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Questions
Baha'is are frequently asked about:
Community Administration
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1. What type of organization
is there to Baha'i community life?
2. How are Bah'is elected to
hold office?
3. How long do Bah'is hold office?
4. What types of activities
do Bah'i communities do?
5. How many Bah'is does it take
to make a 'community'?
6. What roles can Bah'is take
in political life?
1. What type of organization is there to
Baha'i community life?
Baha'i local communities are run by Spiritual Assemblies,
which are democratically elected bodies of nine men and women.
There are no clergy in the Baha'i community, because
Baha'is believe that interpreting the writings of
God is up to each individual. The Local Spiritual Assembly has
two duties: to organize the life of the community, and to provide
counsel for the individual members and families in the community.
How the community events are organized depends on the size of
the Baha'i community. In a large community, the
Spiritual Assembly may appoint different committees to plan community
events at the Baha'i center, and in small communities,
the Assembly may ask individuals to plan community events in their
own homes. Top
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2. How are Baha'is elected to hold office?
Baha'is are elected to a Spiritual Assembly by
secret ballot without any campaigning, nominations, or electioneering.
Instead, each Baha'i is expected to become personal
friends with as many of his or her community members as possible.
During an election, each Baha'i votes as his or
her conscience dictates, choosing nine people (both men and women)
who they think have the best combination of character, maturity,
insight and experience to be on the Spiritual Assembly. This same
process is used, with some modifications, for Baha'i
elections for each National Spiritual Assembly, and the international
Baha'i governing body, the Universal House of Justice.
Once an Assembly is elected, it then holds an election for officers
within itself, to elect a chairperson, secretary and treasurer.
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3. How long do Baha'is hold office?
The members of a Baha'i Local Spiritual Assemblies
are elected every year, as are National Spiritual Assemblies.
The Universal House of Justice is elected every five years. There
are no "term limits" imposed. Top
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4. What types of activities do Baha'i communities
do?
Each Baha'i community is unique, and plans its
own types of events. However, all Baha'i communities
gather together to do two types of occasions: Baha'is
Feasts, and Baha'i Holy Days. Baha'i
Feasts are community gatherings once every Baha'i
month that have a spiritual portion (community worship), an administrative
portion (consultation on current community issues) and a social
portion (food! And socializing!). Baha'i Feast is
the heart of community life. Holy Days are special occasions that
celebrate specific times in the Baha'i calendar.
For example, Baha'u'llah's birthday is celebrated
on November 12, and the Baha'i New Year is celebrated
on March 21 (the spring equinox).
Other common Baha'i gatherings take place around
things like children's and adults' study classes, devotional and
prayer meetings, social gatherings, and firesides. A fireside
is a special gathering held for someone who wants to learn about
the Baha'is and they're Faith. There is a great
deal of flexibility in the type of activates communities can engage
in, and a lot of Baha'i activities depend on the
culture and choice of the community members. Some communities
have a large number of people interested in charity work, so they
will organize different development projects. Other communities
might have large youth populations who want to do public service,
or create performing arts groups. It all depends on the initiative
taken by the Local Spiritual Assembly and the community members.
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5. How many Baha'is does it take to make
a 'community'?
A Baha'i 'community' can be any group of Baha'is
greater than one. However, to elect a Local Spiritual Assembly
a community must have at least nine adult Baha'is.
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6. What roles can Baha'is take in political
life?
Baha'is are encouraged to be active citizens and
vote in government politics. However, they do not participate
in partisan politics or political campaigns. We believe passionately
in improving our communities and transforming society for the
better, but we see unity as a prerequisite for positive change.
Partisan politics by definition pits people against each other
and is dis-unifying. Of course we have private political opinions,
and make our choice at the ballot box. Our own elections, as mentioned
earlier, are done without nominations or campaigning. Top
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