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Youth move to forefront of grassroots response throughout the US

April 15, 2020

Young people across the United States who have been engaged in Baha’i community-building efforts are swiftly responding to a host of needs arising in their communities from the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

“There are deep bonds of friendship between people that have for months or years been working together to contribute to social progress,” says Candace Vance, who follows Baha’i social and economic development activities of the country. “Because of this and the love they have for their communities, many young people are finding that they can’t just watch...

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As coronavirus death toll mounts, faith leaders the world over grapple with funerals

April 3, 2020

For Menaka Kannan, it was bad enough when she heard that a fellow member of New York City’s Baha’i community had contracted the novel coronavirus. But she was not emotionally prepared for the news that came roughly a week later: He had succumbed to the infection and died.

“The news of his passing, of course, is very shocking,” she said.

As the community grappled with the grief, a lingering question arose: How do you conduct a funeral in the midst of a global pandemic, when a healing hug is now seen as a potential death sentence?

It’s a conundrum facing...

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The new sound of worship services: ‘Can you mute your mic? Amen.’

March 20, 2020

It was the last day of a 19-day period of daytime fasting for Baha’i believers all over the world. The Washington area’s Baha’i community would have ordinarily been looking forward to joining at night to feast in celebration and welcome in the Baha’i new year.

Instead, alone in their kitchens and bedrooms and living rooms on Thursday afternoon, they opened up a Skype window.

The sounds of religious worship these days are intermingled with the vocabulary of conference calls: “Try to mute your microphone.” “You’re frozen.” “I can...

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Chattanooga area Baha'is celebrate 200th anniversary of Báb, remember people who founded faith

October 31, 2019
Seated in the wooden pews of their Hixson building, dozens of Chattanooga's faithful in the Baha'i community joined with millions of believers around the world celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Birth of the Báb this week. The Tuesday evening service recognizing one of the faith's central figures included music, time for reflection and performances by members of the community telling the stories of some of the faith's first followers. Source: Chattanooga area... Read more about Chattanooga area Baha'is celebrate 200th anniversary of Báb, remember people who founded faith

Centennial anniversary of founding of Baha’i faith in North Florida

October 11, 2019
In observing the centennial of the Baha’i Faith in Northeast Florida, a group of St. Johns County Baha’is visited the gravesites of two early St. Augustine Baha’i’s at Woodlawn Cemetery. The graves were those of Dr. Nathan Collier, president of the Florida Normal and Industrial Institute, who died in 1941, and Miss Sarah Ann Blocker, dean of women at the institute, who died in 1944. Originally, both Collier and Blocker were interred on school property, but were moved to Woodlawn Cemetery in St. Augustine when the school relocated to Miami Gardens in the late 1960s. The school is now known as... Read more about Centennial anniversary of founding of Baha’i faith in North Florida