Historic Conference for Assistants to Auxiliary Board Members for the Prairie States, March 7-9, 2025, Kansas City, Missouri
Submitted March 2025 by Leila Eady
INTRODUCTORY NOTE: Fifty-three friends gathered at the Kansas City Baha’i Center for a weekend of intensive study and sharing about advancing our clusters toward the goals of the Nine Year Plan. This was the first conference ever for all Assistants, meeting with Iowa’s Auxiliary Board Members Leila Eady for Propagation and Suzanne Schleifman for Protection, and Counselor Nwandi Lawson, along with ABMs Kiarma Webster for Propagation and Afsaneh Zairi for Protection, who also serve our Region. This is expected to be the first of many such conferences for different Regions around the country. These Assistants to Suzanne attended: Paul Rost of Iowa City, Donna Labagh of Fairfield, and Bryce Abel of Ames. Leila’s Assistants in attendance: Scott Magers of Cedar Falls, Jan King of Marion, Martha Griesheimer of Decorah, Karen Jentz of Fairfield, Philippe Kamanga of Cedar Rapids, Susan Abel of Cedar Rapids, Nancy Braun of Lone Tree, Megan Smith of Decorah, and Diane Findlay of Dallas Center. Here is Leila’s follow-up message to the Assistants:
Dear Friends,
Last weekend we were immersed in a spiritually packed program, prepared especially with close collaboration with and the guidance of our beloved Counselor Mrs. Nwandi Lawson, who participated in our spaces of study and conversations throughout the weekend, as well as offering opening and closing remarks.
The materials prepared for the Conference were inspired by the themes of our Auxiliary Board members Conference last April, and the September 30, 2024 message from the National Spiritual Assembly to the Bahá’ís of the United States. As we explained, these materials are not a one time study and limited to our weekend together–they will frame our ongoing study and reflection, especially our monthly zooms, and at the same time, the questions posed are for not only our the most advanced clusters, but also for those who haven’t been yet been “opened” to the process of starting a program of growth, so we will have an ongoing reflection of reading our reality and determining our next steps.
I am attaching the materials and also the photograph of the assistants that were able to attend. For those who were not able to join that weekend, you were in our thoughts and we look forward to sharing and studying together, and I look forward to our individual time to see our next steps together.
With much love,
Leila 🌺