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June 18, 2012
To the American Bahá'í community
Dearly loved Friends,
Of the many comments and observations offered from the floor of this year's 104th Bahá'í National Convention, some of the most moving were the spontaneous and manifestly heartfelt tributes delegates paid to the power of the Black Men's Gatherings (BMG)-to the fresh insights, deeper understandings, strengthened bonds of unity, and greatly renewed consecration to the Cause of God that were the rewards of the friends' participation in them, fostering a legacy that will long endure.
These deserved accolades were framed by the delegates' awareness that, in guidance received from the Universal House of Justice in December of last year, both the National Spiritual Assembly and certain of the friends who over time have been most closely identified with their planning and execution were asked to bring the Gatherings to a close and to assist their regular participants in making the transition to a new phase in their activities.
You are no doubt familiar with the origins of the Gatherings and the highly commendable record of achievements they have compiled over the course of nearly a quarter century of existence. Designed to address the special needs of African American men, a distinct social group still recovering from the grievous and slow-healing wounds of several hundred years of oppression, discrimination, and injustice, the Gatherings, from their modest beginnings in 1987, soon gained impressive momentum. Year after year, they have continued to attract large numbers of believers from the far corners of the nation to attend the annual conclaves and to support activities, some of which have involved travels to Africa and to the Caribbean to bring the unifying teachings of Bahá'u'lláh to people of color-a mission the beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, especially encouraged African American Bahá'ís to undertake.
At every stage in their evolution, the Gatherings have enjoyed the warm encouragement of this Assembly and have been recipients of the loving guidance of the Faith's Supreme Institution. In its December 4 letter to us, the House of Justice referred with pride to "the distinguished history" of the Gatherings and characterized them as "a vibrant and spirited enterprise, which has assisted contingents of African American men to deal with certain obstacles confronting them, to foster a sense of fellowship and kindle their faith and commitment to Bahá'u'lláh, and to encourage them to find an effective part to play within the recent series of Plans."
Reminding us that at various times in the Faith's continuing unfoldment its Head has found it necessary to introduce "temporary measures to address particular challenges" and that these were "not expected to be permanent elements of the Faith," the House of Justice expresses its view "that it is now timely to bring the Black Men's Gathering to a close." In calling on the Gatherings' leadership to effect it-in a letter addressed to them, likewise, on December 4-the Supreme Institution notes that this change should lead none to assume that "the challenges which brought about the initiation of the [G]athering are overcome or the concerns it addressed are completely allayed." On the contrary, the House of Justice expresses its trust that the Gatherings' participants will now, as a logical outgrowth of the BMG experience, transfer-with a greater sense of purpose and with enriched understanding-their enthusiasm and energy to the work of the Five Year Plan taking place at the cluster level, counseling them that "your hopes and aspirations are best met in future" through efforts in that arena of service.
In concluding its guidance to the National Spiritual Assembly on the matter, the Supreme Body expresses its fond hope that the direction it is encouraging the Gatherings' participants to take will enable them to seek and discover new portals for "an unprecedented and systematic approach to reaching the African American population in the United States." Placing its hope in the context of this year's centennial of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's sojourn in North America, the House of Justice further elaborates:
"How fitting if an effort to embrace this [African American] population, which received the bounty of the Master's loving attention, could be significantly advanced within the context of the Plan during the centennial of His visit to America."
Dear friends, nothing would gladden our hearts more than to see you joyously come to the aid of your beloved African American brothers in such an endeavor-showing your complete and wholehearted support by working side-by-side with them as you together cultivate, as never before, this vitally important territory; praying for and celebrating with them every harvest you can together proudly bring in, fulfilling the high expectations of the Universal House of Justice for our incomparably blessed community. You may be confident our best wishes and ardent prayers for your great success will accompany your every step.
With loving Bahá'í greetings,
Kenneth E. Bowers
Secretary
National Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá'ís of the United States
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