lecture theatre at the Derrynoid Centre, Draperstown, to hear from and meet with our National Spiritual Assembly.

The evening was opened by Dr Shirin Tahzib, the Assembly chairman, who expressed the love of the National Assembly for the Friends and introduced the members Two talks were given. Mr Rob Weinberg gave an information-packed but easy-to-follow PowerPoint style presentation on the three core activities— Study Circles, Children’s Classes and Devotional Meetings and explained their importance and how they were “taking hold” in the Bahá'í community. However he emphasised the need to see them not simply as activities in their own right but as parts of a whole. The idea is that we pursue them all as an integrated programme of activities to secure the progress of the Faith. The Hon. Barney Leith, who is the Secretary of the NSA and its chief representative for External Affairs, spoke about recent events that had pushed the Faith into the media spotlight not just here but throughout the world. He emphasised that we must remember that the death of Dr David Kelly was first and foremost a human tragedy and the bereavement of a family.

There were some interesting contributions from the audience sgaring news of the increased attention the Faith is receiving in Northern Ireland and some questions to the National Assembly. After the formal part the members of the NSA and the Friends mingled over refreshments. Special tribute was paid to Pippa Cookson, who is pioneering from Belfast to Macedonia—she will be sorely missed.

We are all grateful to our National Assembly for this chance to meet with them.

JC

 

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