Members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of South Africa, 2003.
How is the Bahá’í community organized?
The Bahá’í community’s collective life is administered by nine-member consultative councils that are democratically elected, without nomination or electioneering, at the local, national and international levels. These are Local Spiritual Assemblies, National Spiritual Assemblies, and the Universal House of Justice. Additionally, appointed advisors assist and counsel local and national communities and institutions in their development. There is no clergy in the Bahá’í Faith. Local Bahá’í communities meet every 19 days for a “Feast,” a gathering that includes consultation on community activities as well as devotional and social portions.Links
The Bahá'í World Centre
As is the case with three other world religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), it is ties of historical circumstance that bind the Bahá'í Faith to the Holy Land. The houses and other places associated with the exile here of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá have been lovingly restored by the Bahá'í community. More >
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The Bahá'í World Centre: Focal Point for a Global Community
Before His passing, Bahá'u'lláh indicated that the world headquarters for the Faith He had founded would be in the Acre/Haifa area in the north of what is now Israel. The region today is home to the spiritual and administrative heart of the Bahá'í Faith ... More >
Administration and Authority