u/MirzaJan

>Reading a Wikipedia article about the Bahá’í Faith in the USA, I come upon this: “Overall religious membership fell precipitously from 70% to 47% among all Americans from 2000 to 2020. The growth of the American Baháʼí community began to stall around the same time, seeing a 50% drop in enrollments from 1997 to 2007, and a 30% increase in withdrawals in 2006…” Of course, one takes Wikipedia with a certain degree of skepticism; still it seems that the spectacularly dynamic of teaching and growth in our numbers is a thing of the past. I remember well attended firesides in the 1970s. My Colombian wife (I’ve been pioneering there) talks of when her parent’s house was full of seekers. We ask ourselves if the change might have something to do with the emphasis on Ruhi that’s since taken hold on the Bahá’í world. The shift from direct teaching of friends, neighbors, classmates and acquaintances to “putting them through the Ruhi sequence” is supposed to have been more “systematic” and effective – but has it really resulted in numerical growth? And could it be that the over enthusiastic insistence on Ruhi on the part of some individuals and institutions (often implying neglect of other teaching methods) may have dampened enthusiasm for teaching altogether? Back in 1989 I asked a member of the UHJ if I could be lukewarm about Ruhi and yet be a devoted Bahá’í. The answer, to my intense relief, was, “yes”. I’ve since read letters by the UHJ assuring the friends that we’re perfectly free to like or dislike the Ruhi program. I encourage any who express interest in studying Ruhi. I accompany Ruhi tutors and even offer to tutor if asked. This is how I support the institutions in their promotion of the Institute process. Meanwhile I participate in community activities and pursue my own personal teaching goals. I’m curious to know how my friends in the US have managed with respect to the Ruhi process and its replacement of some other longstanding activies.

>Though I abstain from criticizing the Ruhi process, I take issue with what I see as a neglect of proclamation, firesides, and other forms of direct teaching. I struggle sometimes with my impatience at hearing some of the friends insist that “people aren’t ready” and that the only effective way to promote the Faith is to coax people into joining a study circle in the hope that, somewhere along he process, they’ll decide they themselves Bahá’ís. I don’t see a lot of growth taking place this way and those who enter the faith in such a passive manner rarely become very active. I happen to find the university professors and students with whom I associate in Colombia quite open to learning about the Faith, but it’s embarrasing not to be able to invite them to events that would permit them to experience the Bahá’í community, given our emphasis on numbers of small study circles and individual devotionals. I’ve made it a personal project to promote high quality holy day celebrations as something to fulfill this need.

>Back in the 70’s the Bahá’í principles seemed to many people just a collection of nice ideas that most people presumably agreed with and offered nothing out of the ordinary. Nowadays the Faith offers a refuge of sanity and light to masses of people who must be in desperate search for an alternative to the almost unbearably corrupt, spiteful, conflictive global society we all inhabit. I don’t think people have ever been more ready for the Faith. Way back in the 1950s a magazine article said something like, “If these Bahá’ís ever get moving, they may take the world by storm”. Isn’t it long past time we get moving? Again, I’d love to hear about what the friends in the United States and other countries are doing to get us back to the rapid expansión we once had and should, with all the more reason, see now.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2209644753/?multi_permalinks=10164705463829754

>When a reporter of the New York Globe visited 'Abdu’l-Bahá in Haifa, He gave her this message: 'Tell my followers that they have no enemies to fear, no foes to hate. Man’s only enemy is himself.'

(Vignettes from the Life of ‘Abdul-Baha - Collected and edited by Annamarie Honnold)

If an LSA is defective, the NSA has over sight and can correct.

And if a NSA becomes corrupted, the UHJ can step in.

But what controls are there if the 9 men of the UHJ are corrupted, what can step in, what oversight is available for that situation?

>One day I [Abdul Baha] went to the Holy Presence of the Blessed Beauty and said: ‘The palace of Mazra‘ih is ready for you, and a carriage to drive you there’. He refused to go, saying: ‘I am a prisoner.’ Later I requested Him again, but got the same answer. I went so far as to ask Him a third time, but He still said ‘No!’ and I did not dare insist further. There was, however, in ‘Akka, a certain Muhammadan Shaykh, a well-known man with considerable influence, who loved Baha’u’llah and was greatly favoured by Him. I called this Shaykh and explained the position to him. I said, “You are daring. Go tonight to His Holy Presence, fall on your knees before Him, take hold of His hands and do not let go until He promises to leave the city!’ . . . He went directly to Baha’u’llah and sat down close to His knees. He took hold of the hands of the Blessed Beauty and kissed them and asked: ‘Why do you not leave the city?’ He said: ‘I am a prisoner.’ The Shaykh replied: ‘God forbid! Who has the power to make you a prisoner? You have kept yourself in prison. It was your own will to be imprisoned, and now I beg you to come out and go to the palace. It is beautiful and verdant. The trees are lovely, and the oranges like balls of fire!’ As often as the Blessed Beauty said: ‘I am a prisoner, it cannot be,’ the Shaykh took His hands and kissed them. For a whole hour he kept on pleading. At last Baha’u’llah said, ‘Khayli khub (very good)’ and the Shaykh’s patience and persistence were rewarded ... In spite of the strict firman of ‘Abdu’l-‘Aziz which prohibited my meeting or having any intercourse with the Blessed Perfection, I took the carriage the next day and drove with Him to the palace. No one made any objection. I left Him there and returned myself to the city.

(Day Of Glory, The Life of Baha’u’llah by Mary Perkins)

>As the Universal House of Justice highlighted in its letter to the Counselors, dated December 31, 2025:

>>“Whatever form a person’s service takes, it emerges from the unique interaction between, on the one hand, the needs of the Faith and, on the other, the possibilities afforded by the circumstances of each individual and the sacrifices that he or she chooses to make.”

>The American believers have continued to demonstrate their spirit of service and sacrificial generosity even through times of political, social, and economic turbulence. Bahá’ís continue to arise with steadfast devotion as a unified community to meet the goal of the National Fund.

>As of March 1 of this fiscal year, the cumulative unrestricted contributions to the National Fund, including those received for Regional Bahá’í Councils, grew by about 15 percent compared to the same period the previous year.

>The devotion and generosity of the friends is also evident in their support of various other funds of the Faith. As of March 1, 2026, contributions for the Persian Bahá’í Media Services Fund have totaled $1.1 million. At the international level, the American Bahá’í community has contributed $2.5 million to the International Bahá’í Fund and a cumulative total of $42.8 million to the Shrine of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

>Planned giving is one way believers can include the National Spiritual Assembly in their financial plans—whether through gifts made during one’s lifetime or through provisions for the future. Examples include giving appreciated assets such as stocks, making grants through donor-advised funds, using retirement-related options, or leaving a gift in a will or estate plan, all while meeting their personal financial needs.

>In the past year, planned giving has continued to strengthen its role as a vital channel for sustaining the funds of the Faith. Participation has grown significantly across multiple instruments, reflecting a deepening commitment by the friends. Estate bequests increased by 75 percent, reinforcing their importance as a long-term source of stability and vision. Notably, these bequests contribute to a reserve fund designed to help cover expenses during times of need, reducing reliance on borrowing and enhancing financial resilience. Charitable gift annuities increased by 65 percent, demonstrating continued confidence in an option that provides lifetime income while supporting the Faith. Gifts of appreciated securities experienced an extraordinary 118 percent increase, highlighting the community’s thoughtful and strategic approach to generosity. Together, these advances signal both spiritual devotion and prudent stewardship, ensuring the continued strength and sustainability of the National Fund.

(Riḍván 2026 Annual Report, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, Page 103)

Meher Baba was a spiritual leader who walked the path paved by the Baha'i Faith! He recognized three "helpers" or wise men who traveled to the West to prepare people for his arrival. These three forerunners were Abdu'l Baha, Swami Vivekananda, and Inayat Khan. By teaching Eastern ideas to people in Europe and America, they acted as "icebreakers" so the public would be ready to listen to a new message. While Abdu'l Baha was a famous teacher who died in 1921, Meher Baba regained his normal knowledge of the world and became a "Perfect Master" that same year. He emerged to continue the spiritual work of his helpers and lead the world toward a new awakening.

A technical look at this history shows a strong bond between these movements, often explained through the story of a "New Temple." In this analogy, the Baha'i founder, Baha'u'llah, is the builder who brought the necessary supplies like the "bricks, cement, sand, and iron." He created the structure for a new world order. However, the historical record in the Sindhi sources suggests that Meher Baba and his close associate "Dada" (the teacher Sadhu Vaswani) were the ones who arrived to "furnish and finish" the building. This shows that while the Baha'i Faith started the foundation of a new spiritual home for humanity, Meher Baba came as the Avatar to complete the work and make it ready for people to live in!!

Meher Baba made very bold claims about his divine identity, calling himself the "Ancient One" and the "Avatar." To a historian, his role as an "Avatar" is significant because it marks the end of one long cycle of history and the start of a new one. His way of working was very unique; between 1921 and 1923, he wrote a secret book that remains unread, and after finishing it, he "laid down his pen." Shortly after, in 1925, he began a long "Silence" to influence the world through divine forces rather than words. He famously said, "I have come not to teach but to awaken." His mission was to move people away from "religious rules" like ceremonies and dogmas and lead them toward a "living spiritual experience" called the New Humanity.

Meher Baba taught the "Seven Realities," which say that God is the only real existence and that selfless love is the only way to find the Truth. He wanted to end "nationalism" and "narrow communalism," which he described as the disastrous fighting between different religious groups. Meher Baba worked toward a "New World Order" that replaces group hatred with universal brotherhood. He explained that all this is part of a "Divine Plan" to help a world suffering from war and strife. By following this plan, humanity can move past its current pain and finally live in an era of peace, truth, and love.

#Sources:

http://www.bahaistudies.net/asma/messages_of_meher_baba.pdf

https://avatarmeherbabatrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/journal_2_3.pdf

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2486940711546106/posts/3520613351512165/

https://avatarmeherbabatrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/704560.pdf

https://www.reddit.com/r/religion/comments/rm0fuh/bahais_meet_meher_baba_in_yazd_iran_1929/