"Spiritual Assembly" explained
Guidance from God
In order to build the Kingdom of God on earth and bring God’s message to all the people, Bahá’u’lláh created Spiritual Assemblies. Bahá’u’lláh ask us to form Spiritual Assemblies in every nation, village, town and city. Bahá’u’lláh wants these Spiritual Assemblies to be His "lamp of guidance" so that the people do not wander in darkness. Bahá’u’lláh taught that mankind was no longer in need of ministers and clergy. In this "Day", each individual must seek God on their own and come to know and love Him through daily prayer and service to others. Each one of us is also responsible for teaching the Cause of God to others. However, the affairs of the community need to be managed and guided. This is the role of the Spiritual Assembly. When the Spiritual Assembly is in session, It is more than just a group of individuals having a meeting. When the hearts of the members are turned towards God, their hearts become united and that Spiritual Assembly receives God’s guidance for the community.
Bahá’í Community Life
The Spiritual Assembly has the responsibility to guide the community to be both a model and a magnet. The community should become a model of love, righteousness, chastity and interracial fellowship. Through its unity, the Bahá’í community will become a magnet drawing the masses to the Cause of God. The Spiritual Assembly’s great, God-given task is to guide this process.
Assemblies Guide the Community
The individual members of the Spiritual Assembly have no power in the Bahá’í community. They are simply servants of God like everyone else. But when the Assembly as a whole makes a decision, they provide spiritual guidance that the believers should follow in unity.
After the Assembly is elected, the members gather to organize it. The Assembly elects its officers: a chairman, vice-chairman, secretary and treasurer. The Assembly then begins consulting on the needs of the community.
In Bahá’í consultation, every member of the Assembly must express his or her views. However, once an opinion is offered, it belongs to the Assembly, not to the individual. This way opinions can clash without feelings being hurt. For it is this clash of different opinions that can produce the "spark of truth." Through this process of consultation the Assembly arrives at a unified vision.
This shared vision is the "lamp of guidance" for the community. The Assembly assists the believers to grow in their love for Bahá’u’lláh. It creates an atmosphere of love and unity. It encourages each individual to play their part.
Only the individual Bahá’í believers can come together to elect the Local Spiritual Assembly. Only the individual Bahá’í believers can reverently serve as a member of the Spiritual Assembly.