Baháʼí World Congress
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2014}}
The Baháʼí World Congress is a large gathering of Baháʼís from across the world that is called irregularly by the Universal House of Justice, the governing body of the Baháʼís. There have only been two conferences of this nature; in 1963 and 1992.
1963: First Baháʼí World Congress
The first Baháʼí World Congress was held in Royal Albert Hall in London, England and approximately 6,000 Baháʼís attended. It was called to announce and present the election of the first Universal House of Justice, elected by the participation of over 50 National Spiritual Assemblies. Enoch Olinga, last of the named Hands of the Cause, chaired the main meeting of the Congress.{{Cite web|last=Francis |first=N. Richard |title=Excerpts from the lives of early and contemporary believers on teaching the Baháʼí Faith: Enoch Olinga, Hand of the Cause of God, Father of Victories. |work=History; Excerpts From the Lives of Some Early and Contemporary Baháʼís |url=http://www.bci.org/nnby/history/enoch_olinga.htm |access-date=2009-10-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228061151/http://bci.org/nnby/history/enoch_olinga.htm |archive-date=28 February 2008 }}
Issam Tahan was in London during treatment for heart problems he later died from. He was the small boy who, while his father was in prison in Morocco that had risen to public pressure on Morocco,{{Cite book | last = Rutstein | first = Nathan | title = From a Gnat to an Eagle: The Story of Nathan Rutstein | publisher = US Baha'i Publishing Trust | year = 2008 | page = 119 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=aR2AIrHGrH4C&pg=PA719 | isbn = 978-1-931847-46-9}} chanted a prayer before the audience of the Congress.{{cite journal | title = News Briefs| journal = Baháʼí News |date=December 1965 | number = 417 | page = 23}}
Mrs. Ruthy Tu, the first woman citizen of Taiwan to become a Baháʼí, was able to attend the first Congress,{{cite book
| last = R. Sims
| first = Barbara
| title = The Taiwan Baháʼí Chronicle: A Historical Record of the Early Days of the Baháʼí Faith in Taiwan
| publisher = Baháʼí Publishing Trust of Japan
| year = 1994
| location = Tokyo
| url = http://bahai-library.com/sims_taiwan_bahai_chronicle
}} as did the first Baháʼí convert outside the mainland of Scotland - Lilian McKay.[http://bahai-faith.manvell.org.uk/sbn/sbn37/obit.htm Lilian Jean McKay 10 February 1929 – 11 July 2004], The Scottish Baháʼí, No.37 – Autumn, 2004 O. Z. Whitehead, actor in Grapes of Wrath movie and writer{{citation
|periodical = Baháʼí Studies Review
|volume = 8
|year = 1998
|title = Obituary: O. Z. Whitehead, Actor and writer
|url = http://www.breacais.demon.co.uk/abs/bsr08/851_weinberg_whitehead.htm
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080502143937/http://www.breacais.demon.co.uk/abs/bsr08/851_weinberg_whitehead.htm
|archive-date = 2 May 2008
|url-status = dead
|df = dmy-all
|access-date = 3 September 2012
1992: Second Baháʼí World Congress
The Second Baháʼí World Congress from 23–26 November 1992 took place in order to pay homage to the 100th anniversary of the passing of the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, Baháʼu'lláh. 30,000 Baháʼís attended the event in the Jacob Javits Center in New York City, United States, for four days of commemoration in the form of music, speeches, artistic performances and social gathering.
The Congress participants represented the diversity of the Baháʼís from over 180 different nations. The purpose of this World Congress was to "celebrate the Centenary of the inauguration of the Covenant of Baháʼu'lláh and to proclaim its aims and unifying power."
= Program =
The main sessions of the World Congress took place two hours each day at the Jacob Javits Center.
- Day one concentrated on the recognition of Baha'u'llah as the Promise of All Ages.
- Day two celebrated ʻAbdu'l-Bahá as the Center of the Covenant. The program highlighted the nature of the Covenant, and New York as the City of the Covenant.
- Day three covered some achievements of the Baháʼí community.
- Day four explored humanity's encounter with Baháʼu'lláh as a prelude to the culmination of the congress, a message from the Universal House of Justice.
References
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- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110611042901/http://www.bcca.org/communities/us/ny/nyc/presentations/worldcongress/faq.html Baháʼí World Congress: Frequently Asked Questions]
External links
- [https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Baha'i+World+Congress,+1992&aq=f Baháʼí World Congress, New York, 1992: video's]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20100609082323/http://www.global-music.org/india/faq.htm Voices of Bahá: Frequently Asked Questions]
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