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TheBaháʼí House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois,United States, also known as the Chicago Baháʼí Temple

ʻAbdu'l-Bahá,son ofBaháʼu'lláh,the founder of theBaháʼí Faith,visited theUnited StatesandCanadain 1912.Baháʼí Houses of Worshipwere completed inWilmette, Illinois,United States in 1953 and inPanama City,Panamain 1972.

History

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ʻAbdu'l-Bahá

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ʻAbdu'l-Bahá,son ofBaháʼu'lláh,the founder of theBaháʼí Faith,visited theUnited StatesandCanadain 1912.[1]

ʻAbdu'l-Bahá wrote a series of letters, ortablets,to the followers of the religion in theUnited Statesin 1916–1917; these letters were compiled together in the book titledTablets of the Divine Plan.The sixth of the tablets was the first to mentionLatin Americanregions and was written on 8 April 1916, but was delayed in being presented in the United States until 1919—after the end of theFirst World Warand theSpanish flupandemic. The first actions on the part of Baháʼí community towards Latin America were that of a few individuals who made trips toMexicoandSouth Americanear or before this unveiling in 1919, including Mr. and Mrs. Frankland, and individuals who would later be appointed asHands of the CauselikeRoy C. Wilhelm,andMartha Root.The sixth tablet was translated and presented byMirza Ahmad Sohrabon 4 April 1919, and published inStar of the Westmagazine on 12 December 1919.[2]

His Holiness Christ says: Travel ye to the East and to the West of the world and summon the people to theKingdom of God.…(travel to) the Islands of the West Indies, such asCuba,Haiti,Puerto Rico,Jamaica,the Islands of theLesser Antilles(which includes Barbados),Bahama Islands,even the smallWatling Island,have great importance…[3]

Later history

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In 1927Leonora Armstrongwas the first Baháʼí to visit many of these countries where she gave lectures about the religion as part of her plan to complement and completeMartha Root's unfulfilled intention of visiting all the Latin American countries for the purpose of presenting the religion to an audience.[4]

Shoghi Effendi,head of the religion after the death of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá in 1921, wrote acableon 1 May 1936 to theBaháʼí Annual Conventionof the United States and Canada, and asked for the systematic implementation of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's vision to begin.[5]In his cable he wrote:

Appeal to assembled delegates ponder historic appeal voiced by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá inTablets of the Divine Plan.Urge earnest deliberation with incoming National Assembly to insure its complete fulfillment. First century of Baháʼí Era drawing to a close. Humanity entering outer fringes most perilous stage its existence. Opportunities of present hour unimaginably precious. Would to God every State within American Republic and every Republic in American continent might ere termination of this glorious century embrace the light of the Faith of Baháʼu'lláh and establish structural basis of His World Order.[6]

Following the 1 May cable, another cable from Shoghi Effendi came on 19 May calling for permanentpioneersto be established in all the countries of Latin America.[5]The BaháʼíNational Spiritual Assemblyof the United States and Canada appointed the Inter-America Committee to take charge of the preparations. During the 1937 Baháʼí North American Convention, Shoghi Effendi cabled advising the convention to prolong their deliberations to permit the delegates and the National Assembly to consult on a plan that would enable Baháʼís to go to Latin America as well as to include the completion of the outer structure of theBaháʼí House of Worshipin Wilmette, Illinois. In 1937 theFirst Seven Year Plan(1937–44), which was an international plan designed by Shoghi Effendi, gave the American Baháʼís the goal of establishing the Baháʼí Faith in every country in Latin America. With the spread of American Baháʼís in Latin American, Baháʼí communities andLocal Spiritual Assembliesbegan to form in 1938 across the rest of Latin America.

By 1944, every state in the United States had at least one local Baháʼí administrative body.[7]In 1946, a greatpioneermovement, theTen Year Crusade,began with, for example, sixty percent of the British Baháʼí community eventually relocating.[8]

As far back as 1951 the Baháʼís had organized a regional National Assembly for the combination of Mexico, Central America and the Antilles islands.[5]Many counties formed their own National Assembly in 1961. Others continued to be organized in regional areas growing progressively smaller. From 1966 the region was reorganized among the Baháʼís ofLeeward,WindwardandVirgin Islandswith its seat inCharlotte Amalie.[9]

In 1953, aBaháʼí House of Worshipwas completed inWilmette, Illinois.[10]

Hand of the CauseRúhíyyih Khánumtoured the Caribbean Islands for five weeks in 1970.[11]

Canada

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The Baháʼí Shrine inMontreal,being the house ofMay MaxwellandWilliam Sutherland Maxwell,the only private home in Canada whereʻAbdu'l-Bahástayed.[12]

TheCanada 2011 CensusNational Household Survey recorded 18,945 Baháʼís.[13]In 2018, the Bahá’í Community of Canada's official website stated it had some 30,000 members, with aSpiritual Assemblyfound in most of the approximately 1,200 Bahá’í communities throughout the 13provinces and territories of Canada.[14]Canada is officially a bilingual (English-French) country, which also has a large population (roughly 5% of total)of indigenous peoples;the Bahá’í Community of Canada notes that its membership is quite diverse, French and English, more than 18% of from First Nations and Inuit backgrounds, and 30% foreign born who had immigrated to Canada.[14]

The Canadian community is one of the earliest western communities, at one point sharing a joint National Spiritual Assembly with the United States, and is a co-recipient ofʻAbdu'l-Bahá'sTablets of the Divine Plan.The first North American woman to declare herself a Baháʼí was Mrs. Kate C. Ives, of Canadian ancestry, though not living in Canada at the time.Moojan Momen,in reviewing "The Origins of the Baháʼí Community of Canada, 1898–1948" notes that "the Magee family... are credited with bringing the Baháʼí Faith to Canada. Edith Magee became a Baháʼí in 1898 in Chicago and returned to her home in London, Ontario, where four other female members of her family became Baháʼís. This predominance of women converts became a feature of the Canadian Baháʼí community..."[15]

Statistics Canadareports 14,730 Baháʼís from 1991 census data and 18,020 in those of 2001.[16]However theAssociation of Religion Data Archives(relying onWorld Christian Encyclopedia) estimated almost 46,600 Baháʼís in 2005.[17]Some editions of theCanadian Baháʼí Newsare available.[18]

In 1909, the Baháʼís of the United States and Canada elected a nine-member Executive Committee for the Bahai Temple Unity, a continental consultative body formed to build theBaháʼí House of Worship, in Illinois,to serve as the continental temple for North America. This group also coordinated the spread of the Baháʼí Faith across North America, and reviewed Baháʼí publications for their accuracy, andin 1925created an officialNational Spiritual Assemblyof the United States of America and Canada. In 1948, having grown in membership and diversity, the Bahá’í Community of Canada formed its individualNational Spiritual Assembly.This National Spiritual Assembly coordinates the spread of the Baháʼí Faith across Canada and reviews Baháʼí publications, publishing them through the French-English bilingual publication,Études Baháʼí Studies,[19]replaced in 1988 by the French-English-Spanish trilingualThe Journal of Baháʼí Studies,[20]both of which were published inOttawaby agencies of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Canada.[20]

United States

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Main article:Baháʼí Faith in the United States

In 1894Thornton Chasebecame the first North American Baháʼí who remained in the faith. By the end of 1894 four other Americans had also become Baháʼís. In 1909, the first National Convention was held with 39 delegates from 36 cities.[21]

In December 1999, the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States stated that out of approximately 140,000 adult (15 and over) members on the rolls, only 70,000 had known addresses.[22]TheAmerican Religious Identity Survey(ARIS) conducted in 2001, with a sample size of 50,000, estimated that there were 84,000 self-identifying adult (21 and over) Baháʼís in the United States.[23]TheAssociation of Religion Data Archivesestimated there were some 525,000 Baháʼís in 2005[17]howeverstatisticsin Feb 2011 show 175,000[24]excluding Alaska and Hawai'i.

Although a majority of Americans are Christians, Baháʼís make up the second-largest religious group inSouth Carolinaas of May 2014.[25]And based on data from 2010, Baháʼís were the largest minority religion in 80 counties out of the 3143 counties in the country.[26]While early fictional works relating the religion occurred in Europe a number of them have appeared in the United States since the 1980s, sometimes in mass media - seeBaháʼí Faith in fiction.

Mexico

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Main article:Baháʼí Faith in Mexico

The Baháʼí Faith in Mexico begins with visits of Baháʼís before 1916.[5]In 1919 letters from the head of the religion,ʻAbdu'l-Bahá,were published mentioning Mexico as one of the places Baháʼís should take the religion to.[27]Following furtherpioneersmoving there and making contacts the first Mexican to join the religion was in 1937, followed quickly by the first BaháʼíLocal Spiritual Assemblyof all Latin America being elected in 1938.[5][28]With continued growth theNational Spiritual Assemblywas first elected in 1961.[28][29]TheAssociation of Religion Data Archives(relying onWorld Christian Encyclopedia) estimated almost 38,000 Baháʼís in 2005.[17]

Central America

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Belize

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See also:Religion in Belize

TheAssociation of Religion Data Archivesestimates there were 7,776 Baháʼís in Belize in 2005, or 2.5% of the national population.[30]Their data also states that the Baháʼí Faith is the second most common religion in Belize, followed by Hinduism (2.0%) and Judaism (1.1%).[31]The 2010 Belize Population Census recorded 202 Baháʼís.[32][33]

Costa Rica

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Main article:Baháʼí Faith in Costa Rica

The firstpioneersbegan to settle in Coast Rica in 1940.[28]followed quickly by the first BaháʼíLocal Spiritual Assemblybeing elected inSan Joséin April 1941.[5]TheNational Spiritual Assemblywas first elected in 1961.[29]Baháʼís sources as of 2009 the national community includes various peoples and tribes of over 4,000 members organized in groups in over 30 locations throughout the country.[28]TheAssociation of Religion Data Archives(relying mostly on theWorld Christian Encyclopedia) estimated some 13,000 Baháʼís in 2005.[17]

Panama

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Main article:Baháʼí Faith in Panama
Baháʼí House of Worship,Panama City, Panama

The history of the Baháʼí Faith inPanamabegins with a mention by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá in the bookTablets of the Divine Plan,published in 1919; the same year,Martha Rootmade a trip around South America and included Panama on the return leg of the trip up the west coast.[34]The firstpioneersbegan to settle in Panama in 1940.[28]The first BaháʼíLocal Spiritual Assemblyof Panama, inPanama City,was elected in 1946,[5]and theNational Spiritual Assemblywas first elected in 1961.[29]The Baháʼís of Panama raised aBaháʼí House of Worshipin 1972.[35]In 1983 and again in 1992, some commemorative stamps were produced in Panama[36][37]while the community turned its interests to theSan MiguelitoandChiriquíregions of Panama with schools and a radio station.[38]The Association of Religion Data Archives estimated there were some 41,000 Baháʼís in 2005[17]while another sources places it closer to 60,000.[39]

Caribbean

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Barbados

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Main article:Baháʼí Faith in Barbados

The first Baháʼí to visit Barbados wasLeonora Armstrongin 1927[4]whilepioneerswho moved to the island arrived by 1964.[40]With local converts they elected the first BaháʼíLocal Spiritual Assemblyin 1965.[41]During October 1966 a trip to ten islands was planned by Lorraine Landau, a pioneer in Barbados.[42]Hand of the CauseʻAlí-Muhammad Varqáattended the inaugural election of the Barbados Baháʼís National Spiritual Assembly in 1981.[43]Since then Baháʼís have participated in several projects for the benefit of the wider community and in 2001 various sources report up to 1.2% of the island,[44]about 3,500 citizens are Baháʼís[45]though Baháʼí and government census data report far lower numbers.[46][47]In fact, the 2010 Barbados census recorded 178 Baháʼís out of a total population of 250,010.[48]

Dominica

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Main article:Baháʼí Faith in Dominica

The island of Dominica was specifically listed as an objective for plans on spreading the religion in 1939Shoghi Effendi,[49]who succeeded ʻAbdu'l-Baha as head of the religion. In 1983 Bill Nedden is credited with being the firstpioneerto Dominica at the festivities associated with the inaugural election of the Dominican Baháʼís National Spiritual Assembly[43]withHand of the Cause,Dhikru'llah Khademrepresenting theUniversal House of Justice.Since then Baháʼís have participated in several projects for the benefit of the wider community and in 2001 various sources report between less than 1.4%[50]up to 1.7% of the island's about 70,000 citizens are Baháʼís.[45]

Haiti

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Main article:Baháʼí Faith in Haiti

The first Baháʼí to visit Haiti wasLeonora Armstrongin 1927.[51]After that others visited untilLouis George Gregoryvisited in January 1937 and he mentions a small community of Baháʼís operating in Haiti.[52]The first long termpioneers,Ruth and Ellsworth Blackwell, arrived in 1940.[53]Following their arrival the first BaháʼíLocal Spiritual Assemblyof Haiti was formed in 1942 inPort-au-Prince.[54]From 1951 the Haitian Baháʼís participated in regional organizations of the religion[55]until 1961 when Haitian Baháʼís elected their ownNational Spiritual Assembly[56]and soon took on goals reaching out into neighboring islands.[57]TheAssociation of Religion Data Archives(relying mostly on theWorld Christian Encyclopedia) estimated some 23000 Baháʼís in Haiti in 2005.[17]

Jamaica

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Main article:Baháʼí Faith in Jamaica

The community of the Baháʼís begins in 1942 with the arrival of Dr. Malcolm King.[58]The first BaháʼíLocal Spiritual Assemblyof Jamaica, in Kingston, was elected in 1943.[59]By 1957 the Baháʼís of Jamaica were organized under the regional National Spiritual Assembly of theGreater Antilles,and on the eve of national independence in 1962, the Jamaica Baháʼís elected their own National Spiritual Assembly in 1961.[56]By 1981 hundreds of Baháʼís and hundreds more non-Baháʼís turned out for weekend meetings whenRúhíyyih Khánumspent six days in Jamaica.[51]Public recognition of the religion came in the form of the Governor General of Jamaica, SirHoward Cooke,proclaiming a National Baha'i Day first on 25 July in 2003 and it has been an annual event since.[60]While there is evidence of several active communities by 2008 in Jamaica, estimates of the Baháʼís population range from the hundreds to the thousands. TheAssociation of Religion Data Archives(relying onWorld Christian Encyclopedia) estimated some 5137 Baháʼís in 2005.[17]

Trinidad and Tobago

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Main article:Baháʼí Faith in Trinidad and Tobago

The Baháʼí Faith in Trinidad and Tobago begins with a mention byʻAbdu'l-Bahá,then head of the religion, in 1916 as theCaribbeanwas among the places Baháʼís should take the religion to.[2]The first Baháʼí to visit came in 1927[4]whilepioneersarrived by 1956[61]and the first BaháʼíLocal Spiritual Assemblywas elected in 1957[62]In 1971 the first BaháʼíNational Spiritual Assemblywas elected.[63]A count of the community then noted 27 assemblies with Baháʼís living in 77 locations.[64]Since then Baháʼís have participated in several projects for the benefit of the wider community and in 2005/10 various sources report near 1.2% of the country,[65]about 10[66]–16,000[17]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^Hatcher, William S.;Martin, J. Douglas (2002).The Baha'i Faith: The Emerging Global Religion.US Baha'i Publishing Trust. pp. 57–59.ISBN978-1-931847-06-3.
  2. ^abʻAbbas, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (April 1919).Tablets, Instructions and Words of Explanation.Mirza Ahmad Sohrab (trans. and comments).
  3. ^ʻAbdu'l-Bahá(1991) [1916–17].Tablets of the Divine Plan(Paperback ed.). Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Baháʼí Publishing Trust. pp. 31–36.ISBN0-87743-233-3.
  4. ^abcUniversal House of Justice (1986).In Memoriam.Vol. XVIII. Baháʼí World Centre. pp. 733–736.ISBN0-85398-234-1.{{cite book}}:|journal=ignored (help)
  5. ^abcdefgLamb, Artemus (November 1995).The Beginnings of the Baháʼí Faith in Latin America:Some Remembrances, English Revised and Amplified Edition.West Linn, Oregon: M L VanOrman Enterprises.
  6. ^Effendi, Shoghi(1947).Messages to America.Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Baháʼí Publishing Committee. p. 6.ISBN0-87743-145-0.OCLC5806374.
  7. ^"U.S. Baha'i History".Baha'i Faith.Archived fromthe originalon 19 September 2009.Retrieved24 February2009.
  8. ^U.K. Baháʼí Heritage Site."The Baháʼí Faith in the United Kingdom –A Brief History".Archived fromthe originalon 26 February 2008.Retrieved18 February2008.
  9. ^Universal House of Justice(1966)."Ridván 1966".Ridván Messages.Baháʼí Library Online.Retrieved4 December2008.
  10. ^John Richardson (December 1997)."Preserving the Bahaʼi House of Worship: Unusual Mandate, Material, and Method"(PDF).Cultural Resource Management.National Park Service. p. 50. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 27 May 2010.Retrieved30 June2010.
  11. ^"The Great Safari of Hand of the Cause Ruhiyyih Khanum; Barbados".Baháʼí News.No. 483. June 1971. pp. 17–18.
  12. ^Montreal Baháʼí Community: Locations.
  13. ^"2011 National Household Survey: Data tables".Statistics Canada.8 May 2013.Retrieved17 September2016.
  14. ^ab"Facts and Figures".The Bahá’í Community of Canada. Archived fromthe originalon 2 July 2018.Retrieved11 October2020.
  15. ^"Origins of the Bahá'í Community of Canada 1898-1948, the, by Will C. Van den Hoonaard".
  16. ^"Census data".Archived fromthe originalon 14 August 2007.Retrieved1 February2013.
  17. ^abcdefgh"Most Baha'i Nations (2005)".QuickLists > Compare Nations > Religions >.The Association of Religion Data Archives. 2005. Archived fromthe originalon 23 January 2016.Retrieved16 September2012.
  18. ^Canadian Baháʼí News,Bahai.works, 2018
  19. ^"(for example) The Bahá'í Faith in Russia: Two Early Instances".Études Baháʼí Studies.5.Ottawa:Canadian Association for Studies on the Baháʼí Faith. January 1979.Retrieved11 October2020– via Bahá'í Library Online.
  20. ^ab"The Journal of Baháʼí Studies".Association for Baháʼí Studies (North America).Ottawa:National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Canada.Retrieved11 October2020.
  21. ^Stockman, Robert H. (2001)."The Search Ends".Thornton Chase: First American Baháʼí.Wilmette, Illinois:US Baha'i Publishing Trust.ISBN978-0877432821– via Baháʼí Library Online.
  22. ^National Teaching Committee (12 December 1999)."Issues Pertaining to Growth, Retention and Consolidation in the United States; A Report by the National Teaching Committee of the United States".National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of the United States.Retrieved8 February2014.
  23. ^"Largest Religious Groups in the United States of America".Adherents.com. 2013. Archived from the original on 20 August 2018.Retrieved8 February2014.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  24. ^"Quick Facts and Stats".Official website of the Baha'is of the United States.National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States. 11 June 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 11 June 2014.Retrieved24 April2017.
  25. ^Wilson, Reid."The Second-Largest Religion in Each State".The Washington Post.
  26. ^"Religion Census Newsletter"(PDF).RCMS2010.org.Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies. March 2017.Retrieved17 March2017.[permanent dead link]
  27. ^ʻAbbas, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (April 1919).Tablets, Instructions and Words of Explanation.Mirza Ahmad Sohrab (trans. and comments).
  28. ^abcde"Comunidad Baháʼí de México".National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of Mexico. 2012.Retrieved25 February2012.
  29. ^abcHassall, Graham; Universal House of Justice."National Spiritual Assemblies statistics 1923–1999".Assorted Resource Tools.Baháʼí Library Online.Retrieved10 May2009.
  30. ^"Most Baha'i Nations (2005)".The Association for Religion Data Archives.Archived fromthe originalon 9 December 2015.Retrieved21 November2015.
  31. ^"Belize: Religious Adherents (2010)".The Association for Religion Data Archives.Archived fromthe originalon 22 November 2015.Retrieved21 November2015.
  32. ^"2010 Census of Belize Overview".2011. Archived fromthe originalon 29 May 2012.Retrieved23 April2017.
  33. ^"2010 Census of Belize Detailed Demographics of 2000 and 2010".2011.Retrieved23 April2017.
  34. ^Yang, Jiling (January 2007).In Search of Martha Root: An American Baháʼí Feminist and Peace Advocate in the early Twentieth Century(Thesis).Georgia State University.Retrieved30 June2008.
  35. ^House of Justice, Universal;compiled by W. Marks, Geoffry (1996).Messaged from the Universal House of Justice: 1963–1986: The Third Epoch of the Formative Age.Wilmette, Illinois: Baháʼí Publishing Trust. p. 212.ISBN0-87743-239-2.
  36. ^maintained by Tooraj, Enayat."Baháʼí Stamps".Baháʼí Philately.Baháʼí Library Online.Retrieved30 June2008.
  37. ^maintained by Tooraj, Enayat."Baháʼí Stamps".Baháʼí Philately.Baháʼí Library Online.Retrieved30 June2008.
  38. ^International Community, Baháʼí(October–December 1994)."In Panama, some Guaymis blaze a new path".One Country.1994(October–December). Archived fromthe originalon 2 August 2014.Retrieved27 November2015.
  39. ^"Panama".WCC > Member churches > Regions > Latin America > Panama.World Council of Churches. 1 January 2006. Archived fromthe originalon 8 July 2008.Retrieved1 July2008.
  40. ^"NSA of United States Reports Status of Goals in Atlantic and Caribbean Areas; Present Status of Goals".Baháʼí News.No. 407. February 1965. p. 1.
  41. ^"New Goals Won in the Caribbean Area".Baháʼí News.No. 412. July 1965. p. 9.
  42. ^"A Major Event".Baháʼí News.No. 427. October 1966. p. 10.
  43. ^abUniversal House of Justice (1986).In Memoriam.Vol. XVIII. Baháʼí World Centre. p. 514.ISBN0-85398-234-1.{{cite book}}:|journal=ignored (help)
  44. ^"International > Regions > Caribbean > Barbados > Religious Adherents".thearda.com.2001.Archivedfrom the original on 8 January 2009.Retrieved4 December2008.
  45. ^ab"Most Baha'i Nations (2005)".thearda.com.2001. Archived fromthe originalon 23 January 2016.Retrieved4 December2008.
  46. ^"Welcome to the Barbados Baha'i Website".National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Barbados. Archived fromthe originalon 14 September 2010.Retrieved24 August2010.
  47. ^"Redatam".Census.Barbados Statistical Service. 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 4 October 2010.Retrieved24 August2010.
  48. ^"Redatam".Census.Barbados Statistical Service. 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 4 October 2010.Retrieved23 April2017.
  49. ^Effendi, Shoghi(1947).Messages to America.Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Baháʼí Publishing Committee. p. 25.OCLC5806374.
  50. ^Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (14 September 2007)."International Religious Freedom Report – Dominica".United States State Department.Retrieved3 December2008.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  51. ^abLocke, Hugh C. (1983).Baháʼí World, Vol. XVIII: 1979–1983.pp. 500–501, 629.
  52. ^"Annual Report Inter-America Committee".Baháʼí News.No. 109. July 1937. pp. 3–5.
  53. ^"InterAmerica Teaching".Baháʼí News.No. 139. October 1940. p. 4.
  54. ^"Supplement to Annual Report of the National Spiritual Assembly 1941–42".Baháʼí News.No. 154. July 1942. pp. 11–12.
  55. ^"Central America, Mexico and the Antilles".Baháʼí News.No. 247. September 1951. pp. 9–10.
  56. ^ab"National Spiritual Assemblies Statistics".Retrieved27 November2008.
  57. ^"Teaching Conference Held in Honduras".Baháʼí News.No. 411. June 1965. p. 1.
  58. ^Bridge, Abena (5 July 2000)."Divine rites – Uncovering the faiths".Jamaican Gleaner News.Archived fromthe originalon 13 September 2012.
  59. ^Baháʼí International Community(25 July 2003)."Joyous festivities in Jamaica".Baháʼí World News Service.
  60. ^Baháʼí International Community(11 August 2006)."Jamaicans celebrate 4th National Baha'i Day".Baháʼí World News Service.
  61. ^"The Guardian's Message to the Forty-Eighth Annual Baha'i Convention".Baháʼí News.No. 303. May 1956. pp. 1–2.
  62. ^"First Local Spiritual Assembly…".Baháʼí News.No. 321. November 1957. p. 8.
  63. ^"A Year of Progress in Trinidad".Baháʼí News.No. 480. March 1971. pp. 8–9.
  64. ^"Outstanding Achievements, Goals".Baháʼí News.No. 484. July 1971. p. 3.
  65. ^"International > Regions > Caribbean > Trinidad and Tobago > Religious Adherents".thearda.com.2010.Retrieved13 June2013.
  66. ^"The History of the Baháʼí Faith in Trinidad and Tobago".The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahai´s of Trinidad and Tobago. 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 5 July 2017.Retrieved8 June2013.

Further reading

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  • Echevarria, Lynn (2011).Life Histories of Baháʼí Women in Canada: Constructing Religious Identity in the Twentieth Century.Series 7, Theology and Religion, American University Studies. Vol. 316. Peter Lang Publishing Inc.ISBN9781433114571.
  • Garlington, William (2008) [2005].The Baha'i Faith in America.Rowman & Littlefield.ISBN978-0742562349.OCLC1244209170.
  • McMullen, Mike (2000).The Baháʼí: The Religious Construction of a Global Identity.Rutgers University Press.ISBN978-0813528366.
  • McMullen, Mike (2015).The Baháʼís of America: The Growth of a Religious Movement.NYU Press.ISBN978-1-4798-5152-2.
  • Stockman, Robert(1985).Baháʼí Faith in America: Origins 1892-1900.Wilmette, Ill.: Baha'i Publishing Trust of the United States.ISBN978-0-87743-199-2.
  • Stockman, Robert(2002).The Baháʼí Faith in America: Early Expansion, 1900-1912 Volume 2.Wilmette, Ill.: George Ronald.ISBN978-0-87743-282-1.
  • Stockman, Robert(2012).ʻAbdu'l-Bahá in America.Wilmette, Ill.: Baha'i Publishing Trust of the United States.ISBN978-1-931847-97-1.
  • van den Hoonaard, Will C. (1996).The Origins of the Bahá'í Community of Canada, 1898-1948.Wilfrid Laurier University Press.ISBN9781554584956.
  • Venters, Louis (2016).No Jim Crow Church: The Origins of South Carolina's Bahá'í Community.University Press of Florida.ISBN9780813054070.
  • Venters, Louis (2019).A History of the Bahá'í Faith in South Carolina.The History Press.ISBN978-1467117494.
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