Ridvan 1978: Baha'i Era 135
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Message to the International Convention(see also Message to the National Conventions, below)

To the International Bahá'í Convention

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 Counselors 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 fulfill 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 fulfillment of
their homefront 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 Bahá'í community--has seen great but
geographically uneven progress. There are now more than 19,000 Local
Spiritual Assemblies and the number of localities where Bahá'ís 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
Bahá'í Life

Some of the most significant achievements of the Plan have been towards
its third major objectiv--the development of the distinctive character
of Bahá'í life--and in the consolidation and strengthening of the
structure of the Bahá'í 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 centers 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 Bahá'í 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 Bahá'í
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 Bahá'u'lláh, 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
Bahá'í 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 Bahá'í 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 Bahá'í
community. The education of Bahá'í children is also receiving much
attention, which bodes well for the future generations of Bahá'í's.
The Continental Boards of Counselors

Experience has shown that active and loving collaboration between the
Continental Boards of Counselors 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 Counselors 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 Bahá'í way of life in local
communities. Coordinating and directing the work of these Continental
Boards from the Holy Land, the International Teaching Center 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 Bahá'u'lláh.
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 endeavors 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

Message to the National Conventions

To the Friends gathered at National Bahá'í Conventions

Beloved Friends,

We joyfully hail the formation of seven more National Spiritual
Assemblies, those of Burundi, Mauritania, the Bahamas, Oman, Qatar, the
Mariana Islands and Cyprus; two in Africa, one in the Americas, two in
Asia, one in the Pacific and one in Europe, raising to one hundred and
thirty the number of pillars of the Universal House of Justice.

Your National Spiritual Assemblies will be sharing with you the message
addressed to the International Bahá'í Convention and the news of the
progress of the Five Year Plan that was released on that occasion. As
you will see, many national communities have already completed, or
virtually completed, their Five Year Plan goals. These communities must
now ensure that the pace of expansion and consolidation which brought
them victory is maintained so that they will advance strongly into the
next plan. They can also, by pioneering and travel teaching, rally to
the assistance of their sister communities which still have months of
intensive work before them in order to win their goals. It is to these
latter communities that we now address our call to redoubled, united and
sacrificial effort. We are fervently supplicating at the Sacred
Threshold that the followers of the Blessed Beauty will arise with
enthusiasm, confidence and consecration to ensure that every goal is
attained.
-- Ridvan 1978: Baha'i Era 135 (Used by permission of the curator)