Dear friends,

The Regional Bahá’í Council extends to you its warmest, heartfelt greetings.

As we take notice of a seemingly unparalleled acceleration of the disintegrative forces of society – throughout our country and the entire world – it is truly heartening to witness, as one measure of the very response called for by the Universal House of Justice, a process of haven-building set in motion by friends across our region who are convening conferences for the generality of believers and their friends. What a brilliant contrast being offered to humanity: a healing balm of “hope in place of despair, unity in place of conflict”!

To date, 25 of these conferences have been held, and by the summer’s end, more than 30 additional ones are set to occur. Some 1600 participants have, so far, been engaged, and in our least populous subregion alone, 26 new nuclei have been established. Plenty of those “committing their time, their energy, their concentration to the success of this work” come from among the roughly 600 friends from the wider society who are counted among the attendees. In a few conferences these dear souls significantly outnumbered those who formally identify as Bahá'ís. And in some cases, friends newly acquainted with our framework for action through the conference itself emerged as confirmed protagonists. Take, for example, an Episcopal minister in southern Virginia who, along with figuring out how to directly incorporate Bahá’í teachings into her Bible study classes, has promised to make every effort to invite every pastor, from every church in the area, to attend the next conference, because it was deemed crucial for them to be there. 

Perhaps the most encouraging feature of this first wave of conferences is the degree to which it is understood as something much more profound than a mere series of events. In the numerous conversations we have had with friends who are either gearing up for their own conference or have already enjoyed helping to convene one, it is easy to see a sense of enthusiasm, indeed a kind of reverence, for an unfolding learning process. In the same way that we aim, as individuals, to gradually and lovingly, nurture a single soul’s movement towards the Blessed Beauty, the ongoing process of holding these conferences provides the opportunity to stimulate the movement of populations in this same sacred direction. We are seeing with every fresh effort a sharpened focus on implementing the “essentially spiritual undertakings of diffusing the light of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation ever more widely and extending the roots of His Faith ever more deeply into the soil of society”.

We look forward, with great anticipation, to realizing additional victories in the weeks to come. Our prayers are with all the souls residing in the Atlantic States Region who are eager to marshall those spiritual forces guaranteed to strengthen such a noble endeavor!

With love and affection,

REGIONAL BAHÁ’Í COUNCIL of the ATLANTIC STATES