‘The chief sinews of Baha’i society’: Reflecting on the role of Local Spiritual Assemblies
In its message dated 30 December 2021, the international governing body of the Baha’i Faith, the Universal House of Justice, described the role of the local governing councils of Baha’i communities in advancing the work of community-building when it said:
A Local Spiritual Assembly maintains a keen interest in learning how best to advance the community-building work within its jurisdiction, and as such it consults regularly with friends involved in coordinating endeavors in the cluster. It follows closely the development of any centre of intense activity in the locality, especially by offering support to the teams of believers who have emerged there and are stimulating the process of growth.
The Universal House of Justice
In general, the more the intensification of activity requires organizational arrangement at the level of the locality or in parts of the locality – say, arranging campaigns of home visits, accompanying families who are holding devotional meetings, or encouraging them to form groups to work together – the more prominent the role that can be assumed by the Local Assembly in this regard.
To assist the Local Spiritual Assemblies to grow their capacity “to advance the community-building work within its jurisdiction”, the Baha’i Council for Western and Central Australia recently invited Local Spiritual Assembly members from South Australia and Western Australia to two special gatherings held in Adelaide and Perth. Representatives from Australia’s governing body, the National Spiritual Assembly, were also present as were representatives from the institution of the Counsellors and those spearheading the coordination of community-building activities at the local level.
The gatherings included an exploration into how Local Spiritual Assembly members could energise the local community-building efforts. There was a focus on supporting and strengthening groups of families, networks, and teams of friends and colleagues as a means of encouraging universal participation. A significant element of the program involved active planning and identifying next steps for each Assembly.
One of the quotes studied at the Perth gathering described the role of Local Spiritual Assemblies as “the chief sinews of Baha’i society.” Reflecting on the role of a sinew, one of the Assemblies described it ‘as a piece of tough fibrous tissue uniting muscle to bone’. This led to a discussion on how the Local Spiritual Assembly is to be closely connected to the core activities (bones) in order to assist in binding the system together into a coherent well-functioning whole. The purpose was then understood that by the Local Spiritual Assembly connecting closely to the core activities, and supporting the friends, its role would significantly assist in creating thriving, vibrant communities and developing momentum towards the community-building process.
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Baha’i Council for Western and Central Australia
The Baha’i Council for Western and Central Australia is a body that works across Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory to support the community-building endeavours of Baha’i communities in the area.
Published in October, 2024, in Baha'i Institutions > Events
Available online at: horizons.bahai.org.au/bahai-institutions/the-chief-sinews-of-bahai-society-reflecting-on-the-role-of-local-spiritual-assemblies/
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