 May 15, 2016
To the American Bahá’í community for the Feast of ‘Azamat
Dearly loved Friends,
The 108th Bahá’í National Convention, conducted within the precincts of the Mother Temple of the West―forever made sacred by the beloved Master’s footsteps on its very grounds― convened on the Ninth Day of the Festival of Ridván in an atmosphere of shining victories, not least of them the achievement, in the days immediately preceding, of two significant numerical goals: the founding of programs of growth in a total of 625 clusters spread across the country, and the fulfillment of our National Fund goal of $34 million. After several days of substantive consultation focused on the requirements of the new Five Year Plan, the gathering concluded with a sense that achievements even more luminous are still to come. From start to finish, delegates and guests drew energy, direction, and inspiration from the Ridván message of the Universal House of Justice and its March 26 message to the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada celebrating the 100th anniversary of the revelation of the Tablets of the Divine Plan. As never before, the consultations evinced a unity, confidence, and clarity firmly rooted in the House of Justice’s guidance and in experience gained in the field of action.
On May 6, we were privileged to receive another message from the Supreme Body, responding to the loving letter the assembled delegates had dispatched to it while still in session:
How our hearts rejoiced to receive the message from the delegates gathered at your National Convention and to hear of the clarity of vision and unity of thought present in their deliberations. May the spirit generated at this significant Convention, which coincides with the centenary of the revelation by ‘Abdu’l-Baha of the Tablets of the Divine Plan, inspire the friends across the country to act every day in the next five years in a manner worthy of the trust and expectations of the loving Master who nurtured their community in its infancy. Our prayers will be offered in the Holy Shrines that, one and all, they may be aided by the Concourse on high as they strive to carry forward the sacred work before them.
We hope the friends everywhere will avail themselves of opportunities their respective delegates will provide to hear their Convention reports. We are confident you will find their experiences a plentiful source of information and encouragement.
The new Plan is now underway. In each region, gatherings under the auspices of the Regional Bahá’í Councils have either been held or will soon be held to consult on the tasks that lie ahead. To ensure you are fully apprised of developments in your respective regions, we have invited the Councils to address a special message to you timed for the Feast of Núr, on June 3. These will be in lieu of our customary Feast message and will afford you a wonderful opportunity for consulting about ways the Plan can be advanced in keeping with circumstances in your locality.
We look forward with eager anticipation to the unfolding of this first year of the new Plan and the rich possibilities it will offer to further the unifying vision of Bahá’u’lláh. Be assured of our prayers that your wholehearted efforts to aid this endeavor will be crowned with great success.
With loving Bahá’í greetings, NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF THE UNITED STATES  Kenneth E. Bowers Secretary |
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