/24-7PressRelease/ - May 07, 2008 - Members of the Bahá'í Faith in Medford held their annual election on April 20, to fill the nine positions that make up the body of the Local Spiritual Assembly. With no clergy, the nine-member Spiritual Assemblies are charged, according to Bahá'í writings, with administering the affairs of the local Bahá'ís and acting as guides in developing the community.
Each year, the over 5 million members of the Bahá'í Faith worldwide elect local and National assemblies in 182 countries without electioneering, nominations or candidacies. Candidates include all eligible Bahá'í adults in the community and are elected with secret ballot and plurality vote, meaning each voting member votes for no less than the nine members that make up the Assembly. Voting is done in a prayerful environment, with the individual believer voting in support of candidates in the community who they feel best embody the qualities of unquestionable loyalty, selfless devotion, a well developed intellect and spiritual maturity.
Bahá'í Assembly members, considered "servants of the community", receive no special prestige and operate using "consultation," a process of non-adversarial decision-making where members are expected to set forth their views with honesty, courtesy and loving kindness, in a spirit of unity. Shoghi Effendi, great-grandson of Baha'u'llah and head of the faith from 1921 to 1957, said of the importance of attitude and service of the Assembly members, "They should approach their task with extreme humility, and endeavor, by their open-mindedness, their high sense of justice and duty, their candor, their modesty, their entire devotion to the welfare and interests of the friends, the Cause, and humanity, to win, not only the confidence and the genuine support and respect of those whom they serve, but also their esteem and real affection."
About the Bahá'í Faith
Baha'u'llah (pronounced "buh-HAH-oh-lah") founded the Bahá'í (pronounced "buh-HIGH") Faith in mid-eighteen hundreds, offering to the world the most recent of God's expression of His teachings through religion. The Bahá'í Faith teaches that there is one Creator that has lovingly sent divine Teachers to educate and spiritualize mankind throughout the ages. Bahá'ís work to eliminate all forms of prejudice, promote the oneness of humanity and the necessary harmony of science and religion. In addition to the spiritual teachings, Baha'u'llah gave the world a plan and Administrative Order to help bring about the unity of mankind and world peace.
For more information on the Bahá'í Faith, please visit the US Bahá'í web site at http://www.bahai.us
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