Development of the Faith in the Sioux City Area by Marie Scheffer
First section through 1986 released for publication March 2026, sections covering 1987-1996 released in April 2026 sections covering 1996-2001 in June 2026
Although Marie Scheffer was the primary researcher/writer of most of this history, a number of current and former members of the Sioux City community added their observations and memories. Many thanks to all who participated! Special thanks also to the many Assembly Secretaries over the years who left behind wonderful annual reports with many more details than are included here.
[Marie Scheffer]
In September 1975 Alan and I moved from Libertyville Township north of Chicago to Sioux City for what we thought would be 6 months. We had been married nearly a year, had completed our pioneering training, Alan had received a job offer from the Jamaican government to provide training to the private sector, and we had been told that it would take about 6 months for his work permit to be issued. His old friend and former boss from Levi Strauss, Jack Tucker, had called and asked Alan to come to work for him at Aalfs Manufacturing, a Levi Strauss contractor in Sioux City. Alan explained our situation and offered to give Jack 6 months of consulting time before we moved. We did not even know where Sioux City was on a map but thought that it would not matter where we waited, impatiently, to go to our pioneering post.
When we arrived in Sioux City, there were a handful of believers: Grace Davidson, a kindergarten teacher; Cheryl Ingram, a teacher at Riverside Elementary School (who was planning to move to Santa Fe in a few months); and Angel and Nancy Nava, along with their two sons, Rusty (Rosalio) and Jimmie (Jaime). Nancy was already in end-stage congestive heart failure and was in a hospital bed in their living room, but their home at 1512Ingleside Avenue was still a center of Bahá’í activities.
Over the winter an election occurred in Jamaica, and the new government would not issue work permits to Americans, who were all thought to be CIA spies. It became clear that we would not be pioneering to Jamaica any time soon, so Alan accepted a job as training and personnel director at Aalfs. Since Alan’s children, Sonja and Eric, would be coming to live with us for the summer of 1976, we moved from our 2 bedroom apartment at 5050 Garretson Avenue in Morningside and bought a house at 217 Paxton Street in the Greenville area of town, never thinking that we would spend the next 40 years living there.
We still hoped to pioneer somewhere but increased our teaching efforts in Sioux City, as with Cheryl Ingram’s move, Nancy Nava’s death in 1977, and Angel Nava’s subsequent move with his young sons to Spencer, IA, we were down to 3 believers. John Para, who lived in Kingsley, IA, with his wife, Karen, and 4 children (Mira, Shahin, Zhalih, and Mahin), had a restaurant but came to Sioux City to do a cooking show on KMEG, channel 14 television. John introduced us to George Sun, who was the chief engineer at the TV station. George and Alan had many long, frank talks about the Faith and native American beliefs. Several years later George and his wife, Edeth, became Bahá’ís in Sioux City and later moved to Winnebago as the first believers on the reservation. [MS]
The small Sioux City community grew slowly, both through move-ins who went to school at Western Iowa Technical Community College (WIT) (Gary Rentz, Tom Cartwright, Bob Durkee) and declarations by local folks. Barb Riggs (now Barb Gross) and then-husband Dave learned of the Faith through Barb and Marie working together at KBCM “Big Country” radio station. Cindi Anderson, Beth Nordquist, Linda Nielsen and husband Steve learned of it through working with Alan at Aalfs.
The small group was active, holding regular firesides and occasionally hosting out of town travel teachers, as when professional entertainers Phil and Janine Staniszewski gave a musical introduction to the Faith in March, 1977, at the Scheffer’s home. Meetings were also held weekly in a conference room in the Commons of Morningside College. Notices were put in the Sioux City Journal newspaper for holy days.
Henrietta Kroll’s mother, Sophie Luehr Hays, died Sept. 11, 1977, at the age of 90 and was buried in Memorial Park Cemetery in Sioux City. The last few months of her life she was living in Sioux City in Casa de Paz care center. A separate document of the long, illustrious history of the Kroll family and its Bahá’í services in Plymouth and Woodbury County is being pulled together by members of the family. The written account of Sharon Babbitt, a Bahá’í who lived in the area with her husband, Dell, also provides information on the Krolls, as well as other area believers, including those in Macy, NE. Sharon and Dell moved from Siouxland in 1968, before the Scheffers moved to town.
In the beginning . . . Assembly formation and the earliest years
From its earliest days the Sioux City Bahá’ís were earnestly involved in teaching and proclamation. The primary form of teaching at that time was inviting friends and co-workers to a fireside meeting. Proclamation activities involved mass mailings, letters, billboards, posters, public talks, booths or tables at various fairs, notices sent to the newspaper or a radio station about happenings in the community, and, when funds were available, newspaper advertising. All of these were vigorously pursued. Though results seemed meager and hard to measure, the goal was primarily to make known the existence of the Faith. Most enrollments resulted from personal teaching.
An attempt had been made previously to form an Assembly in 1972, when there were 12 adult believers, several of them newer believers who had learned of the Faith through their high school English teacher, Bahá’í John Guinty.
[Marie Scheffer] John Guinty emailed the Assembly on August 18, 2005, with a bit of history about himself: “I became a Bahá’í in 1966 in Lincoln, Nebraska. In 1967 I moved to Sioux City and taught at Central High School there until 1969. In that time, there were many declarations, most of whom were youth, and therefore, we never had enough adults to form an Assembly. The number of Bahá’ís, however, was around twenty-five when I left.” [MS]
Those elected included Dean Andrews, Cheryl Ingram, Angel Nava, Nancy Nava, Mary Sundance, Grace Davidson, Pauline Luehr, Michele St. Cyr, and Janet Hutton. One member elected to the Assembly, Michele St. Cyr, declined to serve, as did the three other believers who had not been elected. Because of these refusals the National Spiritual Assembly did not recognize the formation of a local Assembly; the 4 reluctant believers either were deprived of their Bahá’í rights and/or withdrew from membership.
By December 1978 there were 9 adult believers with administrative rights in Sioux City, and it was permissible then, under the Five Year Plan (1974-1979), for Assemblies to form at any time of the year when this condition was achieved. Accordingly, the Spiritual Assembly of Sioux City was formed by joint declaration on December 4, 1978. Membership consisted of Cindi Anderson (Secretary), James Braun (Treasurer), Nancy Braun (Vice-chair), Grace Davidson, Linda Nielsen, Beth Nordquist, Gary Rentz, and Alan Scheffer, and Marie Scheffer (Chair). A recognition ceremony was held later, in February 1979, at the Howard Johnson Motor Lodge, attended by Bahá’ís from four nearby communities. Marie Scheffer gave a talk on the basic responsibilities of the Assembly, and James Braun gave a brief history of the Faith in the area. Karen Para of Kingsley, as a representative of the National Assembly, presented a certificate of recognition to the new Spiritual Assembly.
[Marie Scheffer]
I remember that one of the very first activities of the new Spiritual Assembly was to officiate a marriage. I remember it so clearly because I was asked to be one of the witnesses, and I was 9 months pregnant, with a January 5 due date. Since the wedding took place the last week of Dec, I was anxious for weeks that I would have my water break and go into labor during the ceremony. The wedding was memorable because our Assembly made a critical mistake regarding consents. We had been assured that the consents would be available on the day of the wedding. But they were not. We found out after the ceremony that the groom did not want his mother, with whom the couple would be living, to know that his bride was a Bahá’í so he never asked for consent. We wrote a “mea culpa” letter about the situation to the National Spiritual Assembly, which recognized the marriage, congratulated us on forming our Assembly, and told us not to repeat our mistake. [MS]
[Nancy Braun]
In 1978 James Braun and I were married and our daughter, Elsie, was two years old. Jim had just graduated from school with a Medical Technology Degree from MSU in Springfield, MO. We wanted to be homefront pioneers, and it made sense, to us, to choose a place that needed two more Bahá’ís in order to elect a Spiritual Assembly, but also a location where we wanted to live. The three areas that we were drawn to were upstate New York, northern Minnesota, and, for some reason, although we had never been there, Moscow, Idaho. We needed to find a job for Jim at a hospital. We were in the process of determining which communities in our desired locations had seven or eight Bahá’ís and a hospital with job openings for a med tech.
About this time we got a call from Alan and Marie Scheffer, who we knew from Libertyville, IL when we all lived in that area. Alan and Marie had sought out Jim and contributed to his reactivation in the Bahá’í community. They were also the people that taught me the Faith at their weekly fireside. The Scheffers told us that the Sioux City community needed only two more believers to elect its first Spiritual Assembly. They strongly encouraged us to move there. Our little family drove from Springfield to Sioux City for the interview and to get the lay of the land. We didn’t particularly want to move to Sioux City, Iowa, but we hadn’t found a job anywhere else yet and the Veterans Benefits we were living on while Jim was in school had stopped. The Scheffers were a strong draw, but they had plans in place to pioneer to Jamaica in a few months.
I remember sitting and saying the Tablet of Ahmad, over and over, during the time Jim was being interviewed for a job. I wanted to be open to whatever happened. I also remember that the Scheffers drove us around in the neighborhoods surrounding Grandview Park, not mentioning that this lovely area was out of our price range by miles.
Shortly after that trip Jim was offered a job, and we made preparations to move to Sioux City, arriving in June of 1978. We stayed with the Scheffers at 217 Paxton while looking for an apartment. As we were moving into the community, two other believers were moving out. So the community was back to seven members and couldn’t elect an Assembly, yet. [NB]
1978-1979:
The Assembly was formed for the first time in December 1978. Members were Cindi Anderson, James and Nancy Braun, Grace Davidson, Linda Nielsen, Beth Nordquist, Gary Rentz, and Alan and Marie Scheffer.
Vital statistics: 11 adults in good standing, 3 children = 14 believers
Steve Nielsen was enrolled in the Faith.
Mark Alan Scheffer was born, the first Bahá’í child after the Assembly came into being.
Teaching/proclamation:
The Five Year Plan’s 3 major objectives were: preservation and consolidation of the victories won; a vast and widespread expansion of the Bahá’í community; and development of the distinctive character of Bahá’í life, particularly in local communities. Accordingly, our first teaching goals were to open a locality by Ridvan and to have 19 Bahá’ís in our own community by then. Neither of these ambitious goals was met.
Our first major proclamation effort, while still a group in October 1978, was to send out 1000 proclamation flyers to an approximately eight square block area on the west side of the city. This area was chosen because it had more minority groups than any other area of town and because a Bahá’í family, the Brauns, lived in that area. Ads were placed in the newspaper simultaneously with the mailing of the proclamation flyers. One phone call was received as a result of the mailing.
Material sent from the National Center was distributed to the various new media in Sioux City for their files to prevent misinformation appearing in print. Notices were placed in the Sioux City Journal for the Assembly recognition ceremony, for holy days, for a slide presentation for World Religion Day, and an article on Sioux City Bahá’ís attending the District Convention. Ads were also placed for Race Unity Day and World Religion Day.
A talk on the Faith was given in a comparative religion class at Briar Cliff College.
Building community:
Edie Elmore, the National Treasurer’s representative, gave a deepening about the Bahá’í Fund. We were very appreciative that she drove all the way from Davenport to Sioux City to provide us with information. Other deepenings included tapes by Dr. Hidayatu’llah Ahmadiyyih on teaching sent by the National Assembly and “Opposition to the Faith,” prompted by the persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran.
Children’s classes were started that took place during the consultative portions of the Feast.
A variety of activities were held to celebrate holy days and to build unity: campouts, potluck dinners, ice cream making parties, dinners to break the fast, game nights, and book swaps. A visit was made as a service project during Intercalary Days to the local nursing home where Cindi Anderson’s mother lived, and two books were given to the nursing home’s library.
Special developments:
The majority of surplus funds at the end of the year were sent to the National Fund to lessen the national deficit. Money was also sent to the Persian Relief Fund, along with prayers.
The beginning of the Seven Year Plan
The Seven Year Plan (1979-1986) provided the context and direction for the first years of the functioning of the Sioux City Spiritual Assembly and its community. This Plan began at Naw-Ruz and had 3 phases: an initial 2 year phase (1979-1981), a 3 year phase (1981-1984), and a final 2 year phase (1984-1986).
At this time global Plans were devised by the Universal House of Justice and were given to National Spiritual Assemblies. The particular goals given to the United States included quantitative teaching goals, such as raising the number of localities where Bahá’ís resided to at least 7200; raising the number of Spiritual Assemblies to at least 1650, including at least 35 on Indian reservations, ensuring the adoption of extension teaching goals by at least 700 Spiritual Assemblies; and intensifying teaching work among minorities. An additional goal which affected our efforts was establishing classes for the Bahá’í education of children; in 1981 the House added to this the goal of developing Bahá’í lesson plans suitable for children’s classes.
1979-1980:
The Assembly consisted of Cindi Anderson, James and Nancy Braun, Grace Davidson, Steve and Linda Nielsen, Beth Nordquist, and Alan and Marie Scheffer. In Feb. 1980 Beth Nordquist moved to Arkansas, and Joanne Beville was elected to replace her.
Vital statistics: 11 adults with rights, 7 children = 18 believers
Graham Christopher Braun was born.
[Marie Scheffer] Alan, Mark, and I were sent by Aalfs Manufacturing to Joplin, Missouri, in the fall of 1979 to live there for several months while Alan served as acting plant manager until a permanent manager could be hired for a newly-acquired sewing plant in Miami, Oklahoma. Jo Waller (now Archer) and Mitch Beville and their blended family of four children lived in our home for the nine months we were absent. Cindi Norris and her son, Damien, lived with the Brauns during this period. Alan and I drove back to Sioux City to be present for the Ridvan elections, though we did not move back home until summer. [MS]
Teaching/proclamation:
A proclamation mailing was sent out as part of “The Year of the Child.” The pamphlet “Children, A Bahá’í Perspective” was sent to those in our area involved with education, including principals, day-care and youth centers, and school board members.
A proclamation advertisement was placed in the Sioux City Journal offering free copies of four Bahá’í books (The Bahá’í Faith, Thief in the Night, The Divine Art of Living, and Selected Writings of Bahá’u’lláh) to any one interested who responded.
A billboard painted with “One Planet, One People . . . Please” was put up on the west side. Robert Clifton, a Pierson Bahá’í who worked at a sign painting shop in Sioux City, painted it with the understanding that it could stay up until the shop sold the space to a client. It remained up for several years.
A cable was sent by the Assembly to Ayatollah Khomeini in response to the destruction and confiscation of Bahá’í properties in Iran. Mailgrams were sent to our Congressional Representatives and one Senator in response to the destruction of the House of the Bab in Iran.
Community firesides were planned for once every Gregorian month. Community members were encouraged to try to invite one new friend to each of these firesides. In response to a recommendation from the National Spiritual Assembly, the community held firesides for 9 consecutive days. The original recommendation was for 18 days, but our Assembly felt this was unrealistic for the size of our community.
An Assembly member was invited to give a talk and share some Bahá’í Writings at the local Unitarian Church.
The Assembly assisted the Kingsley Bahá’í group with a teaching effort they had planned: a Bahá’í Hospitality Bus at the Woodbury County Fair.
A “Love That Child” radio announcement was placed on a couple of local radio stations, and an “International Year of the Child” television spot was seen on one of the local television stations.
Building community:
A deepening program was begun based on material sent by Auxiliary Board member Mrs. Javidukht Khadem, wife of the Hand of the Cause. In January a study program called “A Life of Service” was held in honor of Mr. Enoch Olinga, the Hand of the Cause who was murdered at his home in Kampala, Uganda. Edie Elmore again visited us to give the National Treasurer’s Office program, “The Surest Way” on April 6, 1980. The Assembly also deepened on the functions of local Assemblies, consultation, marriage laws, and a talk given by Mr. Adib Taherzadeh on “Teaching the Cause of God.” Assistant to the Auxiliary Board, Marie Scheffer, gave a deepening to the Assembly.
Children’s classes continued to be held during the Feast.
Holy days were all observed, and Ayyam-i-Ha featured a party for children, a night for adults to watch the film “The Green Light Expedition,” and a family night in which everyone participated in the community’s first talent show.
Special development/visits:
Memorial services were held for three Hands of the Cause of God who died this year: Mr. Enoch Olinga, Dr. Rahmatullah Muhajir, and Mr. Hasan Balyuzi. The community dedicated to their memory some of our local teaching projects.
The community was honored by visits from Auxiliary Board member Bill Borland and by his assistant, David Smith.
Alan and Marie Scheffer went to the Assembly recognition celebration for the restoration of the Spiritual Assembly of Macy, held in its Cultural Building on Saturday, October 13, 1979. Auxiliary Board member Bill Borland spoke at this event.
1980-1981:
Assembly members were Cindi Anderson, Jo Beville, Jim and Nancy Braun, Grace Davidson, Steve and Linda Nielsen, and Alan and Marie Scheffer. Jo Beville moved away during the summer, and Brian Hentz-Tesch was elected.
Vital statistics: 10 adults with rights, 1 youth, 4 children = 15 believers
Teaching/proclamation:
Goals set by the Assembly included incorporation, diversifying the community, and raising up a group in Winnebago, NE. [Marie Scheffer] As of 2026 the Assembly is still not incorporated. [MS]
The declaration of George Sun, a member of the Winnebago nation, increased our diversity for a short period before he and his wife, Edeth, moved to the Winnebago reservation to open it to the Faith. Edeth declared soon afterwards, establishing Winnebago as a group. This became Sioux City’s first extension teaching goal.
In an effort to help diversify the community, we rented the film “The Sands of Time” to show to our community and friends.
The Assembly put together small information packets which were distributed to local hospitals so that their files would contain information that would be helpful in caring for Bahá’í patients.
Individual believers, primarily Nancy and Marie, began a door-to-door teaching team project that had originally been proposed by our Auxiliary Board member, Bill Borland. The friends were also encouraged to participate in Hand of the Cause Mr. Sears’ “Operation Befriend” initiative by taking part in a community project in our town. Two believers with small children volunteered with Meals on Wheels. Others participated in such projects as helping Asian immigrants learn English and the Siouxland Big Brother/Big Sister program.
[Marie Scheffer] Nancy Braun and I chose to volunteer with Meals on Wheels. I remember driving the car while Nancy nursed Graham and Mark was strapped in his car seat. Both boys loved visiting the elderly and taking the little paper bags up to the door – possibly because the recipients sometimes gave them candy in return – and never seemed to notice that a few of them were quite disabled, such as the man who always gave them treats and who had lost both legs. At this time there were no older people in our Bahá’í community and all grandparents lived at a distance, so Nancy and I wanted to give the kids opportunities to meet and become close to “grandparent-aged” folks. [MS]
Community building:
Our community scheduled a new believers’ conference for northwest Iowa that was held March 8. Speakers included John and Karen Para of Kingsley, David Smith and Bryce Able of Ames, Linda Nielsen, and Jim Braun. [Marie Scheffer] Fewer new believers came than expected, but I think this is where Phyllis Sheridan declared her belief, along with one other woman. [MS]
Several community deepenings were held, including two audio tapes, one on “Love and Harmony in the Bahá’í Community” and one on “The Advent of Divine Justice: The Most Challenging Issue.”
Summer children’s classes were held for children in Sioux City and Perry Township in Plymouth County. Henrietta Kroll was the impetus for starting these for her grandchildren who lived in the area but had non-Bahá’í parents at that time. [Marie Scheffer] As I recall Henrietta called Nancy Braun and asked, “When are you going to start Bahá’í children’s classes? [MS] On-going learning activities were also held for children during the consultative portion of the Feast.
The Assembly asked Jim and Nancy Braun to represent our community in the Local Education Advisor Program (LEAP).
Holy days were all celebrated by such activities as potluck suppers, children’s parties, puppet shows, visits to area Bahá’ís, a swimming party, backyard and state park campouts, and picnics. Often we had area believers join in our celebrations.
Special developments:
Services were held in memory of the seven martyrs in Yazd and the Hands of the Cause Dr. Faizi and Mr. Muhlschegel.
1981-1982:
Assembly members were Cindi Anderson, Jim and Nancy Braun, Grace Davidson, Brian Hentz-Tesch, Steve and Linda Nielsen, and Alan and Marie Scheffer. When Brian moved away in September, Keith Tookey replaced him.
Vital statistics: 13 adults with rights, 1 youth, 6 children = 20 believers
Enrollments included Odell Nelson; Gerry Tookey, wife of Keith; Judi Swanson, then living in Plymouth County; and Edeth Sun, then living in Winnebago, NE, after she and George moved there from Sioux City, where George had declared the previous year.
Tim Wilson transferred in to attend Morningside College.
After reading a letter from the Universal House of Justice stressing the need for deepened believers, more children’s education, and a closely-knit community atmosphere, the Assembly set these goals:
- Diversifying the community
- Incorporation of the Assembly
- Extension teaching to raise Winnebago to 5 believers
- Intellectual and social unification of the local Bahá’í community
Teaching/proclamation:
The Assembly acquired plaques with a quotation from the Writings to physicians. Anyone wishing to do so could have one to give to their doctor.
Twice this year believers spoke to religion classes at Briar Cliff College.
One believer was interviewed briefly about the Faith on a local television newscast about a Bahá’í holy day being celebrated, and two Bahá’ís were interviewed on a half hour radio program about the Faith. KWIT radio also ran short “footnotes” announcing Bahá’í holy days and community events.
While many articles and press releases were submitted to the Sioux City Journal this year, unfortunately few were printed. The Assembly helped Perry Township with their proclamation efforts with advertisements in the local newspaper in their area.
The Assembly assisted the Winnebago Bahá’ís in their teaching efforts and also helped further deepen them by sending a representative from Sioux City to share Feasts with them.
The Bahá’í Club of Morningside College was formed on September 16, 1981, with five people, including Keith Tookey, a faculty member, and Tim Wilson, a local believer and student. The College Club sponsored a Human Rights Day event with two Bahá’í musicians, Cindy and Curtis Mickunas, performing. They also gave a talk on “The Holocaust in Iran.”
Building community:
The Assembly initiated a “1000 mile check up” program to follow up on the deepening process on new Bahá’ís in the community. Deepening topics this year included Bahá’í marriage and a daylong study of “The Promised Day is Come.”
Children’s classes were held on a weekly basis and were open to children in nearby communities. Our knowledgeable LEAP representatives greatly improved the children’s classes. The children participated in holding a Feast and also presented a play at one of the holy day celebrations. In addition, the children presented two books (on behalf of the Assembly) for Universal Children’s Day to the main public library.
Holy days were all observed, with a turkey dinner for the Birth of the Bab, games and an ice cream social night for the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, a talent show for Naw-Ruz, a children’s party and an evening just for the adults at Ayyam-i-Ha. World Peace Day included a campout.
Several fast-breaking dinners and many social evenings held this year helped unify the hearts of the believers.
Special developments:
The Assembly sent letters to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the two Iowa senators, and our congressman about the persecutions of the Bahá’ís in Iran and asking that they do anything they can to improve the situation. The Assembly also sponsored a prayer gathering coinciding with the National Day of Prayer sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly for the martyrs in Iran.
1982-1983:
Assembly members elected were Cindi Anderson, Jim and Nancy Braun, Odell Nelson, Linda Nielsen, Alan and Marie Scheffer, Keith and Gerry Tookey.
Vital Statistics: 13 adults with rights, 1 youth, 6 children = 20 believers
Teaching/proclamation:
Extension teaching goals were to raise Winnebago to a group of 5 and to adopt Plymouth County as an extension goal as well. Visits were made to Winnebago, where teaching and deepening material were shared. Plymouth County was helped to form as a group. Grandchildren of Henrietta Kroll regularly attend our children’s classes, and several members of the group joined many of our deepenings and holy days; the group also hold their own firesides.
Presentation folders were given to the city police, the county sheriff, the local UN group, and all members of the city council; the presentation was aired on television. Information on the situation in Iran was sent to Mr. Carol McLaughlin (a professor at Morningside College), the Human Rights Commission, Rabbi Gordon, and the city council.
Bahá’ís were interviewed on KSEZ radio about the Faith and the persecutions in Iran. Bahá’ís also spoke to the Kiwanis Club about the Faith and Race Unity Day.
Ads were placed in the Siouxlander Magazine and in the Hinton paper.
The 13-week series called “The Spiritual Revolution” was aired on ch. 12, public access television, 2-3 times a week, beginning in December. It was advertised with posters, and used jointly with some of the community firesides. The Assembly dedicated this effort to the memory of Daniel Jordan, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly who was killed.
World Peace Day in September was celebrated with a gathering in Stone State Park.
The Assembly began planning an extensive door-to-door proclamation in an effort to reach minorities.
Odell Nelson was our Bahá’í representative to Interfaith Resources. [MARIE SCHEFFER] This organization was founded in August 1982 in response to federal cutbacks in human services programs. By 1985 its membership comprised representatives of 29 religious congregations, including Protestants, Catholics, Jews, and Bahá’ís. The organization focused on providing assistance with food, day care, housing, and utilities. Bahá’ís were among the first spiritual communities to join, and our representatives held officer positions for many years. We also participated in the Interfaith Resources Food Festival (a.k.a. “The Big IFFF”), an annual fundraiser begun in 1986, with booths selling food from different parts of the world. [MS]
Special developments/events/memories:
Memorial services were held for Daniel Jordan and for Hand of the Cause Paul Haney.
[Marie Scheffer] Picking the brains of both James and Nancy Braun, we determined that it was the variety show for Naw-Ruz 1983 at 1704 George St. that contained two memorable acts. Nancy and Pat Williams performed “Tricks You Can Do in Your MIcrowave (Don’t Try This at Home).” Nancy recounted that “the act featured blowing up an egg, flaring a Christmas Tree garland, foaming up Irish Spring soap, and making a little carousel of balloons attached to bottles inflated, employing vinegar and baking soda.” The second act was James shaving off the beard he had had for many years. As I recall, his children and a few others, who had never seen him without a full beard, were a bit disconcerted by the final “reveal.” [MS]
1983-1984:
Assembly members elected were: Cindi Anderson, Jim and Nancy Braun, Odell Nelson, Linda Nielsen, Alan and Marie Scheffer, and Keith and Gerry Tookey
Vital statistics: 16 adults with rights,1 youth, 12 children = 29 believers
Enrollments included Sarah Everist, Sarah Ericson, and Patricia Williams in Plymouth County.
[Marie Scheffer] Pat Williams was led to declare her belief in Bahá’u’lláh as a result of weekly firesides held by Judi Swanson, with support from Nancy Braun and Marie Scheffer and constant heckling/undermining by Anvy Swanson, Judi’s father-in-law, who was a fundamentalist lay preacher. Judi and her then-husband, Don, lived in a trailer on Anvy’s land. Pat listened, quietly, to what the Bahá’ís said, Anvy’s rebuttal, and the Bahá’ís’ response, with its lack of returned hostility or aggression. Pat said she began as an agnostic but found herself increasingly agreeing with the Bahá’ís, in both beliefs and non-combative approach. [MS]
Five Cambodian adults, along with their children, moved into town: Hoeut Hong, Loek Som, Sophal Phoung, Map Loem, and Rim Chak. The Assembly was notified a few days in advance that they would be arriving on December 24th and would need immediate help finding an apartment to rent.
[Marie Scheffer] I remember the many challenges meeting the needs of these new friends entailed. There were no refugee services established in Sioux City at this time. These friends spoke no English, had never been in a cold climate before – they came straight from a refugee camp in the Philippines – and had no winter clothes. Also, trying to get landlords to show properties on Christmas Eve was very difficult. There was no established Asian community at this time in Sioux City. Most of the Cambodian friends moved away when the winter was over. But I also remember how radiant Hoeut Hong’s face was when he came, alone, to a Feast, knowing that he was with his Bahá’í family, even if all we could share were smiles.
As a result of enrollments and transfers in, the community of active adults grew beyond the membership of the Assembly itself. We also became a community with 2 language groups, making addressing deepening and community unity needs more complex. One Cambodian couple who had lived together in a locally-recognized common law “marriage” in Cambodia had entered the country as single people rather than as husband and wife. The Assembly’s capacity to assist with matters of personal status was challenged by helping the couple have a Bahá’í marriage. The Assembly reached out to a local bi-lingual person to compose a letter of consent that could be read and signed by the Cambodian parents back home and explain to the couple why they needed to live in separate households in Sioux City until their union could be formalized in a way the US government would recognize, giving the wife and children important legal protections. [MS]
Teaching/proclamation:
Our goals this year were to become a community of teachers and to strive to reach minorities. Formation of teaching teams was encouraged, and time was set aside at every Feast to share teaching stories.
The Assembly met with both of our extension teaching groups at the beginning of the year to learn their goals, ideas, and requests for assistance. We helped Plymouth County with their week-long Plymouth County Fair booth proclamation, supplying construction help on the booth, literature, funds, and additional people to man the booth. We also provided, at their request, a deepening on consultation. The Winnebago group asked for child education materials and information on the holy days. We also began informal visits to the Sun’s to share fellowship, increase their sense of Bahá’í community, and share teaching stories and experiences.
Two major proclamations were held this year. In May 1983 the community distributed a letter to “our Sioux City neighbors,” [See photos in the Assembly’s archives scrapbook] letting them know that there is a Bahá’í community in town and some of the principles of the Faith. A response card was enclosed which offered a book or information about meetings. 486 letters were distributed, some on the Morningside College campus, some mailed to people who had expressed interest in the Faith previously, some mailed to prominent minority members in town, while the great majority were delivered by hand and left on the doorknobs in a westside part of town that had the highest percentage of minority residents.
The second proclamation was to 92 doctors who had placed an ad in the Sioux City Journal calling for creative thinking to move the world beyond war to a lasting peace. The letter commended the doctors for taking this public stand and enclosed a copy of the statement made by the Bahá’í International Community to the Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly Devoted to Disarmament.
Two smaller scale proclamations were also made. The first was to the 3 Greek Orthodox churches in town in gratitude for a sympathetic report on the Iranian Bahá’ís made by a Greek Orthodox priest who was a United Nations representative. The second was an ad with a photo of children of different races placed in the Black Homecoming booklet to welcome back former residents, most of whom had moved to California.
An ad was placed in the Sioux City Journal about recent Bahá’í martyrdoms in Iran. Several mentions of the Faith appeared in the newspaper which were not initiated by the Bahá’ís, including an article about the Spiritual Leaders group and another article about a talk at Morningside College on human rights violations during their Global Awareness Week.
The media committee worked on developing long-term relationships. They met with 7 staff members of KMEG television at a monthly meeting organized by the community relations director to ascertain the needs and concerns of the community. This resulted in a 2 hour discussion on the Faith. A presentation was also made to the Sioux City Journal features editor with updated information on the Bahá’ís in Iran.
Jim Braun, a medical technologist for the Marian Health Center (later Mercy or Mercy One and now part of Unity Point/St. Luke’s Hospital) was chosen by its parent organization, the Sisters of Mercy Health Corp, to be part of a team of international health care specialists participating in outreach programs in developing countries. He was sent to Palau, an island in the Western Carolina Islands for a 3-month stay. When he returned, he gave a slide presentation on Palau.
Alan Scheffer appeared on the television show “Concern” as part of a panel discussing the experience of being a minority religious community in a Christian society.
The Assembly renewed its membership and appointed representatives to Interfaith Resources.
Building community:
Holy days were celebrated in a variety of different ways, including a Ridvan play, a slide presentation of the House of the Bab for the Declaration of the Bab, an indoor picnic and scavenger hunt along with a devotional program for the Birth of the Bab, a day-long “family gathering” and dinner for the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, an adult party for Ayyam-i-Ha as well as joining with the Plymouth County group for a children’s party, and the now annual Naw-Ruz turkey dinner and variety show. The commemoration of the Martyrdom of the Bab was combined with a memorial for the 16 martyrs in Iran. Many friends of the Faith were able to share in our holy days throughout the year.
Children’s education had three levels of classes this year: pre-school, 7-8 year olds, and 9-13 year olds. The older children’s classes studied the electoral process and “elected” the name of “Heartland Bahá’í School.” A highlight of the fall term was a “presentation day” held with a community potluck where each class presented something they had learned, including a song, a puppet show, and individual projects on Tahirih. Highlights of the winter term were the addition of the Cambodian Bahá’í children and having only 1 class canceled by snow.
Nancy Braun, one of two Local Education Advisor Program (LEAP) representatives (along with husband Jim) participated in a conference on child education at Louhelen Bahá’í School. Copies of the Heartland Bahá’í School lesson plans were copied and distributed. One copy was given to Louhelen, and 21 copies were bought by Bahá’í communities as far away as Texas and North Carolina. A copy was given to our goal group in Winnebago, and the Sioux City community provided participants, materials, and lesson plans to the District Convention’s children’s program.
Monthly adult deepening classes on a variety of topics were held, and a daily booklet of devotions was put together for use during the fast. A weekly meeting held concurrently with Heartland School was established for the purpose of deepening with the adult Cambodians and providing a regular time for teaching and socializing together. Their evening work schedules at Iowa Beef Processors prevented them from attending many community functions, so this Sunday morning gathering became an important resource.
The Assembly published a Bahá’í monthly calendar of events for Sioux City and surrounding area Bahá’ís.
Special developments:
Alan Scheffer was appointed to a 3-year term on the Sioux City Human Rights Commission. This is the first time a Bahá’í has held this type of community position.
A fundraiser was held for the building of radio station WLGI at the Louis Gregory Institute. A total of $451 was raised through contributions and a Persian dinner fundraiser. [Marie Scheffer] The Office of the Treasurer at the Bahá’í National Center put together a cookbook as a fundraiser. It was titled “Let’s Get Cooking! Recipes for all Bahá’í Occasions.” I still have my copy and remember some favorites. This was the source of our Persian recipes for the fundraiser. [MS]
1984-1985:
Assembly members were Jim and Nancy Braun, Sarah Ericson, Odell Nelson, Linda Nielsen, Alan and Marie Scheffer, and Keith and Gerry Tookey. A by-election in September resulted in Cindi Anderson being elected to replace Sarah Ericson, who moved to the San Diego area.
Vital statistics: 12 adults with rights, 7 children = 19 believers
Michelle Meyers and Loriann Tague enrolled in the Faith, as did 2 friends living outside Sioux City, J. Rock Johnson and Bib Feng Betty Lieu in LeMars.
The Cambodian families (Rim Chak and Hoeut Hong, Loek Som, Sophal Phoung, and Map Loeum) moved away, some to California but most to Des Moines, which had a larger Cambodian community.
Grace Davidson died October 12,1984, and was buried by her brother and three remaining sisters in Concord Cemetery in Concord, Nebraska. Our understanding from Sharon Babbit’s short history is that Grace was the first local person to declare her belief in Bahá’u’lláh.
Esther Beardsley, mother of Karen Para, died on September 18, 1984 and was buried in the Kingsley Cemetery in Kingsley, IA.
Teaching:
In response to a letter from the National Spiritual Assembly, the local Assembly adopted, in August, numerical teaching goals for the remainder of the year: 3 regular, on-going firesides; 20 new people attending firesides, and 30 new people reading Bahá’í books. As of Ridvan there was only 1 on-going fireside, although a weekly day-time fireside did function for several months; 18 new people had attended firesides, and 18 new people had been given books. The annual report noted, “Whether or not the statistics show it, this has been a year of increased awareness of, excitement about, and actual teaching.”
Two noteworthy community teaching events were held. The first was a “Unity Feast” which sprang from requests by seekers and friends of the Faith. The second was a “pre-declarants” fireside. Seekers who had shown a deep and lasting interest in the Faith were invited to hear a presentation and discuss the topic of “becoming a Bahá’í.” All four people who attended responded very positively, including Michelle Meyers, who declared her belief in Bahá’u’lláh that evening.
[Marie Scheffer] Two of those who came to the “pre-declarants” fireside were Johnnie Mae and Paul Anderson. Johnnie was a domestic sciences teacher at West High, and Paul was a vet who worked with the USDA checking the health of cattle brought to Sioux City for slaughter and packing. They had already made plans to retire and move back to Montgomery, Alabama, but were very close to the Faith. When they arrived in Montgomery and met the Bahá’ís there, they called to say that they were now “card-carrying” Bahá’ís. We were thrilled for them but really wished that they had declared while they lived here because, as Blacks and older people, they were two demographic groups we did not have in the community at that time. Our loss was Montgomery’s gain. [MS]
Proclamation efforts:
Several efforts were made, including an attractive information booth at the Southern Hills mall that was manned by area believers for two consecutive weekends; 41 invitations to specially scheduled firesides were distributed as well as 40 fact sheets, 6 introductory books on the Faith, and other pamphlets. Although no seekers came to the firesides, this was our first attempt at doing a proclamation with minimum expense and maximum emphasis on finding interested people, talking with them, and inviting them to firesides.
Since this year was the 75th anniversary of the NAACP as well as the 100th anniversary of the Unitarian Church in Sioux City, the Assembly wrote both to send its congratulations and mention points of agreement in our beliefs and efforts. The letter to the NAACP chapter included portions of the talk that ‘Abdu’l-Baha made to the 4th annual NAACP Convention in 1912.
Visiting Finnish Bahá’í Helja Peltola from Helsinki was interviewed in October by the Sioux City Journal. Helja had been an exchange student with a Kingsley family in 1971-72 and came to the US to visit them. The interesting part is that she came via Samoa, where she went to see the dedication of the House of Worship. A special edition of the Journal entitled “Siouxland 1985” came out in March and included an article written by the Bahá’ís about the community’s happenings and plans. This edition was sent to the CEOs of the top 500 corporations in the US, to the governors, members of the legislature and the US senators of Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota, the members of the House of Representatives from Siouxland, and to President Reagan. Within the same week a reporter from the paper called the Bahá’ís and asked to set up an interview for an article. The resulting article, timed to coincide with Naw-Ruz, was the largest in size and most positive in attitude of any public notice the local Bahá’í community had ever had. The day after Naw-Ruz the Bahá’ís were mentioned in a large and prominently displayed article about Interfaith Resources.
Although the Faith had been mentioned in various classes at Morningside College, for the first time our Bahá’í professor at Morningside, Keith Tookey, was officially invited to lecture on the Faith for a cross-cultural lifestyles class. Also at Morningside a Bahá’í library presentation packet was donated during a National Library Week program on censorship and academic freedom; this was done in honor of the Bahá’ís in Iran, who are prohibited from reading their own sacred literature.
Deepening:
Two major community deepenings took place this year. The first was on The Advent of Divine Justice. The second was a two-part deepening on the Kitab-i-Iqan, with a study guide of questions and page references for answers developed by Nancy Braun and Marie Scheffer. The friends individually read half the book, answered the questions, then came together to discuss the answers. For the 19 days of the fast a daily booklet of meditations from Bahá’u’lláh’s Writings, prepared by Cindi Anderson (now Pettit) was distributed. The deepening committee also developed a deepening program for new believers, which was approved by the Assembly.
Child education:
Heartland summer classes experimented with a new format similar to “Vacation Bible School” of 3 hour morning classes held for a week. Once again, copies of Heartland School lesson plans were printed and distributed. This year 35 copies were bought by Bahá’í communities all over the US as well as Canada and Botswana. When Alan Scheffer went to work in a hospital in Guyana for 6 weeks, he took with him copies of both the lesson plans and Bahá’í games developed locally. He and Marie also gave copies to the Bahá’ís in St. Vincent and in Grenada.
Nancy Braun, one of our LEAP (Local Education Advisor Program) representatives, participated in the first National Bahá’í Child Education Conference in Evanston, IL in May. Later in the summer Nancy and Marie Scheffer drove with their 3 children, Elsie, Graham, and Mark, to Louhelen Bahá’í School in Davison, MI, to attend a week-long National Teacher Training Conference. They were very surprised to discover that nearly all the other participants were professional educators, many with PhDs, all of whom welcomed the “we’re just housewives out in the boonies” newbies with a spirit of warm collegiality and praise for our rising to the challenge when no one “better qualified” was available to do the work. Mark and Graham’s age group enjoyed history lessons that culminated in a joyous parade, with flags and banners, throughout the property depicting Bahá’u’lláh’s departure from Baghdad.
Highlights of holy days included presentations by Heartland students for the Declaration of the Bab, prayers in the Grandview Park rose garden for the Martyrdom of the Bab, a Bahá’í family dinner and slide show of the dedication of the Samoan House of Worship given by our visiting Finnish Bahá’í, Helja Peltola, for the Birth of the Bab, a Chinese dinner at the Scheffers for the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, and the 5th Annual Naw-Ruz turkey dinner and variety show.
The local Bahá’í newsletter expanded in content and distribution. No longer just a calendar of events, it now included news of interest about Bahá’ís in the community, announcements of Bahá’í events in other places, and reports of action taken on Feast recommendations. Several seekers and friends of the Faith asked to be on the monthly mailing list.
Assembly development:
The Assembly functioned with increased maturity this year. It met with members of the Iowa District Teaching Committee in December to discuss teaching goals and ideas. In January it met with Auxiliary Board member Bob Postlethwaite to gain a better understanding of the relationship between our two institutions, to hear his evaluation of our Assembly’s functioning, and to discuss teaching approaches. The Assembly Treasurer attended the annual treasurer’s workshop in the fall, and two representatives of the Assembly traveled to Kansas City to a 4-state conference to which Assembly members were invited to consult on the subject of “Releasing Individual Initiative.”
In order to increase its efficiency, the Assembly created a policy file, drawn from its minutes over the past six years. A letter and a compilation of pertinent quotes was developed to be sent to people requesting assistance with their marriage. A system of liaisons was devised to ensure ready communication between the Assembly and those consulting with it. An orientation for first-time Assembly members was formulated.
Other activities:
An ice cream social was held to raise money for the erection of the House of Worship in India.
1985-1986:
Assembly members elected were Cindi Anderson, James (Chair) and Nancy Braun (Corresponding Sec), Linda Nielsen, Michelle Meyers, Alan and Marie Scheffer, Keith (Treasurer) and Gerry Tookey; Linda Nielsen moved and Pat Williams (Recording Secretary) replaced her.
Vital statistics: 12 adults with rights, 1 youth, 8 children = 21 believers
2 enrollments took place; Eric Scheffer of Cincinnati, OH, who was visiting for the summer, also declared his Faith.
Goals, Progress, and Projects:
As a reflection of deepening maturity, the Assembly, for the first time, drew up a real plan of local goals. The plan, which included teaching, proclamation, and consolidation, was completed in September. Each aspect of the plan was backed up by committees or specially appointed individuals to carry out the work of increasing and strengthening the local community.
Teaching/proclamation:
The annual report stated that “Teaching the Faith is becoming part of the fabric of our lives.” Numerical goals were to have 19 adult believers in the community, hold 9 firesides in the community every month, have 30 new people attend firesides, and have 30 new people reading Bahá’í books. During the year 27 new people attended firesides, 39 people read Bahá’í books, an average of 3 firesides were held each month, and 2 enrollments and 1 move-in balanced out the 3 believers who moved away.
An additional teaching goal was to have at least one community fireside on a particular theme. Three such “theme firesides” were held. One in December on race unity attracted 3 interested people. One in January on peace had 5 seekers attend. One in March on the family had 1 non-Bahá’í attendee. Not only was this seen to be an effective method of teaching, but it brought the name of the Faith, as well as the proclamation of some of its tenets and Writings, to the approximately 260 people to whom invitations to attend were sent.
The Assembly was assigned by the National Spiritual Assembly to coordinate distribution of the Universal House of Justice’s statement, “The Promise of World Peace,” to Iowa Senators Tom Harkin and Charles Grassley and to Representative Berkley Bedell of Iowa’s 6th Congressional District. The presentation to Rep. Bedell was made on March 31 at the Hilton Inn in Sioux City. Senator Harkin received his copy on April 20 in Des Moines by a delegation of Bahá’ís from all over the state.
The Assembly also presented “The Promise of World Peace” to Iowa state representative James O’Kane; Briar Cliff College president, Dr. Bensmann; and Superintendent of Western Iowa Technical Community College, Dr. Kiser. Loriann Tague, a student at WIT, ensured that an extensive summary of the peace statement was included in the WIT newsletter.
We learned more about working with the media. KCAU, channel 9, featured the Bahá’ís twice during the year and ran nearly $1000 worth of our PSAs (public service announcements) at no cost to us. Rev. Rick Spleth, host of the Sunday afternoon program “Concern,” taped a half hour interview with three local Bahá’ís [WHO WERE THEY??? KEITH, ALAN, AND MARIE???], which aired on August 24. We taped a video copy of the program and used it at a variety of firesides and other discussions. On Naw-Ruz we were contacted by Julie White, who hosted the “Noon Show,” to do a 3 minute spot. This resulted in one Nebraska seeker calling the TV station immediately afterwards. Articles and announcements continued to appear in the Sioux City Journal.
Bahá’ís were asked to present lectures in three classes at Morningside College. Three churches (Trimble United Methodist, St. Luke’s Lutheran, and Morningside Reformed) invited Bahá’í speakers to address their adult Sunday classes. Over 100 people heard a basic introduction to the Faith in this way; several people took Bahá’í literature, and each of these church libraries was presented with an introductory book on the Faith.
We donated a copy of The Bahá’í Faith: The Emerging Global Religion to the public library at Ayyam-i-Ha. We also donated copies of The Bahá’í Faith by Perkins and Hainsworth, along with a reprint of an article on the Faith in the “Catholic Near East” magazine to the principal of Heelan Catholic High School.
In June the community hosted a dynamic group of Bahá’í youth from all over the midwest who were part of a project called “The Fire from Within.” The Assembly had arranged for them to plant a crabapple tree in the rose garden of Grandview Park in fulfillment of an International Youth Year goal to plant 20,000 trees in the US in memory of the Dawn-breakers.
Deepening:
The Deepening Committee was asked by the Assembly to plan and carry out day-long deepenings on the Bab, Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Baha, and Shoghi Effendi at 3-4 month intervals. The first two of these were held this year, in October and February, at the Joy Hollow girl scout facility in Plymouth County. Local and out-of-town speakers covered the lives, missions, Writings, historical contexts, and responses of the early followers of the Manifestations. Bahá’ís from a 50-mile radius were invited, and several attended both events.
The Assembly sponsored an evening of studying “The Promise of World Peace” in December.
Child education:
Heartland Bahá’í School continued with its format of fall, winter, and spring terms with a summer format of daily classes for a week in June. Classes consisted of a 5-7 (or 6-8) year old class and an 8-11 or (9-12) year old class. The older class diligently rehearsed a play called “World Order Wizards” from “Brilliant Star/Child’s Way” magazine on the development of the Faith through the various plans. They performed this play for the community at Ayyam-i-Ha.
[Marie Scheffer] One highlight was having Phyllis Banta, an African-American friend of Nancy’s and mine who has a brother and sister-in-law (Richard and Melodie Yates) who are Bahá’ís, give a guest lesson on interracial families, bringing along her wedding album and a family photo album. See photos in the Assembly’s archives scrapbook assembled by Terri. [MS]
We continued to share copies of our curriculum with other communities and began the process of adapting our lesson plans to the format required to enter them into the new National Bahá’í Curriculum Bank being run from the National Teacher Training Institute at Louhelen Bahá’í School.
Holy days:
The community celebrated in a variety of ways, including presentations by the children at Ridvan; prayers in Grandview Park for the Martyrdom of the Bab, sitting within sight of the crabapple planted in memory of the Dawn-Breakers; a sit-down dinner for the Birth of the Bab; music, devotions, and poetry for the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh; a musical play and children’s party for Ayyam-i-Ha; and the turkey dinner and variety show for Naw-Ruz.
Assembly development:
The Assembly began an annual deepening on the purpose and functioning of the institution, serving as a refresher for veteran members and an orientation for new ones. The Assembly was able to share the format of its agenda with other communities via The American Bahá’í, which included in its October issue a short article about the unusual but effective format we developed and have used for the past three years, consisting of such categories as “burning items,” (urgent), “crockpot” (main items expected to take a long time), “microwave items” (short announcements), and “back burner” (can be deferred to another meeting).
An “options for service” survey was developed and distributed to all members of the community in an effort to discover and more fully utilize the talents and initiative of individuals.
Pat Williams was appointed as archivist to organize and compile a series of scrapbooks of all the newspaper clippings that have been collected over the years documenting coverage of the Faith in the area.
In response to an expression of a need to evaluate and improve the quality of our Feasts, the Assembly sponsored a community workshop on the Feast which included frank, lively, and very fruitful consultation. In addition, a special consultation was held with the children of the community on the same topic.
Our local monthly Bahá’í bulletin continued to develop and began to serve not only our own community but surrounding groups and isolated believers as well.
Special developments:
An ad-hoc group of some 40 religious leaders, including Alan Scheffer, began meeting together in an effort to improve human relations in the community. Sioux City Interfaith Leaders sponsored a contest to break down prejudice among youth in Siouxland. The theme of the contest was “In the Spirit of Martin: Sioux City Youth Get Together.” Essays were judged at the levels of junior high, senior high, and college; and the top writer in each category received $100 each and official recognition by the mayor and city council for their efforts to break down prejudice among Siouxland youth.
Reflections on the Seven Year Plan (1979-1986)
In its Ridvan message of 1985, near the end of the Seven Year Plan, the Universal House of Justice stated that “Victory in the Plan is now within sight. . . . But the great, the historic feature of this period is the emergence of the Faith from obscurity, promoted by the steadfast heroism of the renowned, the indefatigable, dearly loved Bahá’í community of Bahá’u’lláh’s and the Bab’s native land.”
The Sioux City community contributed to the nationwide goal of having 700 Assemblies adopt extension teaching goals. We had hoped to be able to help our 2 extension teaching goal communities, Winnebago, NE, and Plymouth Co, IA, form Assemblies, adding to the goal of 7200 Assemblies with at least 35 on reservations, but this was not possible. We diligently worked to intensify teaching among minorities in a wide variety of ways. We established and maintained children’s classes and developed Bahá’í lesson plans for these which were later shared with a number of other communities, both in the United States and overseas.
The Growth of the Sioux City, Iowa, Bahá’í Community from 1986-1993
The beginning of the Fourth Epoch of the Formative Age & the Six Year Plan
In its foreword to Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1986-2001: The Fourth Epoch of the Formative Age, the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States comments:
“The Fourth Epoch of the Formative Age was proclaimed by the Universal House of Justice in a letter to the Bahá’ís of the World dated 2 January 1986, its inception marked by a ‘new development in the maturation of Bahá’í institutions.’ The overall aims and characteristics of the ensuing Plan were to be established by the Universal House of Justice, but for the first time it was stated that ‘national goals of the next Plan are to be largely formulated by National Spiritual Assemblies and Boards of Counselors.’”
The Universal House of Justice listed the major objectives of the Six Year Plan (1986-1992), the first Plan in this epoch, in a letter dated 25 February 1986:
“. . . carrying the healing Message of Bahá’u’lláh to the generality of mankind; greater involvement of the Faith in the life of human society; a worldwide increase in the translation, production, distribution and use of Bahá’í literature; further acceleration in the process of the maturation of national and local Bahá’í communities; greater attention to universal participation and the spiritual enrichment of individual believers; a wider extension of Bahá’í education to children and youth and the strengthening of Bahá’í family life; and the pursuit of projects of social and economic development in well-established Bahá’í communities”
1986-1987:
The Assembly this year was composed of James and Nancy Braun, Sarah Everist, Michelle Meyers, Alan and Marie Scheffer, Keith and Gerry Tookey, and Pat Williams. Sarah Everist moved, and Cindi Anderson was elected to replace her.
Vital statistics: 10 adults with rights, 7 children = 17 believers
Teaching/proclamation:
Teaching was identified as the primary challenge facing the community. Audacious numerical goals were set for the first year of the Six Year Plan: to have 15 adult believers, hold 6 firesides monthly, have 30 new people attend firesides, and 30 people reading Bahá’í books during the year. At Ridvan 1987 we had 10 adult Bahá’ís, 25 new people reading books, 19 new people coming to firesides, and an average of 3-4 firesides per Bahá’í month.
The idea of having “themed firesides” that began last year was continued. Invitations were mailed widely for three different themes. The one on the peace statement was the best attended,with four people, including the mayor of Sioux City, Mr. Connie Bodine.
The community made a beginning of exploring what were effective ways to reach Black and Native American friends, including planning a “festival of race unity” picnic for this coming summer (‘87).
Distribution of “The Promise of World Peace” continued, with copies presented to Dr. Miles Tomaraasen, president of Morningside College; Iowa state representatives Sen. Don Doyle, Sen. Milo Colton, Rep. Don Shoning, Rep. Al Sturgeon, Rep. Steve Hansen; the members of the City Council and the mayor (in conjunction with this presentation the mayor declared an International Day of Peace in Sioux City); the officers and task force chairs of Interfaith Resources; the editor and publisher of the Sioux City Journal; 8 members and officers of the NAACP; George Boykin, director of the Sanford Center; the County Board of supervisors; Mr. Azul La Luz of the Hispanic community; Mr. Ernie Ricehill of the Native American community; Ms. Roxanne Siert, minority advisor for the Board of Education; and all 77 Morningside College faculty members. A summary of the peace statement was distributed to all students of Morningside College (over 1000).
Keith Tookey had several opportunities to proclaim the Faith at Morningside College. He was part of a group of a few selected faculty members invited to talk at a Peace Forum on “The Prerequisites of Peace” and the International Club hosted a talk on “International Peace and the Bahá’í Faith.” Two traveling Bahá’ís and the efforts of the Bahá’í College Club resulted in extraordinary proclamation events. In March Kevin Locke, a Lakota Bahá’í hoop dancer and flutist, performed on the Morningside campus as part of the college’s convocation series, later giving a fireside on campus. In April pianist Mark Ochu presented an evening lecture and performance titled “Prerequisites for Peace found in Western Classical Music.” He performed works by Bach, Shostakovich, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, and Gershwin. The Morningside music department helped spread the word and offered extra credit for music students attending.
Finally, the first Day of Ridvan observance was filmed by television channel 4 KTIV and aired on the 6:00 pm news, along with an interview with one of the Sioux City Bahá’ís about the Faith.
Deepening:
Three evening-length deepenings were held on teaching, deepening, and the Plans of the Faith. We also had a day-long workshop using the “Effective Teaching” booklet from the National Bahá’í Center. In October a third day-long regional deepening was held at Joy Hollow focused on ‘Abdu’l-Baha. By charging a minor fee for this deepening, this series became self-supporting and allowed us to keep holding them at the same location.
Child education:
Weekly classes continued for 6-8 year olds and 9-12 year olds, with the one youth, Elsie Braun, assisting with the older class. In addition, a preschool class was reinstituted. Summer classes were held daily for one week in June.
Holy days were observed with creativity and the involvement of Heartland Bahá’í School students. The Declaration of the Bab featured a play put on by the children, followed by a slide show which told the story of the events. The Birth of Bahá’u’lláh included devotions, a sing-along, and homemade ice cream. Ayyam-i-Ha was celebrated with the yearly adult and children’s parties and a service project of serving food at a chili supper fundraiser for Interfaith Resources. At Naw-Ruz we had the 7th annual community turkey dinner and variety show, as well as an original poetry reading.
The Sioux City Bahá’í Bulletin was enhanced with creative graphics, historical background regarding the holy days, quotations, and Bahá’í quizzes and puzzles.
Special developments:
Former members of our community, Hoeut Hong, wife Loek Som, and their sons Sorab and Chamroeun, were visited in Des Moines, where they now lived, by the Governor of Iowa, Terry Branstad, and his wife, Chris, as they made their rounds on Thanksgiving Eve delivering Thanksgiving turkeys and all the trimmings.This year the Governor chose several successful, hard-working Asian refugee families for this recognition. Hoeut, a newly-elected member of the Des Moines Spiritual Assembly, presented a gift in return, to the Governor: “The Promise of World Peace.”
The Assembly took advantage of the talents and interests of Pat Williams to begin documenting as much of the history of the Faith in the Sioux City area as she was able to uncover. Assisting Pat will be Henrietta Kroll of Plymouth County, who has been around for nearly the entire history.
1987-1988:
The Assembly this year was composed of Cindi Anderson, James and Nancy Braun, Michelle Meyers, Alan and Marie Scheffer, Keith and Gerry Tookey, and Pat Williams. Judi Swanson and Barb Lindblade were elected to the Assembly after we bid a sad good-by to Keith and Gerry.
Vital statistics: 9 adults with rights, 7 children = 16 believers
Albert Verbrugh and Kathryn (Kroll) Shaw were married on January 24,1988, at the Perry Township Community Hall near Hinton before returning to White Horse, Yukon, Canada. Katie was one of Henrietta Kroll’s daughters.
Teaching/proclamation:
The numerical goals of the Assembly’s 2 year plan, begun last year, were modified to be more realistic and meaningful. The goals became 4 new Bahá’ís over the course of the year and at least 4 firesides per Bahá’í month. As of Ridvan there had been no new declarants and a monthly fireside average of 3.
Attempts to reach out to Blacks and Native Americans continued. We contacted the local NAACP chapter inviting them to explore avenues to work together to promote racial harmony in town. Two believers, as an individual initiative, spent several evenings walking through neighborhoods with high minority populations, stopping on porches and in living rooms to talk about the Faith wherever they found an interest.
Distribution of “The Promise of World Peace” continued. Recipients included Representative Fred Grandy and the directors of the Refugee Center, the ESL program, LULAC (League of Latin American Citizens), the Indian Center, the Mary Treglia Center, and the public library. Statements were also given to the new president of Briar Cliff College as well as the Dean of the Peace Program, the campus minister pro tem at Morningside College, and to a couple in Alton, Iowa, who had accepted the 1987 Beyond War award given to the National Organization for Former Peace Corps Volunteers.
A letter to the editor, signed by 7 Bahá’ís, was published in the Sioux City Journal concerning the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran. Signatories included Jim and Nancy Braun, Alan and Marie Scheffer, Judi Swanson, Pat Williams, and Bruce Wilson.
Two talks on the Faith were presented this year, one at the First Presbyterian Church and one for a class on minorities and human relations at Morningside College.
On discovering that the public library has a pamphlet file, we donated a number of Bahá’í pamphlets on a variety of subjects to their collection, which the library appreciated.
The community took part in the second Interfaith Resources International Food and Folk Festival, and our tabouli and cucumbers started getting a reputation for tastiness and authenticity.
Deepenings:
We hosted a day-long workshop using the “Word of God” booklet from the National Center. Another day-long regional deepening held at the Joy Hollow Girl Scout Camp covered the life, station, and writings of Shoghi Effendi in late April. In June Auxiliary Board member Stephen Birkland came to give a day-long workshop on the Covenant. Just before the start of the Fast we began a new format series of deepening/discussions. Each Wednesday, following Heartland Bahá’í School, we had a chili dinner and informal hour-long discussion of a portion of the Writings announced in advance.
Child education:
Heartland Bahá’í School continued its usual 3 terms for 3 age groups and tried out a new concept for summer: a summer reading program. Each month the older two classes read a book at home, answered questions, and then attended a monthly picnic to discuss the book and socialize.
The Heartland lesson plans continued to be distributed to other Bahá’í communities. Since we began this sharing, we have sent copies to communities in 25 states and 6 countries. This year materials were sent to 16 states and to Zimbabwe.
Holy days:
A new generation of young actors put on our Ridvan play on the 9th day, and on the 12th day the community enjoyed picnicking and kite flying in Grandview Park. The Birth of Bahá’u’lláh was celebrated with devotions, a pizza potluck, games (including cribbage and spoons), and homemade ice cream with “the works” on top. An Ayyam-i-Ha party was held at the Bahá’í Center which featured an “Outdo Yourself Dessert Potluck Contest.” Naw-Ruz was again celebrated with a community turkey dinner and variety show.
Special developments:
Alan and Marie Scheffer purchased a building at 1800 Nebraska Street for use as an office building for their consulting company, “Management Associates.” The building doubled as a Bahá’í Center after business hours.
“Henrietta Kroll Appreciation Day” was held on July 19 at Hillview Park in Hinton. We had previously contacted many Bahá’ís formerly of Sioux City and various parts of Iowa who had known and loved Henrietta. On the day of the picnic there were 33 Bahá’ís, friends, neighbors, and family members present to honor her. She was presented with a proclamation expressing our admiration of her and our appreciation of her years of service, as well as a scrapbook containing letters from friends unable to be there, poetry, cards, and various mementoes. Sharon Babbitt, then living in Estes Park, Colorado, sent along a copy of her history of the Faith, complete with several photographs. [See photos in the Assembly’s archives scrapbook]
1988-1989:
The Assembly this year was composed of Cindi Anderson, James and Nancy Braun, Barb Lindblade, Michelle Meyers, Alan and Marie Scheffer, Judi Swanson, and Pat Williams.
Vital statistics: 11 adults with rights, 10 children = 21 believers
Two Cambodian believers, Ven Sambo and Om Son, and their 3 daughters, Srey, Sophan, and Samochan moved to town.
Teaching/proclamation:
A local two year plan began with goals of 8 firesides per Bahá’í month; we actually averaged 2-3 firesides. These were attended by a total of 56 new seekers, and there were 30 occasions when ongoing seekers attended. Over 20 books were given out.
Mindful of the House of Justice’s reference in its Ridvan letter that the contents of “The Promise of World Peace” must “now be conveyed, by all possible means, to peoples everywhere from all walks of life,” we designed high quality public service announcements on peace to be broadcast as widely as possible in Sioux City. Following this effort we offered talks on various aspects of the peace statement to organizations and groups.
At the invitation of a Jewish study group an hour-long talk with slides of the Holy Land was presented to about 50 people, who continued to ask questions for another hour. Also during the year a letter was sent to the Sioux City Jewish community on the occasion of all congregations coming together to commemorate the establishment of the State of Israel.
Firesides began to be held at the Bahá’í Center with a formal presentation of the Faith given by different speakers. Being invited to a place that was not someone’s home seemed to make people more comfortable in attending.
We continued to participate in various ways in Interfaith Resources. Our Bahá’í representative, Pat Williams, was elected to be its treasurer. At this year’s Big IFFF we served African peanut soup and also had an empty bowl into which we invited people to contribute tickets without getting any food, in remembrance of those who must go hungry; this generated about $45 for Interfaith Resources. Michelle Meyers made a banner with a globe and “The earth is one country and mankind its citizens” to decorate the area. Bahá’ís also helped with a renovation project on a transition house for the homeless.
Deepening:
Gatherings for deepening/discussion in conjunction with Heartland School and a potluck dinner continued, though we changed to every other week. Volunteer discussion leaders guided the community through a variety of topics. An evening deepening was held on the Right of God, and we also hosted a regional day-long deepening on consultation.
Child education:
Heartland classes continued, as did the second summer reading program. Copies of our lesson plans were sent to more than 11 states and the country of Yap. The National Education Committee gave high praise to our child education committee for the quality of our lesson plans and hope to begin distributing them, along with other materials, on a national basis.
Holy days:
Bahá’ís and friends shared a turkey dinner and old-fashioned games for the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh. The Ayyam-i-Ha party had a large number of entries in the “Outdo Yourself Dessert Potluck Contest,” and the Naw-Ruz turkey dinner and variety show celebrated diversity by including a ham.
Special developments:
The Assembly began supplying scholarships to members of our community to assist in attending the Iowa Bahá’í summer school.
Our community co-sponsored Om Son, Ven Sambo, and their 3 daughters from a Thai refugee camp. The Bahá’í Refugee Office notified us in late summer to expect a Cambodian Bahá’í family, though they did not arrive until December.
An interfaith women’s group was formed this year in Sioux City, and Marie Scheffer was asked to represent the Faith on it. It was composed of clergy women, nuns, other women of prominence and leadership in their churches, and women in peace and social groups. The purpose of the group was to organize a day of reflection on women, their spirituality, and peace. The theme of the day was “Women of Faith – Shaped by God and Shaping our World.” During the long planning phase these women had the opportunity to read “The Promise of World Peace,” a brief compilation from the Writings put together by Marie, and hear very directly about the Faith, how it addresses their concerns, and the model of equality that it is striving for. Marie was asked to chair the day-long retreat and also to give a talk on her personal spiritual journey. This talk attracted deep interest among the 130 women attending.
Springing from an idea by Michelle Meyers, a Bahá’í women’s bowling team was formed this year and played in a local league. Its purpose was both to proclaim the Faith in a unique way and to strengthen unity between team members: Michelle Meyers, Rosemary Goebel, Pat Williams, and Cindi Anderson, with Nancy Braun and Marie Scheffer as alternates.
1989-1990
The Assembly this year was again composed of Cindi Anderson, James and Nancy Braun, Barb Lindblade, Michelle Meyers, Alan and Marie Scheffer, Judi Swanson, and Pat Williams. A bi-election in October resulted in Farhad Behrouz and Nancy Behrouz replacing Cindi Anderson and Michelle Meyers, who were unable to serve.
Vital statistics: 15 adults with rights, 18 children = 33 believers
The crash of ill-fated United Airlines flight #232 on July 19, 1989, brought us a new Bahá’í family. Tom Bennett, the state medical examiner, and his wife Terri, a nurse, came to Sioux City to autopsy the 112 bodies of passengers and crew killed. They liked the area and people so much that they soon moved from the Des Moines area, bringing their 4 sons, Mark, Scott, Jack, and Nick.
Also moving to Sioux City were Farhad and Nancy Behrouz and their daughters, Andra and Laudan from Buffalo, New York.
Teaching/proclamation:
Springing from the Master’s admonition for each one to teach one every year, we adopted the goal of doubling our numbers by Ridvan, emphasizing the fireside method by having at least 4 firesides each month. While Ridvan saw an average of 2 firesides and the 4 new believers in the community moved in from elsewhere, there was actually an unprecedented amount of teaching going on. The community fireside at Management Associates continued. Many new friends came and sometimes returned bringing their own friends. The number of Bahá’ís who gained experience in speaking also expanded. David and Molly Smith from Ames came in February and gave a special bi-lingual fireside in English and Spanish. Three “regulars” and seven new seekers came.
A women’s study group at Trinity Lutheran Church requested Bahá’í speakers. The two women who spoke were asked many questions, all the available literature was taken, and some in attendance asked to be invited to future Bahá’í events.
A summary of “The Promise of World Peace” was sent out to 150 members of the clergy in Siouxland.
We continued our active involvement in Interfaith Resource, with our representative again serving as treasurer and the community having a booth with African foods at the Big IFFF.
The “Women of Faith” group planned another day-long gathering. As before, the Bahá’í representative played an active role in the development and carrying out of the retreat.
Deepening:
An evening deepening was held on “mental tests,” and several discussions were held on selected Feast letters. In January the community began an extended study of the Kitab-i-Iqan, using the study guide from The American Bahá’í.
Child education:
Heartland continued having 3 terms for the 3 age groups and a third summer reading program. A highlight of the year was the performance of “World Order Wizards” by the oldest group, following their study of the plans of the Faith; this was the second generation of Heartland children to do this.
We continued to receive requests for Heartland lesson plans and also sent more completed sets to the National Education Committee, which we hope will take over distribution.
Youth planned and held their first youth retreat in the spring at the home of the Bennetts. [See photos in the Assembly’s archives scrapbook] They also arranged to perform a service project which included all the Bahá’í children aged 10 and older.
Holy days:
Traditions have developed around several holy day celebrations, including a spring tea and picnic at Ridvan; a big Ayyam-i-Ha party with games and the dessert contest; and the Naw-Ruz turkey dinner and variety show. Two variety show acts became yearly staples. The first was a puppet (and sometimes marionette) show by Alan and Marie Scheffer, using a fancy cloth “stage” made by Nancy Braun with an opening to hide the puppetmasters. Alan told jokes and made up outrageous stories and commented about members of the audience, by name, while Marie was the “straight man.”
The other staple was a visit from “Garrison Keillor.”[Marie Scheffer] The real Garrison Keillor was a radio personality on National Public Radio’s “A Prairie Home Companion.” The opening of his “News from Lake Woebegon” monologue was always preceded by Butch Thompson playing a little piano music. This talent act by Nancy Braun was always eagerly anticipated by all ages. [MS]
[Nancy Braun] The act featured “Garrison Keillor,” wearing a red hat and a yarn beard, coming down and talking about the “News from True City,” the antics of the Bahá’ís there, as told to him by Nanette Bruin. I don’t remember if he did it every year, but the first year Alan played a little music at the beginning, a la Butch Thompson. [NB]
Special developments:
Inspired by the influx of new families, the Assembly instituted an orientation kit containing a welcoming letter and information that people coming into our community will want to know right away so they can become a part of things, such as a community directory.
The Assembly began taking a more systematic approach to integrating our Cambodian believers into the community. Regular visits were coordinated by a volunteer, and the children became engaged in children’s classes.
Since the community was now larger than the Assembly, a meeting was held in March to brainstorm and consult about the goals for the coming two years. This marked a new stage in our development and a challenge to the Assembly to communicate effectively with and involve the whole community in its plans.
Sioux City believers attended both the “Vision to Victory” and the “Local Spiritual Assembly Development” conferences held during the year.
The Bahá’í Women’s Bowling Team earned first place in its league and won a trophy. This ranking was due to having a few good players and several who improved each week, playing better than the handicap given them by the league the previous week. This surprising turn of events certainly brought the attention of others to the Bahá’í team.
[Marie Scheffer] It helped that our team played in the 9-11 pm time slot, which meant that some teams that had been at the bowling alley earlier to watch the 7-9 pm teams play, drinking beer all that time, were at a bit of a disadvantage when it came time to play. In addition to winning a trophy of a woman throwing a bowling ball, which I displayed in my laundry room at home, we each won a Budweiser apron, one of the league’s sponsors. [MS]
[Nancy Braun] I remember that we won Budweiser hot pads, aprons, and a clock, which used to be hung at Management Associates. I also won a pin for bowling a game that was 100 points above my average one week. [NB]
[Marie Scheffer] Yes, I remember the bowling clock with a woman’s hand extended as the hour hand as well. [MS]
A noteworthy technical advance was that the newsletter was computerized this year.
1990-1991:
The Assembly this year was composed of Farhad and Nancy Behrouz, Terri and Tom Bennett, James and Nancy Braun, Alan and Marie Scheffer, and Pat Williams.
Vital statistics: 19 adults with rights, 3 youth, 19 children = 41 believers
Seven enrollments added Chuck and Laurel Blomberg, Scott Brubaker, Becky Avory, and Kelly Flute to Sioux City, Mike McClendon in Woodbury County, and Nichole Goebel (a youth in Plymouth County and granddaughter of Henrietta Kroll & daughter of Rosemary and Bill Goebel).
Barb Lindblade and Dave Gross were married in November.
Teaching/proclamation:
Firesides continued to be held in a variety of places, including public parks and at the Indian Center.
Channel 9 TV’s “Concern” show broadcast an interview with three local believers. The show was aired once but used many times afterwards in homes for fireside introduction.
Our main proclamation activity was a World Peace Day observance in September at Cook Park. Posters were put up around town, and a display and literature were available at the event. The program, which attracted about 15 seekers, included a talk on world peace and concluded with prayers read by people of many ages, races, and religions, followed by socializing and informal teaching. “The Promise of World Peace” was presented to the new City Manager and one of the new City Council members.
In October we again took part in the Big IFFF, serving middle eastern food. Farhad Behrouz’s parents had come to visit, and his mother joined Ladan and Andra in serving food. Jason Thomas, a popular Black Bahá’í football player who moved from California to play for Morningside College, also helped in serving. Since the Big IFFF was now always held at the Morningside Commons, many of his fellow students saw him at our booth. [See photos in the Assembly’s archives scrapbook.]
At the annual Interfaith Resources banquet, our representative, Pat Williams, was honored for her services as treasurer over the past two years.
Children have been teaching the Faith at their schools. Ayyam-i-Ha and being excused for Bahá’í holy days have presented opportunities which children have used in a variety of ways to tell administrators, teachers, and classmates about the Faith. Seven different schools – elementary, middle, and high schools – have been exposed to the Faith in this way.
With the assistance of an adult sponsor, Terri Bennett [now Terri Ferrell], the young members of the community decided to “adopt” a portion of Hwy. 12 leading out of Sioux City near Stone Park. As a service to the city, they were responsible to keep it clean. A notice announcing all of those who had adopted highways appeared in the Sioux City Journal, and among those listed was “Bahá’í Faith – Youth Group.”
The “Women of Faith” planning group had two Bahá’í representatives this year when Laurel Bloomberg, already a member of the group, declared her Faith and joined Marie Scheffer in serving. As a result of interest in the Faith generated at previous conferences, a workshop on the Faith was presented as part of the program. The workshop was repeated three times during the day, and many participants learned about the Faith and took literature to read.
Deepening:
The community continued its study of the Kitab-i-Iqan into the fall. The deepening committee then encouraged community members to sample the experiences of developing and presenting deepenings, holding an orientation meeting to assist believers. A variety of creative offerings followed.
Child education/pre-youth/youth:
Classes expanded as new children joined the community. Three age groups of students continued to follow a pattern of 3 terms of weekly classes with a summer reading program. One highlight for the middle class was practicing teaching the Faith by identifying questions they have frequently been asked, preparing answers, taking turns role playing being on television being interviewed about the Faith while being videotaped, then watching the tape and critiquing their own answers.
An invitation was received from a Catholic youth group at the Immaculate Conception Church in Cherokee, Iowa, to have Bahá’ís come and talk to them. With some assistance by Marie, two of our pre-youth provided a significant part of the presentation, giving a portion of the talk and answering questions. This was their first such experience, and they did a wonderful job.
The child education committee was especially gratified to see the fruits of their systematic compilation of lesson plans over the years, as many of these were recycled through a new generation of students.
A summer youth retreat was held for 13 youth ages 9-14 at the Bennett’s, coordinated by Terri Bennett and James Braun. [See photos in the Assembly’s archives scrapbook] The focus of the prayers, reading, and consultation was service. A service project was painting bold, bright, imaginative pictures on wood for frisbee targets to be part of an obstacle course for disabled children at Rawhide Valley Camp.
Special community gatherings:
A Fourth of July swimming session and community picnic was held at the Bennetts, and a World Peace Day picnic in September was held at a picnic shelter at Leif Erickson park. [See photos in the Assembly’s archives scrapbook]
A Feast in the fall was celebrated in the home of Cambodian believers Om Son and Ven Sambo and their children [See photos in the Assembly’s archives scrapbook]
Holy days:
Twice during the year we held firesides in connection with holy days. For the Martyrdom of the Bab we had our traditional devotions in the Grandview Park rose garden but also invited seekers to hear about the history of the Faith. In honor of ‘Abdu’l-Baha we had a fireside about the Covenant on Nov. 26.
For the Birth of the Bab we rented a big, rustic shelter house in Stone Park. We kept a fire going in the fireplace all afternoon and evening as rain kept us indoors playing, talking, and eating homemade soups and breads. As the evening grew dark, we listened to a dramatization of the words of Khadijih Bagum as she spoke about her husband, the Bab.
The Ayyam-i-Ha party and dessert contest was hosted in a large room at Briar Cliff College. Naw-Ruz was observed with a huge turkey dinner and a memorable variety show. [Marie Scheffer] I think this was the year that the Bennett family did a nose flute musical act. [MS]
[Nancy Braun]The armpit musical act by the Bennett family was done in our living room at 1704 George St. No idea of the date, but it might have been the previous year. [NB]
Special developments:
Sioux City was asked to coordinate the adult consultative portion of the Iowa District Convention. We decided to try a different format: having each Assembly have an “at home” area where friends could visit and ask about what had been happening in each community, with consultation focusing on successful approaches being used.
A long-desired and noteworthy development in our community has been the increasing racial diversity, allowing us to be more representative of the worldwide Bahá’í community. Currently we have believers who are Black, white, Native, Cambodian, Hispanic, and Persian.
Individual initiative and resourcefulness increased. One home became an open house for dawn prayers on Sunday mornings. An adult discussion group formed which followed the opening prayers of the children’s classes, now held at 1800 Nebraska in the Management Associates building. Friends visiting the Cambodian Bahá’ís, primarily Terri Bennett and Pat Williams, expanded their mandate to include deepening and teaching these believers and their friends and neighbors. They held regular “unity Feasts/deepenings” using Khmer Bahá’í literature as much as possible, offering spiritual nourishment as well as their time and friendship.
The newsletter gained an increasingly sophisticated look thanks to advanced computer technology, which also allowed puzzle and activity pages to be included. We began sending some of our local reporting to the Iowa Bahá’í Bulletin.
Two community members, Tom and Terri Bennett, served on the Iowa Bahá’í Schools Committee. Due largely to their research and encouragement, the 1991 summer school will be held on the Briar Cliff College campus.
The Assembly again furnished scholarships to any Sioux City Bahá’ís who needed financial assistance to attend the Iowa Bahá’í summer school.
1991-1992:
The Assembly this year was composed of Farhad and Nancy Behrouz, Terri and Tom Bennett, James and Nancy Braun, Alan and Marie Scheffer, and Pat Williams.
Vital statistics: 24 adults with rights, 3 youth, 21 children = 48 believers
Teaching/proclamation:
We worked on our goal of holding six firesides per month. We achieved this goal only once, but we did have firesides taking place each month but one. We developed a fun way to track and celebrate our progress in fireside teaching by displaying a felt corn stalk with six felt ears of corn, each filled with “seeds” to symbolize planting, nurturing, and growth in teaching. For each fireside held, we “shucked” an ear of corn at Feast. For each teaching experience of any kind, we put a kernel of corn in a glass jar. The jar continued to fill up as, at each Feast, we shared stories about opportunities to share the message of Bahá’u’lláh.
The race unity statement was presented to the Sioux City School Board along with a letter setting forth spiritual principles related to a local proposal redefining school boundaries. The proposed changes have been controversial due to issues of race and economic status. Community members – adults and a youth – spoke at a school board meeting when individuals can speak to the issues at hand. Many who were there expressed being moved by the Bahá’í presentation.
A Bahá’í-Jewish dialogue was held at Mt. Sinai, the reform synagogue. Members of both communities shared background information about their faiths and answered each other’s many questions. The Rabbi was impressed that of all the faiths they have invited to participate in these events, we were the only ones not represented by one clergy spokesperson. This dialogue resulted from our participation in Interfaith Resources and the annual food festival.
The primary proclamation event this year was held at Briar Cliff College during the Iowa Bahá’í summer school. This was the first time Sioux City was chosen to host the summer school. We wanted to seize the opportunity to bring local seekers in contact with Bahá’ís from farther afield, so we planned and hosted a public meeting using out-of-town Bahá’í speakers. Bill Allmart (white) from the Bahá’í National Center and Delores Martin (Black) of Springfield, IL agreed to speak on aspects of the peace statement in a talk entitled “Peace: Make It So!” using themselves as a demonstration of unity in diversity. Delores is a native of Sioux City, so we made every effort to invite as many people as possible from her wide circle of friends and family. We were assisted in this by Delores’ mother, who is not a Bahá’í but is a staunch friend of the Faith. One unusual feature of the public meeting was live music provided by two violinists from the Sioux City Symphony who played before the talk, as people were arriving and afterwards during the refreshment and social period. We had hoped for 50 non-Bahá’í guests, as well as the summer school participants. Our actual count was between 15-20, but many of these people had their first introduction to the Faith that evening, and some long time friends and seekers had a wider exposure to Bahá’ís than they had ever had before. We also distributed numerous copies of “The Promise of World Peace” and “The Vision of Race Unity,” along with invitations to follow-up teaching events.
[Marie Scheffer] The evening of this event was also the first ever “Saturday in the Park” blues festival at Grandview Park. Several of the believers chose to attend that event instead of ours. [MS]
We again took part in the Big IFFF, even though it fell on the Birth of the Bab. The newly compiled Interfaith Resources informational slide show highlighted the Bahá’ís along with other member congregations.
The Sioux City Black Homecoming was held again this summer, the last time being in 1983. The commemorative booklet again contained an ad placed by the Bahá’ís which displayed photos and statements about race unity.
When a cross-burning incident took place in Sioux City, we wrote a letter to the family that was attacked and also had a letter to the editor printed in the Sioux City Journal that unequivocally proclaimed the Bahá’í view of the oneness of humanity and the necessity of eliminating all prejudice. We received a letter from the National Spiritual Assembly commending us on this action.
The Assembly continued to encourage believers to widely distribute the statements on peace and race unity. The peace statement was presented formally by Assembly representatives to the new city council members. Official presentations of the race unity statement were made to the school district’s Race Equity Committee; the Black Ministerial Alliance; the American Indian Center Board; Richard Hayes, the new executive director of the Human Rights Commission; and Rick Flute, a West High teacher (and husband of Bahá’í Kelly Flute) who had contacted the Assembly about racial issues.
Four of the Bahá’í holy days made their first appearance on the West High school calendar this year. The calendar is mailed to every parent of West High students. Action to accomplish this was the result of a Feast recommendation.
Deepening:
Deepenings were held on topics including the Central Figures, Huquq’u’llah, and the most challenging issue. The historical deepenings were stirring slide presentations developed by local Bahá’í history buffs, Pat Williams and Tom Bennett.
The community also undertook a comprehensive study of the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, using a course outline from The American Bahá’í. Sessions were given by a wide variety of presenters, many of whom had never given a deepening before, which was part of the deepening committee’s goal of encouraging believers in this direction.
What began last year as a dawn prayers gathering held concurrently with children’s classes on Sunday mornings evolved into an adult class. Initially participants had impromptu exchanges on topics such as Bahá’ís in relation to 12-step programs and our community vision. Later a series of discussions was held on the Hidden Words. In the spring the Assembly asked the deepening committee to organize classes on the Bahá’í electoral process and the local Spiritual Assembly to be presented in the Sunday morning time slot.
Child education/pre-youth:
Highlights of the year were a play by the 12-14 year olds about Ridvan and a play by the 8-11 year olds in November called “Harlequin” presented in the Management Associates’ attic. [See photos in the Assembly’s archives scrapbook] The Heartland summer reading program was revised to include not only reading but making projects related to what had been learned in books focusing on Bahá’í history; these projects were then shared with the community.
In the spring we began an enhancement of the children’s classes and the adult deepenings by adding a period of shared devotions at the beginning and a time of sharing at the end that allowed children and parents to come together again before leaving.
Youth:
In May youth and pre-youth held a retreat at Stone Park. After a community picnic in the evening, the young people camped out overnight while most of the adults went home. The following day the kids made their own meals, took part in walks and sports, and participated in study projects on the Houses of Worship. Non-Bahá’í friends took part in the retreat as well. [See photos in the Assembly’s archives scrapbook.]
In December the Assembly appointed two different youth task forces. One brainstormed formal curriculum topics. The other was tasked with involving high school age youth in the planning and action toward their continued education and development of Bahá’í identity, as well as learning the skills of consultation. This second task force was composed of all the youth and three adults; it decided to begin by studying the race unity statement together.
Holy days:
The Ninth Day of Ridvan had multiple activities: a swimming party, followed by a picnic at Mid City Park, and ending in the evening with readings about Bahá’u’lláh and stories about Ridvan told informally as believers sat amidst scented roses. A new slide show recounting the life of the Bab celebrated His declaration.
Ayyam-i-Ha had multiple events to celebrate: a children’s party at the Sioux City Art Center [this was the old art center on Nebraska Street], a party for “adults-acting-like-children” or “come-as-you-were” at the Bennets, and an all-ages square dance and dessert contest at Briar Cliff.
[Judi Swanson, now Williams] I remember one Ayyam-i-Ha at Briar Cliff. It was the one I made the large Rice Krispie House of Worship with tons of candy decorations. There was dancing, too. [JS/W]
[MS] [Becky Avory] The best thing I’ll never forget was Terri’s “come as you were” party for Ayyam-i-Ha. It was a blast! [BA]
[Marie Scheffer] I remember Farhad Behrouz dressing up like a Western sheriff, complete with gun and badge, playing marbles at the adults party at the Bennetts.
At Naw-Ruz we had a turkey dinner with all the trimmings and a variety show. [See photos in the Assembly’s archives scrapbook]. The variety show this year was the last appearance of an old friend, Garrison Keillor, who had been visiting nearly every year since 1985 with news of the happenings during the past year in our favorite home city.
At Ridvan the youth, pre-youth, and a few hardy adults performed a service project of a clean up day on their adopted portion of Highway 12 followed by a cookout. [See photos in the Assembly’s archives scrapbook ]
[Nancy Braun] The only thing I remember about the youth adopting the highway was Elsie getting the tendon severed in her hand from two unopened, hot beer bottles clinking together and exploding. It ended her school volleyball season in the spring of 1991. [NB]
Newsletter:
The local bulletin came of age this year, with a section featuring news and recognition of various personal accomplishments, especially those of children and youth, as well as a section of “News from the LSA.” Also included were puzzles and games, reprinted articles, and mini compilations on timely subjects.
Assembly development:
The Assembly made efforts to examine its own levels of unity, trust, and process awareness. It consulted on and off all year about improving its group functioning.
Special developments:
The community focused on refining the 19 Day Feast in two ways: first, by reflecting on the Writings about the Feast at each Feast consultation and publishing these passages in the newsletter and secondly, by having frank and honest discussion about what would make Feast attractive and spiritually refreshing.
When the Iowa Bahá’í summer school was held in Sioux City for the first time, our community wanted to act as hosts to those who were attending from out of town. We had a welcoming table where we served lemonade to thirsty travelers as they arrived, gave recognition certificates for the many miles they had driven to come to the western edge of Iowa, and tried to show kind, helpful hospitality throughout the four days. In order to encourage the participation of all of our new Bahá’ís and their families in the summer school, the Assembly paid all of the tuition fees for these friends and their non-Bahá’í family members.
Hand of the Cause Mr. William Sears gave a special talk in Minneapolis, MN, on March 14-15. The Assembly offered scholarships to anyone needing assistance to go. Several adults, including Terri Bennet, Marie Scheffer, Jim Braun, Nancy Behrouz, Judi Swanson, and a large number of children, including Adem & Audrey Swanson; Mark, Jack, Scott, Nick Bennett; Andra & Ladan Behrouz; Elsie and Graham Braun; and Mark Scheffer made the trip and were able to meet Mr. Sears and hear him speak. This was all the more poignant in light of his death, after a long illness, eleven days later. [See photos in the Assembly’s archives scrapbook.]
[Nancy Braun] An unusual highlight: The Phoenix Suns basketball team was staying in the same hotel we did in Minneapolis. Graham got up the gumption to get a couple of autographs on basketball cards that he had with him. He carried those cards around with him on the chance he might meet players at random places in his life. [NB]
1992-1993 – Holy Year commemorating the Ascension of Baha’u’llah and the Inauguration of His Covenant:
The Assembly this year was composed of Nancy Behrouz, Tom and Terri Bennett, Jim Braun and Nancy Braun, Alan and Marie Scheffer, Judi Swanson, and Patricia Williams.
Vital statistics: 25 adults with rights, 3 youth, 19 children = 47 believers
Three enrollments occurred: Suzanne Barrett in Sioux City and Kathy and Matt McClendon in Woodbury County.
“Keri,” our Chinese national community member who had been a student at Morningside, moved to Conway, Arkansas.
Teaching/proclamation:
Two areas of focus this year were 1) emblazoning the name of Bahá’u’lláh and 2) the eradication of racism.
The statement “Bahá’u’lláh” was made available by the Assembly for community members to use in their personal teaching efforts, and many copies were given away. It was also placed in five libraries in town: Morningside College, Briar Cliff College, Western Iowa Tech, and the downtown and Morningside public library branches. A talk, based on this statement, was given to 30 people at the Unitarian Church.
The glass jar of corn kernels – symbolizing seized opportunities to share the name of Bahá’u’lláh – was popped up to represent the effect of the “heat” of constant teaching on seekers. More firesides were held, though we did not reach our goal of holding six each Bahá’í month.
A major teaching and proclamation event centered around a visit from Kevin Locke and a group of seven indigenous believers from Central America in December. The slogan chosen for Kevin’s tour through the midwest was submitted by Sioux City: “Rhythms of Unity.” This slogan and a logo was printed on posters (seen all over town) and T-shirts (seen being worn by Bahá’ís). Activities the visitors took part in included a flute recital at Briar Cliff College, a student assembly featuring Kevin’s hoop dancing at West Middle School, a dinner in their honor at the Native American Center [in the former YWCA building, now the “Shepherd’s Garden”], and a public talk and hoop dance at North High School in the evening. The evening event had 95 people in attendance, two thirds of whom were not Bahá’ís. A race unity pin, produced using a design by Bahá’ís in Ohio, was worn by the Bahá’ís and distributed to seekers. Every attendee of the evening meeting got a program featuring selections from the Writings and information about the Faith, and literature was available to those interested. Numerous opportunities for talking about the Faith and the oneness of humanity were available not only on the actual day these visitors were here but also over the preceding months as the physical arrangements were being made. [See photos in the Assembly’s archives scrapbook assembled by Terri.]
A Bahá’í Speakers Bureau was started, with a pamphlet designed to describe it and plans to send it to colleges, churches, and race unity groups who might use speakers.
The Sioux City Journal had two sizable articles on the Faith this year. The first one in March covered local Bahá’í reaction to the United Nations report on the Bahá’ís in Iran. A letter to the editor was printed on this same subject. The second article, covering the observance of the Martyrdom of the Bab in Grandview Park, outlined many of the teachings of the Faith, was accompanied by a large color photo of the Bahá’ís present at the holy day, and was featured on the back page of the paper. Two Associated Press stories also ran in the Journal, one on the World Congress and one on the Bahá’ís in Iran.
An hour-long video on the World Congress was aired on public access cable television twice in the spring, once during the fast and once at Ridvan.
We provided our popular tabouli at the Interfaith Resources Big IFFF and, when other congregations ran out of food at their booths after people had already bought their book of tickets, the Bahá’ís quickly made up more tabouli so everyone could redeem their tickets and be fed.
Eradicating racism initiatives:
We presented copies of the “Vision of Race Unity” statement and the National Spiritual Assembly’s open letter to President Bush on racism to the following: Congressman Fred Grandy; the Iowa senators from districts 1-6 and representatives from districts 1-4,11, and 12; members of the City Council, the City Manager, the Board of Education, and the group Clergy Against Racism.
An Assembly member served as our representative on a Clergy Against Racism group, which turned out to be short lived with a fairly specific agenda to plan a service with worship and a workshop by a nationally known speaker, which was held on November 6. The group composed a letter of invitation (signed by Nancy Braun, as Assembly Secretary, among other clergy) and a statement of belief to be sent to all clergy. This effort presented an opportunity to give the race unity statement and make the Faith’s stand on racism known to the ministers who took part.
A special fireside on race unity was given by an interracial Bahá’í couple, Dick and Melodie Yates, from Cleveland, OH. Dick grew up in Sioux City and had relatives still living here who were among the six seekers who attended.
Halfway through the year we reviewed a letter from the Universal House of Justice and saw more clearly that our task was not only to proclaim the teachings about oneness but to try to abolish racism, a much greater challenge. As a first step we established a “Friendly Supper Club” in November. Its purpose was to have a monthly supper gathering whose sole aim was to develop and promote racial harmony through friendly association. The hope is to create something that belongs to everyone who comes and which will thrive and take on a life of its own as participants invite their friends.
[Marie Scheffer] The Friendly Supper Club sprang from an article in “Parade” magazine that described a similar effort begun in Montgomery, Alabama, by Jack Guillebeaux, a Black Bahá’í married to a Persian Bahá’í. Their effort took place at a local cafeteria, so people could choose their meal items and then sit together in a special area of the restaurant. We adapted this to a potluck dinner at the Management Associates building. Bahá’ís always made food; the first time someone came to a dinner, they were our guests but were then “full-fledged” members of the club who could make a dish and invite others to join us. Two of my clear memories are of the delicious wild rice and chicken soup that Sue Barret-McClendon frequently brought and of Ms. Etta Grider, an older Black lady who was one of the most faithful attendees. [MS]
Deepening:
Single session deepenings on “The Vision of Race Unity” and on Covenant-breaking were held, and a day-long deepening took place in February at Joy Hollow. Pat Williams and Tom Bennett presented a slide show on ‘Abdu’l-Baha in the morning, and Marie Scheffer presented an afternoon session on the Covenant and Covenant-breaking. An on-going discussion of the statement “Bahá’u’lláh” was held for adults and youth during Heartland Bahá’í School at Management Associates on Sunday mornings. A special two-part new believers class called “Nuts and Bolts” was prepared and given for the first time.
Child education:
The former child education committee became the Heartland Bahá’í School “board” this year. The Assembly felt that this more accurately reflected the long held vision of establishing a permanent school. The age range was extended to encompass preschool through high school.
The Heartland summer reading program focused on ‘Abdu’l-Baha through reading and making related projects.
Youth:
In November a team of youth from Oregon, traveling around the country on a teaching project, visited Sioux City for a day and gave a musical fireside for our own youth and six of their friends.
The adopt-a-highway project was continued this year, and we contracted with the county for another two-year stint. Two clean up days were held with a large number of youth, children, and adults pitching in to help.
Holy days:
Celebrations not only included devotions but fun activities throughout the day, such as a bowling party and an ice cream social. Because this Holy Year marked the centenary of the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, the public was invited to a dramatic presentation by the youth and a slide show on “The Suffering of Bahá’u’lláh.” At 4:00 am 40 believers from Sioux City and the surrounding area gathered to pray and read the beautiful Writings of Bahá’u’lláh chosen by the Universal House of Justice for this event. Many in the community observed the Day of the Covenant in New York at the World Congress. Ayyam-i-Ha featured a number of activities: a children’s party took place at a restaurant and roller skating rink, a service project was undertaken in connection with the animal shelter, volunteers donated at the Blood Bank, and the annual dessert contest was expanded to include a dinner contest with race unity as a theme followed by line dancing at Briar Cliff. Naw-Ruz featured a turkey and ham dinner and variety show at the American Legion building in Leeds, which was the old branch library. [See photos in the Assembly’s archives scrapbook.]
Special developments:
To help the Assembly handle new declarant enrollment with a greater degree of consistency and efficiency while reflecting the welcoming spirit of the Faith, a certified enroller process was created to equip community volunteers with the training needed to act on behalf of the institution. Six believers went through the workshop, which will be presented periodically.
For the second year the Iowa Bahá’í summer school was held at Briar Cliff College. Members of the community personally welcomed those who were attending from out of town, serving lemonade to travelers as they arrived and presenting certificates of recognition for coming many miles to attend. A public meeting was held one evening with David Smith from Ames presenting a talk on “America’s Spiritual Destiny.”
The Assembly created a community life committee to coordinate Feasts, holy days, and the newsletter. Its larger purpose is to explore ways to enhance the spiritual and social life of the community, providing continuity and building unity.
Seventeen Bahá’ís from Sioux City attended the second Bahá’í World Congress in New York in November: Tom, Terri, Mark, and Scott Bennett; Alan, Marie, and Mark Scheffer; Jim, Nancy, Elsie, and Graham Braun; Loriann Tague; Pat Williams; Judi and Audrey Swanson; Rosemary and Nichole Goebel.
Reflections at the end of the Sixth Year Plan and the Holy Year commemorating the Ascension of Baha’u’llah and the Inauguration of His Covenant
This general period of time was the beginning of a phase of growth and growing pains. The community increased rapidly in size, from 21 total believers in 1988, split about evenly between adults and children and with few adults who did not serve on the Assembly, to a high of 51 total believers in 1993. This occurred both from enrollments and friends moving to Sioux City with their families. Growth brought excitement, new ideas and energy, and challenges. But it also brought problems of disunity, backbiting, and obeying Bahá’í laws. These pushed the Assembly to increase its maturity, deepen its understanding of its station and function, and grow in its role of “loving shepherd of the multitudes.”
The Growth of the Sioux City, Iowa, Bahá’í Community from 1993-1996
Beginning of the Three Year Plan:
The Three Year Plan ran from 1993-1996. The Universal House of Justice wrote in its Ridvan 150/1993 message that in addition to a “massive expansion of the Bahá’í community [that] must be achieved far beyond all past records . . . The new Plan revolves around a triple theme:
enhancing the vitality of the faith of individual believers, greatly developing the human resources of the Cause, and fostering the proper functioning of local and national Bahá’í institutions.” It also noted that “Special efforts to attract people of capacity to the Faith will go far towards providing the human resources so greatly needed at this time.” Commenting on the Plan’s goals, the House stated that they “will not be easily won, but they must be magnificently achieved, whatever the sacrifice.”
1993-1994:
The Assembly this year was composed of Nancy Behrouz, Tom and Terri Bennett, Jim Braun, Nancy Braun, Alan and Marie Scheffer, Loriann Tague, and Patricia Williams.
Vital statistics: 25 adults with rights, 8 youth, 18 children = 51 believers
Our local plan:
We created a local 3-Year Plan with the overarching theme of establishing the oneness of humanity in ourselves, our own community, and the wider society. The plan had 4 areas of challenges: 1) expand our numbers beyond all past records, enrolling 16 adults and 7 youth during the next 3 years; 2) enhancing the vitality of faith of the individual believer; developing the human resources (both internal and external) available to the Faith; and pursuing the maturation and proper functioning of the local Bahá’í institutions, i.e., Spiritual Assembly, Feast, and Fund.
The Assembly turned much of the creative fleshing out, timelines, and immediate action planning over to its committees. Each committee had 3-4 core members and an open-ended number of volunteer associate members
Oneness of humanity:
We continued holding the Friendly Supper Club at Management Associates.
We took part in a multicultural fair sponsored by the Human Rights Commission in the spring. Our booth had “Racism – Just Undo It” t-shirts and pins for sale. We also distributed helium balloons with the logo “Uniting the World One Heart at a Time” and gave out literature and invitations to firesides and the Friendly Supper Club. There was a continuous showing of the World Congress video and plenty of believers to chat with and answer questions.
We worked with the larger community in several ways, taking part in the Big IFFF, which raises money for day care needs; the youth (and willing adults) keeping our stretch of highway clean; and, at Ayyam-i-Ha, donating a collection of toys and books to the Child Protection Agency, as well as donating blood.
I. Expanding our numbers:
A goal was set to establish six teaching partnerships, defined as two or more believers who commit to holding at least one teaching event together every nineteen days. These began forming mid-year. Every Assembly member was asked to be part of a partnership. Five partnerships were formed and actively experimented with effective ways to invite seekers to a variety of activities. Roughly 20 non-Bahá’ís came to the various teaching events.
Proclamation:
Two videos – “The Jewel in the Lotus” and Alex Rocco’s “The Bahá’í Faith” – aired on public access cable television. Two public talks were given, one on the Faith as an emerging global religion and one, in conjunction with the Iowa Bahá’í summer school, by a Bahá’í who had visited Russia. Although no seekers attended these talks, the publicity succeeded in getting the name of the Faith out.
Our local public information representative supported the Waterloo community through the Iowa Media Task Force network. The Waterloo Bahá’ís had an easy time getting items published but did not have the resources for writing, so we sent them columns on the Faith and a packet of sample press releases for all the holy days.
Bahá’í speaker’s bureau: Area churches, colleges, and race unity groups were telephoned first and then sent a letter of introduction along with a brochure on the speaker’s bureau.
II. Vitality of individual faith:
A Mastery Program was established to encourage individual believers to engage in an in-depth study of the Writings. All adults and youth were encouraged to select a personally meaningful, specific topic to study throughout the year. Chosen topics and goals were reported to the deepening committee, which offered any help requested. The first eleven people to register their topics chose meditation, consultation, child rearing, Bahá’í women, Bahá’í history, metaphors in the Writings, and specific books, such as World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, Vignettes of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, and The Kitab-i-Aqdas.
III. Development of human resources:
In January a several-week examination began of the letter of the Universal House of Justice to the American Bahá’ís known as the “Individual Rights and Freedoms” letter. The deepening combined a presentation based on an in-depth study of the letter and discussion among the participants.
Heartland School:
Classes continued to be held for 8-11 year olds and pre-youth. The younger group performed a play about Ridvan and practiced teaching the Faith. The Heartland Board decided to continue recycling the nine-year rotating child education curriculum developed for 4-14 year olds and to focus on creating youth classes over the next three to four years. This will complete the Heartland curriculum.
Youth:
Youth became a growing element of our community. We had three youth declarations since Ridvan and two other youth came of age, with more soon to follow. The youth held three clean-up and fun days as part of the adopt-a-highway program, as well as periodic get-togethers for socializing and teaching. One fireside given and attended by youth attracted five seekers. A breaking-the-fast dinner was held for youth. They rehearsed and made props for a play about the kings and rulers who received letters from Bahá’u’lláh. A youth representative was sent by the Assembly to a state youth leadership conference.
IV. Maturation of local institutions:
Feast:
The Assembly began announcing a main topic for the consultative portion of the Feast in advance to allow friends to consider the topic and consult together thoughtfully.
Assembly development:
In April 1994 the Assembly began a series of deepening-discussions on the institution of the Spiritual Assembly, its station and functions, its relationship to the community and individual believers, and communication between the Assembly and the community at Feast. These were based on several compilations on these topics. Assembly members were mandated to attend, and all adults and children were strongly encouraged to take part as we not only learned about these elements of Bahá’í life but consulted about them in a real time, non-theoretical way, continuing our efforts to improve community unity.
The Assembly began occasionally assigning “homework” in the form of reading materials, specific thinking, or formulating options ahead of meetings. This helped to jumpstart discussion, bring the Writings more immediately into the consultation, and provide a form of mental and spiritual preparation for members.
Special developments:
The Iowa Bahá’í summer school was again held in Sioux City. We welcomed attendees and gave them postcards to send to friends back home in an effort to emblazon the name of Bahá’u’lláh far and wide.
As District Teaching Committees were dissolved and various tasks fell to Assemblies, we took on the task of compiling a list of contact people in each Assembly community in order to be able to set up an action alert system.
The Assembly purchased the full World Congress video set for use in the community and in teaching.
The Assembly wrote a letter to President Bill Clinton urging ratification of two human rights treaties.
1994-1995:
The Assembly this year was composed of Sue Barrett, Tom and Terri Bennett, Jim Braun, Nancy Braun, Alan and Marie Scheffer, Loriann Tague, and Patricia Williams.
Vital statistics: 23 adults with rights, 7 youth, 16 children = 46 believers
The community’s goals for our local three year plan continued.
Oneness of humanity/elimination of racism:
The Friendly Supper Club became more firmly established, with a significant number of new people coming and some non-Bahá’í “regulars” inviting others. Announcements appeared in the newspaper, and a Sioux City Journal reporter and photographer attended one of the dinners and ran a front page picture and article describing the efforts of the club to encourage diversity and eliminate racism.
At the request of the Illinois Peacemakers Bahá’í Youth Workshop we sponsored a performance of the group on the oneness of humanity. We also invited the Sanford Little Stars group to perform and attend, since their aims are similar. The performance was held on the Briar Cliff College campus in the “little theater.”
Two Sioux City Bahá’ís spoke at a “Forum on Diversity” hosted by the Lt. Governor’s Commission on Diversity at the Sioux City Convention Center in August. Afterward they had a chance to speak with the Lt. Governor about the Faith and our efforts in this area, including the Friendly Supper Club. Copies of “The Vision of Race Unity” were given to the Lt. Governor and other attendees. The Assembly wrote a letter of follow-up to the members of the Diversity Commission which organized the event. A subsequent result of this event was Marie Scheffer being asked to give a workshop on the Friendly Supper Club at a diversity leaders training conference in Des Moines.
Our participation in the multicultural fair sponsored by the Human Rights Commission resulted in more teaching opportunities than we experienced in the past, and several people came to firesides in the months following the fair. We were also able to acquaint a great number of people with the Faith’s strong stance on the oneness of humanity. We sold over $500 inT-shirts with statements about oneness.
Expansion beyond past records/teaching and proclamation:
Auxiliary Board member Robert Malouf gave a fireside as guest speaker at a fireside in July, and Auxiliary Board member Kevin Locke spoke to a large number of seekers in March.
A prayer gathering for teaching was initiated. At these bi-monthly meetings a spiritual atmosphere was established with music, followed by prayers for teaching.
Since the Iowa Bahá’í Summer School was held again at Briar Cliff College, we invited local friends and acquaintances to come to some of the evening classes and also had a fireside one evening for local people and non-Bahá’ís attending the summer school.
Two proclamation events occurred this year. The first was a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Bahá’í Faith in America, which we localized by tying it into the 15th anniversary of the formation of the Sioux City Assembly. Over 100 invitations were sent out to a list of prominent people and friends. The commemoration was held at the Carnegie Public Library with a special effort to make the room beautiful with an abundance of flowers. Talks were presented on the history of the Faith in America and America’s spiritual destiny, concluding with a reading of the prayer for America. Refreshments followed. Eleven non-Bahá’ís attended, many of whom had never come to a Bahá’í event before.
In November the mayor signed a proclamation for Bahá’í Unity Week to mark the 100th anniversary. Several diverse Bahá’í representatives from the area were present at the City Council meeting, which was televised on cable television.
The Assembly sent a letter to Senators Tom Harkin and Charles Grassley, at the request of the National Spiritual Assembly, urging them to support a senate vote on the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
In addition to placing notices in the Sioux City Journal, we began putting notices of Bahá’í events in two local calendars: the Convention Center’s Siouxland Calendar, which features sports and cultural events, and a Diversity Calendar, which goes out to all religious groups, social service organizations, and selected businesses.
The Bahá’í Speaker’s Bureau continued to contact area groups.
Vitality of individual faith:
The Mastery Program continued, with death/funerals and backbiting/gossip chosen as additional topics of study. Friends were encouraged to use their studies to create tangible results that can be shared. The first of these came in the form of a talk given by Pat Williams on Martha Root to the adults at the Iowa Bahá’í summer school, which was later repeated locally for those who had missed it.
Development of human resources:
Heartland Bahá’í School targeted two groups of children that represented our current local Bahá’í population: preschoolers and pre-youth/youth. Classes for preschoolers were organized and will begin soon.
Youth:
Highway clean-ups were held in July and November. The youth hosted the visiting Illinois Bahá’í Peace Makers overnight during the summer.
In the fall the Sioux City Bahá’í Youth Workshop got started, sponsored by the Assembly through Heartland Bahá’í School. The Assembly met with Terri Bennett in her role as an assistant to the Auxiliary Board in working with youth as this effort got underway. The youth workshop had both Bahá’ís and their friends as members. Their activities revolved around teaching, although they also spent time deepening in order to be able to teach better and more confidently. Each member chose a Mastery Program topic to study. They also worked to polish a dance routine learned from other Bahá’í youth workshops, as well as a skit on diversity. They held two overnight retreats with talks given on peer pressure and the Arc fund project.
The youth also collaborated with the community life committee to hold a fundraising dinner during Ayyam-i-Ha. The dinner had waiters, gourmet cooks (spaghetti with a choice of 3 different sauces), and white clothed tables, as well as live jazz provided by a youth, Mark Scheffer, on bass and an adult, Scott Brubaker, on saxophone.
Several of the youth (and parents) caravaned to Omaha to help with a teaching project at a mall one weekend. The youth hosted a fireside in March by Auxiliary Board member Kevin Locke to which eleven non-Bahá’ís came. They also held a youth Friendly Supper Club, which had five non-Bahá’ís attending. All of these activities were chosen and planned by the group through consultation.
Deepening:
A two-part deepening on promoting entry by troops was presented as a joint project of the teaching and deepening committees. Participants had assigned reading beforehand, home work in between the sessions, and took an active role during the workshops.
Spiritual Assembly maturation & development:
Over several years, in working with individuals who came to the Assembly with personal difficulties, the Assembly used what it called a “liaison relationship” to keep a close, accessible link between the institution and the individual. The Assembly evaluated this tool and clarified its use. A liaison relationship would be one or two Assembly representatives and the individual. The characteristics of the relationship were that it was confidential (within the Assembly), that communication could run both ways to and from the Assembly, it would not be a counseling relationship, its reasons would be clarified by letter, and it should have definite or tentative time parameters set at the start.
The Assembly continuously evaluated its own consultative process as an institution. This year the Assembly felt it was getting better at doing this sort of evaluation throughout the actual process of consultation, as distinct from just doing evaluations at the meeting’s end or at specially set aside times.
Inspired by a quote from the Universal House of Justice concerning “the tendency of the friends to criticize each other at the slightest provocation, whereas the Teachings call upon them to encourage each other,” the Assembly vowed to put encouragement into special action in the last six months of the year. The Assembly sent out a letter to the community with this challenge to all as we continue our work on unity.
Holy days:
Highlights of holy days included a visit from Auxiliary Board member Robert Malouf and several other out of town Bahá’ís as guests at the Martyrdom of the Bab observance; a turkey dinner and devotions celebration of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh; Ayyam-i-Ha activities featuring a family party with a potluck dinner, games, the annual dessert contest, collecting canned goods for a food bank and stuffed animals for Child Protective Services; and a Persian dinner made by all community members with eleven non-Bahá’í friends joining us at the Council Oaks Community Center in Riverside Park.
Special developments:
Two members of the Assembly went for two days of training in Omaha to enable them to represent the National Spiritual Assembly regionally in an effort to deepen the friends and develop significant new financial resources for the Arc building project. This effort was targeted to meet the 3 Year Plan goal of $74,000,000. With the help of a fellow trainee from Nebraska, they held a half day presentation/deepening for the Assembly.
Auxiliary Board member Javidukht Khadem attended the 1994 Iowa Bahá’í summer school and gave several talks. In addition, she made a special trip to a Bahá’í home off campus to meet with the friends in Sioux City who were not able to attend summer school.
Bahá’ís attended the annual Interfaith Resources banquet, as well as taking part in the largest ever Big IFFF.
David Smith traveled from Ames, IA, to Sioux City during the summer and gave a report about the national convention. This was the first time Siouxland believers had had a convention report meeting in Sioux City in several years.
1995-1996:
The Assembly this year was composed of Sue Barrett, Nancy Behrouz, Terri Bennett, James Braun, Nancy Braun, Alan and Marie Scheffer, Loriann Tague, and Patricia Williams. When Nancy Behrouz relocated in July, Judi Swanson was elected to replace her.
Vital statistics: 21 adults with rights, 11 youth, 14 children = 46 believers
James Braun married Linda Kjos.
The community’s goals for our local three year plan continued, with an emphasis on meeting the directive of the Faith that every Bahá’í have at least one fireside per Bahá’í month, youth as well as adults. After consultation with the community, specific numerical goals for firesides were established as 12 per month for the first 3 months, then 16 firesides through the remainder of the year. The Assembly committed to itself and the community that, in order to show leadership and an example as an institution, its members would take on the goal of 9 of the firesides each Bahá’í month.
An adjustment to the plan was to drop the goal of establishing teaching partnerships but continue to encourage collaboration. Talking about teaching became a part of every Feast consultation, and the Assembly committed to spending a minimum of 30 minutes of every Assembly meeting consulting about teaching. It also placed a renewed focus on prayers for teaching. Assembly members committed to saying daily prayers for teaching and for seekers, and encouraged the community to do this as well.
After encouragement from Auxiliary Board members and their assistants in February to do whatever it would take to accomplish our teaching goals by the end of the 3 year plan, the Assembly assessed our progress so far. Of the goal of 16 new adult believers, 2 had been found; of the goal of 7 new youth believers, 6 had been achieved. A meeting with the community followed, with Terri Foster and Marie Scheffer, as assistants to the Auxiliary Board, speaking about the vision of “breathing life in the spirit of mankind” that must surround and energize our efforts. The Assembly shared its plan till Ridvan, which consisted of 1) individual preparation work to be done daily (prayers, deepening on the “Entry by Troops” compilation, and meditation), 2) individual and community fireside teaching, 3) inviting current seekers to embrace the Faith, as requested by the International Teaching Center, 4) intensifying our search for ”ripe” seekers (people we don’t know who are ready to embrace the Faith) through a series of newspaper ads and posters at targeted locations with intriguing messages and the Bahá’í phone number, and 5) surrounding all these activities with abundant contact with each other, sharing stories, and encouraging each other.
Expansion beyond past record/teaching and proclamation:
The cumulative fireside goal for the year was 244. Of that number we had 121 reported as held by adults and youth combined. The Assembly fireside goal was 153; of that 89 were held. The final totals toward the goals of 16 new adult believers and 7 new youth believers were 2 new adults and 6 new youth, unchanged from the February assessments. Although the goals were not met, we had an increased level of teaching during the year. The goals pulled the community forward to a greater number of firesides and a more sustained focus on teaching this year than in many years.
Two firesides took place during visits of Auxiliary Board members Robert Malouf and Kevin Locke in April. Kevin Locke attended the Friendly Supper Club and gave a fireside afterwards. Nine seekers came to hear him speak about Bahá’u’lláh’s invitation to all of humanity and how the Faith aligns with his Native American beliefs. Robert Malouf gave a fireside talk on “The Prosperity of Humankind” which led to a lively discussion that continued late into the evening.
As part of a non-profit organization “craft fair” at the Southern Hills mall, we had an information booth and distributed literature all day on a Saturday.
A Bahá’í telephone was established using the same telephone number that we have had in the past but with a separate phone and answering machine, allowing phone answering to be more appropriate.
Bahá’í speakers were invited to a world religion class at Briar Cliff College in the summer and a comparative religion class at Western Iowa Tech in the fall. A friend of Mark Scheffer’s invited his family to speak to her youth class at Grace United Methodist Church.
One volunteer member faithfully represented the Faith at the monthly Interfaith Resources meetings, and, as a community, we again took part in the Big IFFF.
Oneness of humanity/elimination of racism:
More non-Bahá’ís became “regulars” at the Friendly Supper Club, invited others, and one friend served for the first time on the planning committee. Non-Bahá’í friends helped us translate our invitation into Spanish in order to better attract interested Hispanics.
The Faith was represented on the newly-formed Siouxland Diversity Coalition by Marie Scheffer. The Coalition, whose purpose is to provide educational and other experiences that would help Sioux City move in the direction of valuing diversity, was responsible for bringing Auxiliary Board member Kevin Locke here to perform at the Boys and Girls Home April 14, the day before the 1996 multicultural fair. Kevin’s two performances were well attended, and he wove the teachings of the Faith into everything he said and wore a Bahá’í T-shirt throughout much of the program.
We participated twice (May 1995 and April 1996) in the multicultural fair, having a display of Bahá’í books related to the oneness of mankind and sales of T-shirts. We also gave away free literature and invitations to the Friendly Supper Club. The highlight of the 1995 fair was our Sioux City Bahá’í Youth Workshop’s presentation of their skit “Send Them Back Where They Came From” as part of the fair’s entertainment.
[Marie Scheffer] I remember Adem Swanson doing a great job of portraying a grumpy ol’ white guy discovering that if all those “others” he was so eager to get rid of vanished, along with the inventions and advances they had made to our country that made his life safe and comfortable, he would NOT like life at all. The Human Rights Commission, the sponsor of the multicultural fair, liked this skit so much that they wanted it performed again the following year. [MS]
Development of human resources:
An evening long deepening was held on the Kitab-i-Aqdas during the summer, and a locally organized compilation on backbiting and gossip was distributed by the Assembly, with a deepening planned for later. In October the deepening committee began a series of bi-weekly Sunday morning deepenings at the Management Associates’ building with a breakfast beforehand, featuring Alan’s creamy eggs, to provide a social portion. Topics included a five-week series on consultation, a three-week series on teaching, slides of the Holy Land showing progress on the Arc, and videotaped talks by Robert Henderson and Jena Khodadad from the Green Lake conference. The deepening committee also designed the outline of a plan for new believer deepening. Materials from the Universal House of Justice on “Teaching People of Capacity” were distributed and a guided discussion on this subject took place as a main topic at Feast.
The Bahá’í Youth Workshop was very active this year. They held weekly workshop meetings, monthly youth Friendly Supper Clubs, youth firesides, and weekend retreats with a focus on deepening their own knowledge of the Faith in preparation for teaching others. They performed their skit on the oneness of humanity at the multicultural fair, the Iowa Bahá’í Summer School talent show, and a local spring holy day. The Illinois Bahá’í Youth Workshop joined them in taking part in a riverfront parade that was held as part of the “Saturday in the Park” music festival in July, with workshop members either walking with a banner or dancing. Several youth from both workshops traveled to Macy, NE, earlier that day for teaching and a dance performance. Volunteer youth provided child care during the Sunday morning deepenings over a period of time when it was needed. The youth also hosted one of the Feasts. Towards the end of the year the youth ran into difficulties aligning schedules when so many of them held down jobs as well as school. They decided to take a break from so many routine activities and concentrate on firesides and teaching.
Holding classes for preschoolers at Heartland Bahá’í School presented a high degree of difficulty due to schedules of parents and teachers, but with heroic effort on the part of a few volunteers, a program was kept going for several months of the year.
Spiritual Assembly development & maturation:
The Assembly deepened together and consulted about the crucial importance of confidentiality as well as the need for a high degree of communication with the community. It consulted with Auxiliary Board member Robert Malouf about its liaison relationship system, and it compiled a checklist to assist those planning a wedding. Finally, the Assembly began using a signature of “Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Sioux City” rather than the Secretary’s name on letters going out to the community to help clarify that letters were from the institution, not from an individual.
Local fund:
When we began failing to meet our fund goal due to a drop in community size, the Assembly shared information about the situation and its potential impact on our National Fund and Arc commitments and encouraged the community to consider making greater sacrifices for the Fund. As a result of the believers’ efforts, we did not have to lower our fund goal and met all of our commitments. As a community we celebrated achieving and surpassing our goal of sending one “unit” ($9000) to the Arc during the 3 Year Plan.
Community life:
The community life committee put together a set of guidelines for hosting Feast. The impetus was to encourage and help new believers volunteer to host a Feast for the first time, but it also contained suggestions and reminders for all of us to continue to improve the quality of Feast.
As a result of input from the community, the Assembly established some policies regarding community events and asked every committee to carefully consider the issue of participation of children for any planned event and to clarify whether or not they were invited in announcing the activity.
Holy days:
Highlights included an observance of the Ninth Day of Ridvan, when the youth presented readings and a skit on the oneness of humanity in the Briar Cliff College concert hall. The martyrdom of the Bab was observed at the Lodge in Stone Park with selected readings and a meal outdoors. We used the Loess Hills Nature Center for the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, sharing a turkey dinner. Ayyam-i-Ha was celebrated at a community party at the Management Associates building with game playing and an array of homemade desserts; service projects included a Habitat for Humanity home-building project, volunteer building and painting at the Mary Treglia Center, and blood donations. The community life committee held a “fast breaker” potluck in March, and Naw-Ruz included a talk, prayers, and a ham and roast beef dinner.
Special developments:
The Assembly formally recognized Judi Swanson for her individually motivated efforts, over the past several years, to assist with teaching and children’s classes on the Macy Reservation. Her example inspired others to start getting involved as well.
Judi Swanson also joined Toastmasters and used the experience to hone her speaking skills and give talks on the Faith at the group’s meetings.
A group of Bahá’í women, Terri Bennett, Laurel Blomberg, Pat Williams, and Marie Scheffer, collaborated to teach those who were interested in women’s issues in relation to the Faith. These gatherings were held at Terri’s home at 134 Cook Drive.
The Growth of the Sioux City, Iowa, Bahá’í Community from 1996-2001
A turning point: The Four Year Plan (1996-2000) and reflections on conditions in the Faith in general and in Sioux City:
The 28 November 2023 letter from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá’ís of the world, published as Reflections on the First Century of the Formative Age, observed that:
“. . . by the 1990s the Faith had spread to tens of thousands of localities. . . .Yet, it increasingly became evident that, though united in shared beliefs, characterized by high ideals, and proficient in managing its affairs and tending to its needs, such a small community—however much it prospered or attempted to serve others through its humanitarian efforts—could never hope to serve as a model for restructuring the whole of society.” (pp. 31, 32; #51)
“By 1996, the Bahá’í world had reached the point where the many areas of activity that had previously contributed to so much progress over so many years needed reassessment and reorientation. Individuals, communities, and institutions needed to learn not only how to initiate a mode of action that could reach large numbers, but also how to rapidly increase the number of individuals who could engage in acts of service so that consolidation could keep pace with accelerating expansion. The effort to introduce the Faith to the many populations of the world had to become more systematic. The call in the Four Year Plan for a ‘significant advance in the process of entry by troops’ was intended to acknowledge that the circumstances of the Faith, as well as the conditions of humanity, allowed for, and even required, sustained growth of the Bahá’í world community on a large scale. Only then could the power of Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings to transform the character of humankind be increasingly realized.” (p. 33; #53)
In addition to setting an overall goal for the Four Year Plan of stimulating “a significant advance in the process of entry by troops,” the Ridvan 1996/153 message commented that it was of “paramount importance that systematic attention be given to devising methods for educating large numbers of believers in the fundamental verities of the Faith and for training and assisting them to serve the Cause as their God-given talents allow,” necessitating development of a network of training institutes. “These centers of Bahá’í learning will have as their goal one very practical outcome, namely the raising up of large numbers of believers who are trained to foster and facilitate the process of entry by troops with efficiency and love.”
Setting this Plan in context, the Ridvan message stated, “The next four years will represent an extraordinary period in the history of our Faith, a turning point of epochal magnitude.” And concluding its message the House of Justice noted: “This Plan to which we are now committed is set at one of the most critical times in the life of the planet. It is meant to prepare our community to cope with the accelerating changes that are occurring in the world about us and to place the community in a position both to withstand the weight of the accompanying tests and challenges and to make more visible a pattern of functioning to which the world can turn for aid and example in the wake of a tumultuous transition. Thus, this Plan acquires a special place in the scheme of Bahá’í and world history.”
A novel feature of the new Plan was the change in the process of goal-setting, involving more consultation and planning at lower levels. To assist in building capacity for this process, the House of Justice wrote eight messages to various regions of the world as supplements to the 1996 Ridvan message. These messages analyzed and explained the implications of the Four Year Plan in the light of the particular conditions of each region.
The supplementary message to North America, defined as Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and the United States, included such comments as:
- “We look to your communities to make an energetic response to the call for …[training] institutes“
- “We look to the members of the Bahá’í community in the United States to perform, during the Four Year Plan, heroic deeds of service to the Cause, which will astonish and inspire their fellow-believers throughout the world.”
- “In North America, there are opportunities for the advancement of the process of entry by troops, the like of which presently exist in no other place on earth. Three unique characteristics combine to give rise to this condition: the unparalleled strength of your local communities, particularly evident in the activity of your Local Spiritual Assemblies and in the consecration of the Bahá’í youth; the positive impression of the Faith which has been conveyed, not only to the generality of the population, but also to leaders of thought and people of influence; and the composition of your nations, which have welcomed to their shores immigrants, students and refugees from all parts of the planet, drawn from all the major racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds of humanity.”
- “At this critical hour in the fortunes of humanity, our eyes turn with eagerness and hope to the Bahá’ís of all parts of North America, who constitute a reservoir of human and material resources unmatched elsewhere in the Bahá’í world.”
The Universal House of Justice noted in its Reflections on the First Century of the Formative Age that “At the outset of the Four Year Plan, the friends in each region were encouraged to identify the approaches and methods that applied to their specific conditions and to set in motion a systematic process of community development in which they would review their successes and difficulties, adjust and improve their methods accordingly, learn, and move forward without hesitation. When the course of action was unclear, a range of approaches to the specific challenges identified by the Plan could be tested in different places; when an initiative in a particular area proved, through experience, to be effective, its features could be shared with institutions at the national or international level and then be disseminated to other places and even become a component of future Plans. (pp. 33-34; #54)
Application of these analyses to Sioux City:
The Universal House of Justice aptly described the condition of the Sioux City community at the end of the Three Year Plan and the dynamics that ensued as a new framework of actions and attitudes gradually supplanted a previous mindset and collection of activities. Sioux City had, indeed, focused on universal participation in various forms of service, deepenings, initiating activities for children and youth, and holding regular Assembly meetings, usually weekly. Teaching initiatives, in addition to firesides, included extensive proclamation of the Faith and its promotion through the media. As part of developing “centres of learning,” the community faithfully took part in summer schools in both Iowa and the Great Plains school in Nebraska and supplemented these with day-long Joy Hollow study sessions. The community increased its involvement in the life of society through participation in local organizations, such as Interfaith Resources and the Diversity Coalition. Bahá’í scholarship was fostered through encouragement to prepare deepenings and Joy Hollow sessions and through Pat Williams’ history evenings on Bahá’í women and their services to the Faith.
Although the community had grown from a low of 9 adult believers in good standing in 1987 to 15 adults in 1989 and a high of 25 adults (or a total of 51 including youth and children) in 1993, it remained small enough in size that it “could never hope to serve as a model for restructuring the whole of society.”
While the Assembly had become more mature and sophisticated in its consultation and planning, many of the plans devised produced few results. This was due partly to a lack of follow-through by the Assembly itself, sometimes even forgetting what had been decided months previously, and partly due to lack of response and support from the community. New elements in the Four Year Plan, including “a new state of mind,” would require time, study, and initial attempts to begin to understand and implement what would be required.
1996-1997:
The Assembly this year was composed of Sue Barrett, James Braun, Nancy Braun, Kelly Flute, Terri Foster, Alan and Marie Scheffer, Loriann Tague, and Patricia Williams.
Vital statistics: 25 adults in good standing, 7 youth, 14 children = 46 believers
David Kroll of Plymouth County, a son of Henrietta Kroll, enrolled.
Kathy and Theresa McClendon, Beverly and Blair Nichols, and Albert and Katie Verbrugh transferred into Sioux City.
Community goals and plans:
During the first quarter of the year the Assembly planned a weekend long retreat with a twofold purpose:
- to deepen on the vital relationship between strengthening Spiritual Assemblies and the process of entry by troops
- to articulate a vision for the Sioux City Bahá’í community and begin drawing up our four year plan
In preparation for the retreat Assembly members were assigned to study the Ridvan letters of the Universal House of Justice and material on “Building Visions of Growth” from the International Teaching Center. Also previous to the retreat, the community was given copies of the Ridvan letters and encouraged to study them and to bring their thoughts to consultation at Feast. In addition each community member was personally interviewed by phone to get their input about the Four Year Plan and how they wanted to serve the community during the plan.
The first portion of the retreat was an intensive deepening that challenged the Assembly members as individuals and the Assembly as a whole in relation to the link between maturation of the institutions of the Faith and the achievement of entry by troops. Following the deepening Marie Scheffer, assistant to Auxiliary Board member Robert Malouf, made a presentation and consulted with the Assembly. The Assembly also reviewed the two Ridvan letters, “Building Visions of Growth,” the National Spiritual Assembly’s annual report, and the input from the community before planning began.
Following the retreat and over the next few weeks, a community vision and plan emerged out of a combination of frequent Assembly consultation and on-going input from the community:
“Our vision is to create an actively teaching, constantly expanding, unified, diversified, actively participating community, leading as a consequence to entry by troops”
Our plan for the start of the next four years took the form of a unified teaching event requiring first “a new state of mind” and “spiritually and mentally accepting the possibility of entry of troops.” The teaching event, which was to be held at the Management Associates’ building, was to have characteristics of regularity, a focus on seekers with an aimed-for volume of seekers, high quality preparations and programs, use of music and the arts, and a use and development of our Bahá’í human resources. Two other important elements were embedded in this plan. The first element was the generation of unity in the community through teaching together, a collective involvement in and a sense of ownership about the event, and an on-going mutual effort to build enthusiasm about it and continue to refine it. The second element was individual support as an integral part of the plan through daily prayer, reading from the Writings, meditation, study of the “Entry By Troops” compilation, and continuing individual teaching initiatives.
Numerical goals were established to double our active core of believers. [Marie Scheffer] This term of “active core,” which was first used by the National Spiritual Assembly, became a source of disunity in the community: who would determine the composition of the “active core” and what criteria would be used? [MS] Goals included an average of 9 seekers at each weekly event, 5 declarents by the Birth of the Bab, and 15 new believers by Ridvan. The Assembly planned to track how many people were invited to each event to help in evaluating our joint efforts. The Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, and South Sioux City, Nebraska, Bahá’í communities joined us to make this an inter-community endeavor.
Teaching:
Our unified teaching event began in early July with a kick-off picnic and prayer session. Since it was weekly, it was named “Every Wednesday Night.” Invitations were designed. Posters were printed and community members were encouraged to place them in small businesses and attend to their continued posting. Several task forces were established for planning and preparation of the event, involving as many people as possible. Other enhancements were made as time went on, including a 1/2 hour period of prayers for our teaching plan just before the event itself. At the beginning of January weekly notices of the event began to be published in the Sioux City Journal.
Twice during the year the Assembly consulted at length, again with community input, to evaluate the effectiveness of this plan in achieving the goal of doubling our active core and the ultimate goal of entry by troops. At mid-year the Assembly made some changes and called for pursuing the plan ⎯ inclusive of all its elements ⎯ with a renewed vigor, more systematic effort, and, most importantly, with unity. In a letter to the friends the Assembly wrote: “The relationship of the individual believer, the community, and the institution will ultimately be the lever which enables us to move away the barriers that hold back large numbers of our friends and neighbors from coming into the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh. Our local plan is the pivot around which these relationships can be played out with joy and confidence in our community. We invite you to participate as much as you are able. If there are any personal barriers or feelings that are holding any of us back, we hope these can be cast away in light of the urgent needs of the peoples of the world and the needs of our Faith. Let us come together and do this wonderful work.”
A second evaluation led the Assembly to a twofold conclusion. First, that this teaching event had had several positive results: Bahá’ís teaching together, widespread participation in the program and a consequent development of speakers and talks about the Faith, a regularity and constancy of effort, and a number of seekers who had attended. Given these benefits and community interest, “Every Wednesday Night” would continue as a plan for teaching with the aim of building the average number of seekers to the goal of nine (which had not so far been met). However, it did not appear that, by itself, this event would double our active core, much less lead to entry by troops (there were no enrollments that year). Thus the Assembly and community would continue to consult on challenges to “keep our heads and hearts focused on the divine tasks set before us,” as the Ridvan 153 letter urged.
Just before Ridvan, a travel teacher, Chuck George from Cedar Rapids, was scheduled to give a fireside on “Who is Bahá’u’lláh?” Since no non-Bahá’ís attended, he instead gave a talk with slides on a travel teaching trip to Micronesia.
Proclamation:
During a non-profit “open market” at the Southern Hills Mall one Saturday in February, the Bahá’ís had an information booth where we distributed literature and talked with people about the Faith. At the request of the National Spiritual Assembly we gave copies of “The Promise of World Peace” and “The Turning Point of All Nations” to Senator Tom Latham. We were unable to succeed in getting a response from Senator Latham for a personal visit so we sent the materials with a letter. In an unprecedented turn of events the Bahá’ís were asked in the fall to teach a class on the Faith in a non-credit course at Western Iowa Tech. The class was scheduled again for the spring. Bahá’ís also presented, for the second consecutive year, a one-day class as part of a comparative religion course at WIT. A group of religion students at WIT later came with their teacher to our “Every Wednesday Night” event. In March we ran a video entitled “Bahá’u’lláh: The Prisoner of Akka” for three consecutive Wednesdays on the cable access TV channel. The Sioux City Journal printed our notices of every holy day. We also had newspaper notices about the fast, the Assembly election, and the Friendly Supper Club.
Three volunteer Bahá’í representatives kept our link going with Interfaith Resources. For the 11th year we manned a booth at the annual International Food and Folk Festival. Making the tabouli together for the IFFF has also created a tradition of unified action the day before.
Several Bahá’ís who used individual initiative to attract and teach people interested in women’s issues last year continued to hold monthly gatherings at Terri Bennett’s home, where non-Bahá’ís usually equaled or outnumbered the Bahá’ís.
Several local Bahá’ís joined Toastmasters in order to develop public speaking skills and experience to aid in their teaching efforts.
Promoting the oneness of humanity:
We sent a letter to the local Director of the Human Rights Commission offering to work with him as a partner in the establishment of racial unity in Siouxland. The letter included portions of a Feast letter citing comments from the Chicago Human Rights Commission requesting the partnership of Bahá’ís.
We submitted a letter to the editor of the Sioux City Journal which was published in September. It stated our grave concern over the recent church burnings in the United States and expressed our belief in the inevitability of racial unity and oneness. This was also sent to the Sioux City Human Rights Commission and to the pastors of the black churches in town.
Friendly Supper Club:
This effort was now in its fifth year of existence. Attendance was consistently larger and more diverse. In addition to steady Bahá’í participation, there was now a solid non-Bahá’í membership who also invited guests.
Multicultural fair:
We participated in the multicultural fair sponsored by the Human Rights Commission in April, just before Ridvan. Our booth with its “uniting the hearts” motif stood out beautifully. We sold T-shirts and materials related to the oneness of mankind. We also distributed literature on race unity and the Bahá’í Faith. We gave out invitations to the Friendly Supper Club and “Every Wednesday Night.” We had many opportunities to teach, proclaim the Faith, and stand up for unity in diversity.
Siouxland Diversity Coalition:
Marie Scheffer was our Bahá’í representative to the Siouxland Diversity Coalition, whose purpose was to increase understanding and appreciation of cultures and traditions.
Deepening:
The Assembly sponsored several in-depth, multi-week studies this year on the Ridvan letters, consultation, and the “Prosperity of Humankind.” There were also single session deepenings on backbiting, prayer and meditation, fasting, the Bahá’í election process, overcoming fear of teaching and the experiences of two pioneers to China. In December we had a special deepening workshop by Priscilla Hofert, assistant to the Auxiliary Board member for protection, on the subject of Covenant breaking, especially in light of the recent Covenant breaker activity on the Internet. During the fast the community continued its deepening on the Covenant and Covenant breaking at the request of the National spiritual Assembly, reading independently and holding a talk and discussion on the Covenant. The community was also asked by the local deepening committee to spend time during the fast deepening on the Tablets of the Divine Plan by reading it and answering study questions. A follow-up series of intensive deepenings on the Tablets of the Divine Plan started just before Ridvan. We also began passing through the community audio tapes of talks by two members of the Universal House of Justice, Mr. Peter Khan and Mr. Glenford E. Mitchell.
The Assembly continued to provide as much scholarship assistance as possible so that Sioux City Bahá’ís were able to attend the Iowa Bahá’í summer school. We also continued to provide registration fees for all new believers who wanted to attend.
The Assembly placed a special emphasis this year on eliminating backbiting in the community. A special deepening took place which everyone in the community was strongly encouraged to attend. The deepening was repeated for those who had missed the first one. An article was also published in the newsletter on this topic, urging anyone who had a problem with the community or another community member to bring the matter to the Assembly.
Youth:
A Sioux City Bahá’í Youth Workshop dramatic presentation on women was used for fireside teaching locally and also given at the Iowa Bahá’í Summer School. At the end of the year the youth workshop was just getting back underway after a period of inactivity.
Heartland Bahá’í School:
No classes were held for young children for most of the year, but in the last quarter, bi-weekly classes were begun with Bahá’í children and non-Bahá’í children in attendance.
Community building:
Outreach to friends:
To reach out to the Bahá’ís that we don’t often see, the Assembly sent out letters extending our love. Some people were visited and invited to rejoin in the activities of the community.
Feast:
The subject of Feast attendance came up spontaneously at several Feast consultations, leading to recommendations to encourage more regular Feast attendance within the community. We also consulted at Feast about ways to make young children welcome and attend to their needs as well as the needs of the rest of the community, especially during the consultation portion.
Newsletter:
The newsletter is becoming an increasingly important vehicle of communication. The Assembly began its own column in the newsletter this year in an effort to improve its communication, in addition to Feast, with the community. Through thoughtful input from the editors of our local/regional publication, guidelines were developed to enhance the linkage between the Assembly and the editor; this was seen as a step in maturation as the community grows larger. The newsletter was also continually refined in content and design. At the end of the year the Assembly approved a new publication schedule of 19 months per year to align with the Bahá’í calendar.
Holy days:
Highlights of the year included the Twelfth Day of Ridvan, which was planned as a picnic in Bacon Creek Park; an unplanned element was that not all the Bahá’ís found each other and there ended up being two picnics. On the Declaration of the Bab we had an ice cream social and read the story from The Dawnbreakers of what happened, while watching slides of the Bab’s home. We had a progressive dinner for the Birth of the Bab. For the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh we watched slides of the building of the Arc on Mount Carmel. In November the newly appointed holy days committee initiated a program of having holy day host families, individuals, or groups of believers. Invitations were printed for each holy day to encourage non-Bahá’í inclusion. The first invitations were for Ayyam-i-Ha, which was celebrated by a party at Cook Park Shelter House with games for everyone and our dessert contest. For service projects we collected food for the Food Bank and toys for the Child Protection Unit of Marian Health Center [now part of Unity Point/St. Luke’s]. At Naw-Ruz a great roomful of Bahá’ís and guests met at Dakota Dunes and enjoyed a banquet of turkey, ham, and every trimming, followed by one of our old fashioned variety shows.
Siouxland Bahá’í Choir:
Several believers in Sioux City, including Kathy McClendon, Terri Foster, Cheryl McMullen Cheng, Blair Nichols, Marie Scheffer, and Russell and Dulcie Stewart from Vermillion, SD, formed a choir under the enthusiastic direction of Blair. We hoped the establishment of this choir would help us pursue the House of Justice’s strong urging to use the arts in teaching.
Special developments:
Training institute:
After studying the new Four Year Plan, the Assembly met with Priscilla Hofert, assistant to Auxiliary Board member Mrs. Khadem, who presented a possible model of research and deepening that could be used as a starting point for the establishment of a training institute. In January the newly appointed deepening committee was asked to expand its vision to see itself as an embryonic training institute. They first reviewed the guidance from the House of Justice and the National Spiritual Assembly. Among many other elements, their subsequent plans sprang from the Ridvan letter’s instructions to use training institutes to “ensure that the essential deepening of new believers is not neglected, that they develop the necessary skills to effectively teach the Faith, and that an opportunity is provided for all Bahá’ís, new and veteran, to embark on a systematic study of the fundamental verities of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh.” The Assembly approved the committee’s plans for using the Core Curriculum new believers’ course developed by the National Assembly. The study of the Tablets of the Divine Plan, which began in April, reflected the deeper level of study the institute wanted to establish.
New boundaries for Unit Convention:
The Assembly especially encouraged Sioux City Bahá’ís to attend the Unit Convention in person this year since redistricting by the National Spiritual Assembly had changed our boundaries, and we were challenged with becoming acquainted with a new circle of Bahá’ís from which to elect a national convention delegate. The state of Iowa was separated into several mixed units of believers from neighboring states. Sioux City and Council Bluffs were now combined with an eastern portion of Nebraska. Several believers from Sioux City did attend.
1997-1998:
The Assembly this year was composed of James Braun, Nancy Braun, Terri Foster, Alan and Marie Scheffer, Judi Swanson, Albert and Katie Verbrugh, and Patricia Williams.
Vital statistics: 25 adults in good standing, 4 youth, 10 children = 39 believers
Linda Braun was enrolled, and Cheryl and Alek McMullen Cheng transferred in.
Teaching/proclamation:
In refining its teaching plans, and after consultation with the community at Feast, the Assembly decided to target women as a specific population and to begin holding spiritual gatherings and devotional meetings, as was being encouraged by the House of Justice and the National Spiritual Assembly. In January it was decided to temporarily shift some of our focus from women and equality between the sexes to oneness and race unity to better align with the national media campaign.
“Every Wednesday Night” continued weekly, with 16 different people giving talks over the year, 12 speakers from Sioux City and 3 believers from neighboring communities. Roughly 7 one-time or occasional seekers attended over the course of the year; we averaged one seeker per fireside. Three seekers attended fairly regularly, and two of these enrolled in the Faith.
In alignment with the national campaign, “The Power of Race Unity” was shown on television the last 2 weeks in March, with radio spots airing on two stations in the weeks before. Individual believers were encouraged to hold firesides around the shows, and the video was also shown continuously at the culture fair, where our “No room in my heart for prejudice” stickers were worn proudly everywhere in the room.
The Friendly Supper Club was held every month. Attempts were made to get the Indian Center Board and Mount Olive church to co-sponsor the Friendly Supper Club picnic in August, but these were not successful.
Marie Scheffer continued to serve on the board of directors of the Diversity Coalition. The president referred several times over the course of the year to the contributions of the Bahá’í community in the area of racial unity, noting in particular the Friendly Supper Club. Participation with this group enabled us to get to know leaders of minority communities and religious organizations personally. Invitations were extended to all members to take part in the Friendly Supper Club and to view the “Power of Race Unity.” The Human Rights Commission director, Mr. Richard Hayes, also a member, asked for extra copies of information about the video to distribute to all Commissioners.
We took part in Interfaith Resources’ International Food Festival. Three Bahá’ís attended the annual Interfaith Resources dinner, and, in addition, one of our Bahá’í representatives served as the chair of a committee this year.
In an effort to reach possible Bahá’ís newly moved to Sioux City who do not know how to reach us, we put together a flyer in Spanish and one in Vietnamese welcoming believers from these areas, expressing our eagerness to have them as part of our spiritual family, and including the Bahá’í phone number and a few short quotes from the Writings. A nine-pointed star was added to attract attention in case these believers were not literate. The flyers were posted at the Mary Treglia Community Center and La Casa Latin and were taken to centers, agencies, and businesses frequented by Hispanics and Southeast Asians. An article was included in the newsletter of the Siouxland Mutual Benefit Vietnamese Seniors’ Association, and a letter was sent to the human resource directors of the area’s two biggest meat packing plants, John Morell and Iowa Beef Processors, requesting help in reaching out to employees who have moved to Siouxland from these areas. Flyers were also posted in South Sioux City because of the large Hispanic population there.
Individually hosted monthly gatherings for Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í women continued to be held throughout the year.
Several talks were given by individuals and teams of Bahá’ís. Talks were presented at a North High School class on comparative religions, a Seniors Association continuing education class at Western Iowa Tech, at Grace United Methodist and Mayflower Congregational churches, at the Women’s Alliance, and at the Boys and Girls Home.
Twelve 30-minute TV programs called “The Spiritual Revolution” were aired on cable access TV for 12 weeks in a row. These showings were promoted by ads on radio, and the Bahá’í answering machine message was changed to inform callers about the shows.
A oneness of humanity theme was chosen for a booth at the Southern Hills Mall during their “Open Market.” The booth gave out literature and invitations to watch upcoming shows on TV, to come to the Friendly Supper Club, and to come to “Every Wednesday Night.” While we made a few contacts, the Assembly reevaluated the effectiveness of having a booth at the mall, where people did not seem to be in a seeking or spiritual frame of mind.
The Bahá’í community took an active part in a national campaign to urge senators to support the ratification efforts for the UN’s Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Sample letters were distributed at Feast and put in our newsletter encouraging the believers to ask friends and acquaintances to send letters to our senators. Some of the friends made a special effort to contact many organizations and individuals, in some cases giving them the “Two Wings” statement as well. Over 50 of the sample letters were distributed altogether by the community, with the Bahá’ís also sending in letters of their own.
Loriann Tague, one of our youth, presented the book “The Bahá’í Faith: The Emerging Global Religion” to the library of Western Iowa Tech Community College.
The Sioux City Journal printed 3 letters to the editor from Bahá’ís and wrote up a large article with a photograph on Marie Scheffer’s trip to China and how the two papers she was presenting at a conference between Women for Peace and Arbitration and the All-China Women’s Federation were influenced by Bahá’í beliefs. An editorial also appeared from a non-Bahá’í on religious abuses which made accurate and positive mention of the Faith. This was the first mention of the Faith that had come from a local non-Bahá’í source.
Education and training:
The former deepening committee took to heart the Assembly’s guidance to begin to think of itself as a Training Institute. After studying guidance on what the House of Justice meant by “training institutes” and how “training” was different from “deepening,” a program for the year was developed using a combination of locally developed materials and nationally prepared Core Curriculum materials. Programs offered included a 4-session course on themes found in the Tablets of the Divine Plan, a 4-session course for new believers called “We are Bahá’ís,” a 5-session course using the Research Department’s compilation on “Unlocking the Power of Action,” and single sessions on the process of spiritual transformation, dating and marriage, the Right of God, the Covenant, pioneering, the Bahá’í electoral process, and a certification program to enroll new declarants on behalf of the Assembly.
“Pat’s Place,” a gathering at Pat’s Williams’ home, occurred throughout the winter (despite blizzards) and featured prayers, devotional readings, and well-researched presentations on historical Bahá’í women including, Agnes Alexander, Munirih Khanum, Tahirih, Agnes Parsons, and Asiyih Khanum.
Child education:
Heartland Bahá’í School held classes in the spring. In January the committee was expanded and classes resumed. Usually 3-5 children attended classes. Two of the regular students were from a non-Bahá’í family. The Bahá’í children represent Native American, Black, and Chinese cultures. The committee has collaborated with the Vermillion, SD, and Dakota Dunes, SD, Bahá’í groups in planning and holding classes.
Building Community:
Holy days:
Highlights included a dramatic reading from Ali’s Dream by two youth on the First Day of Ridvan with the reading set within a “Ridvan garden” thanks to a multi-media reconstruction; a slide presentation on Bahji and the construction on Mount Carmel on the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, with breakfast following; the first election of the Central States Regional Bahá’í Council combined with the celebration of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, and a Naw-Ruz banquet dinner for 43 Bahá’ís and friends, followed by the variety show. Ayyam-i-Ha featured a party for adults and children, as well as service projects in support of the Domestic Abuse Shelter and Crossroads House, a newly-opened shelter and training center for homeless women. We asked these two organizations what they needed, collected items during Ayyam-i-Ha and the fast, and then brought our gifts to them at Naw-Ruz.
Newsletter:
This year a contest was held to choose a name for the newsletter, thus the “Sioux City Bahá’í Community News” became the “Siouxland Herald,” the new name taken from a quote by ‘Abdu’l-Baha about “heralds calling forth the name of the One true God.” Some features of the Herald are a meditation topic in every one of the 19 issues with selections from the Writings; local, regional, and international news; updates from the Spiritual Assembly; the local fund report; book reviews; and notices of personal achievements by Bahá’ís in Siouxland.
Youth:
To get to know each other better, the youth began doing social things together. Starting in the winter they began meeting every other Sunday morning when Heartland classes are held. Although an adult teacher worked with them, the youth themselves have also started taking turns being the “teacher” and preparing classes to present. They also read “The Vision of Race Unity.”
Special developments:
Beverly and Blair Nichols left to pioneer in Suriname, and our older youth started leaving home for college.
Development started on a local Bahá’í website with links to the National Spiritual Assembly’s and the World Centre’s sites.
The Assembly decided to have an Assembly development workshop every 3-4 months and to invite community members to take part in some of these. The Assembly and some area believers took part in the workshop on “Application of Spiritual and Administrative Principles,” facilitated by Vickie Abel. The Assembly then consulted about how it could apply what it had learned, realizing that in attitude and process that it needed more discipline to “rise to a new stage in the exercise” of its responsibilities. It restructured its meetings to allow time for deepening together and prepared notebooks for each member with relevant materials to have available for ready reference.
In 1997 the Universal House of Justice introduced the institution of the Regional Bahá’í Council as a body between Local Spiritual Assemblies and National Spiritual Assemblies. That year four Councils were formed in the United States, named after the four regions addressed in the Tablets of the Divine Plan: Northeastern, Central, Southern, and Western.
1998-1999:
The Assembly this year was composed of James Braun, Nancy Braun, Terri Foster, Alan and Marie Scheffer, Sherri Smith, Judi Swanson, Katie Verbrugh, and Patricia Williams. A by-election held in September to replace James Braun, who moved out to Plymouth County, resulted in Jo Ellen Clifton being elected. When Jo Ellen moved in February, Cheryl McMullen Cheng replaced her.
Vital statistics: 22 adults in good standing, 4 youth, 12 children = 38 believers
The vision:
The community continued to operate under the vision of the local Plan: to create an actively teaching, constantly expanding, unified, diversified actively participating community, leading as a consequence to entry by troops. The “Twin Focus” committee (race unity and the equality of men and women) kept these elements of our vision front and center.
Teaching/proclamation:
The Assembly underscored teaching as the first priority of all Bahá’í activities and urged the believers to concentrate on fireside teaching. It set a goal of 6 individual firesides per Bahá’í month.The goal was met at least once.
The Assembly asked the community to regard “Every Wednesday Night” as our weekly opportunity to have the Faith shared with each other’s seekers, ourselves, and the general public. The Assembly asked the community to see this as a chance to come, bring a friend, and to focus the evening on teaching, rather than having another event for Bahá’ís. Six seekers participated over the year. Traveling teachers were used twice as speakers.
In response to the National Assembly’s media initiative and focus on race unity in the past year, our community showed the “Power of Race Unity” video on public access channel 39 several times throughout the year. In addition, the community held an “Ice Cream Social” in June, with a special showing of the video. The video was also used at other individual firesides throughout the year.
The Bahá’ís worked to maintain a presence in the general community of Sioux City. We continued our membership in Interfaith Resources, with one of our three community representatives serving as a task force leader, therefore also serving on the Executive Board. We continued to support the annual food festival fundraiser. We were active in the annual July Mardi Gras/Blues in the Park parade, with 23 Bahá’ís marching. We had a booth at the Southern Hills Mall on March 6, as part of their efforts to spotlight non-profit community organizations, and made plans to take part in the annual multicultural fair in May.
In addition, the Assembly tried to reach out to others in the community by sending a letter of welcome to spiritual leaders who moved into Sioux City. Letters were sent to the newly installed leaders of a Christian church and also to the new rabbi at the Jewish synagogue.
The Friendly Supper Club met monthly throughout the year.
Development continued on a community website to provide an overview of the Faith, the Sioux City Bahá’í community, and community events. The Assembly looked into acquiring a domain name address. Albert Verbrugh volunteered to serve as webmaster and further refined the content, which should enhance our community development and teaching efforts.
Local media continued to be used to make the general community more familiar with the Faith. In addition to showing “The Power of Race Unity” on public access television, the video series “The Spiritual Revolution” aired for several weeks. Notices of every Bahá’í holy day were printed in the Sioux City Journal, along with some letters to the editors, and there was a weekly notice regarding “Every Wednesday Night.”
Deepening and development:
The former Training Institute was renamed to better reflect its dual mission of deepening the knowledge of the community as well as training the friends to develop specific skills and capacities. The focus of classes this year was equipping believers with the knowledge and skills to teach with confidence and eloquence, fulfilling the community’s vision of creating “an actively teaching, constantly expanding, unified, diversified, actively participating community, leading as a consequence to entry by troops.”
The year began with a practical course on eloquent speech and specific teaching skills, using a combination of nationally designed materials and activities used in Toastmasters.
A popular “Relating the Faith to Current Events” series helped participants analyze the root causes of social problems and relate these to the remedies brought by Bahá’u’lláh. The course allowed monthly practice in this process, using different issues each session, empowering believers to enter confidently into conversations on current events and inject a Bahá’í perspective.
In response to community requests, a series of six classes focused on teaching Christians.Participants gained familiarity with events recorded in the Bible, traditional Christianbeliefs and concepts, and the Bahá’í perspectives on these events and beliefs, as found inthe Writings. The emphasis was on gaining knowledge, practice, and confidence in answering questions likely to be raised by Christian seekers.
Two sessions from the “Fundamental Verities” series, “Every Believer is a Teacher,” were also given.
The year ended with the workshop “A Miracle of Governance,” designed to increase appreciation for the station of the Spiritual Assembly and prepare believers for their sacred duty of electing the Assembly.
Heartland Bahá’í School:
Classes were held regularly this year, weekly until February then two weekends per month. Although the children come from 4 different communities (Sioux City, Hinton, Rock Rapids, and Vermillion), and range in age from 3 to 9 years, they have formed friendships with each other. They held a service project for Ayyám-i-Há (taking contributions to the Humane Society), and performed at the community Ayyám-i-Há party. Throughout the year, we have seen 14 children, 9 from Bahá’í families and 5 from non-Bahá’í families. Nine children attended regularly, 6 from Bahá’í families and 3 from non-Bahá’í families. Three teachers alternated hosting and conducting classes.
Youth:
One of the most exciting developments in the community in the past year has been the emergence of a youth group. Four youth met with the Assembly last summer to discuss their plans and worked steadily throughout the year, refurbishing the basement at 1800 Nebraska Street for their use, hosting the celebration of the Birth of the Báb, and carrying out a teaching project with high school multicultural groups. In addition, the Twin Cities Bahá’í Youth Workshop came and performed with a youth group from the Mary Treglia Community House.
Community life:
The Siouxland Herald was published each Bahá’í month and shared detailed news from the Assembly, as well as notices of teaching, deepening, and other events. Our local bookstore continued to provide excellent service to the friends by making numerous materials, from the latest publications to teaching materials, available.
The community benefited from the continuance of the individual initiative “Pat’s Place,” which provided an opportunity for deepening and growth of Bahá’í identity.
Other key individual initiatives are the ongoing women’s spiritual gatherings held at Terri Foster’s home and the growth of the Siouxland Bahá’í Choir, which has contributed fine voice and spirit to numerous community events.
1999-2000
The Assembly this year was composed of Nancy Braun, Cheryl McMullen Cheng, Terri Foster, Alan and Marie Scheffer, Sherri Smith, Judi Swanson, Katie Verbrugh, and Pat Williams. Sherri Smith moved away in February but, as it was so close to the end of the year, no by-election was held.
Vital Statistics: 22 adults in good standing, 5 youth, 10 children = 37 believers
Muhammad “Dan” Azizuddin was enrolled.
The vision:
The community continued operating under our local vision adopted near the beginning of the Four Year Plan, namely: to create an actively teaching, constantly expanding, unified, diversified, actively participating community, leading as a consequence to entry by troops.
Teaching:
The most significant aspect of teaching during this year was the increase in the number of firesides regularly occurring within the community and the increased number of seekers attending firesides.
In the final months of the plan the Spiritual Assembly urged each individual Bahá’í in the community to reflect on what he or she could do to make a personally-defined extraordinary effort to increase the number of new believers attracted to the Faith and inspire greater activity among all Sioux City Bahá’ís. The increased focus on teaching was reflected in our Feasts as the Assembly asked each host to choose devotions focused on teaching. Feast consultation each month also centered around collectively planning and supporting teaching efforts. The “Every Wednesday Night” community fireside was discontinued as a teaching strategy.
During the year the Spiritual Assembly collaborated with our Auxiliary Board member for Propagation on the Mulla Husayn Teaching Project, consisting of monthly firesides hosted by our local assistant to the Auxiliary Board, Spiritual Assembly members, and other members of the community.
The community was able to benefit from numerous traveling teachers this year, particularly in the summer months. On six occasions the community hosted traveling teachers, who spoke on topics such as interracial families, spiritual parenting, and developing human potential. Several of the traveling teachers afforded occasions for wide proclamation, including the visit by the Ohio Spirit of Unity Youth Workshop, which danced with the local “Jam Squad.” By the end of the year the Assembly created the post of traveling teaching coordinator to coordinate these activities.
In response to the National Teaching Committee and National Chinese Teaching Task Force, the Assembly researched making connections with area Chinese students. It was determined that there were no Chinese students at WIT or Briar Cliff College, and of the 22 international students at Morningside College, only 1 was from mainland China. Cheryl and Alek McMullen Cheng “adopted” that student.
This year we continued many past activities around race unity as well as adding some new ones. The Friendly Supper Club continued, although in the later portion of the year its frequency was cut back with the intention of making it less routine and more of a special event. The community again had a booth in the annual multicultural fair on May 16,1999, and also on March 5, 2000. On July 2, 1999, 23 Bahá’ís and their friends marched in the Mardi Gras parade under the banner of “No Room in My Heart for Prejudice.” Several attractive banners were created, and stickers with the slogan “No room in my heart for prejudice” were given out in lieu of parade bead necklaces. On March 23 Bahá’ís prepared and manned a booth for the West High School Multicultural Fair.
Proclamation and media:
Many proclamation events were pursued in the course of the year. Several community members attended meetings of the Spiritual Leadership Coalition, culminating in a member being asked to serve on the board of directors. The Spiritual Leadership Coalition oversaw the November 7 Festival of Faiths, in which the Bahá’ís not only participated but took a lead role, hosting a booth, presenting a segment of the worship service, and, through the Siouxland Bahá’í Choir, providing entertainment. On October 24 the community participated in the annual Interfaith Resources Food Festival; a community member serves on its executive board.
In the fall a Bahá’í speaker, Marie Scheffer, joined several religious leaders, the mayor, and the country attorney in speaking at the first “Stop the Hate” vigil against hate crimes. This event, held at City Hall, received widespread media coverage.
On May 17 the statement “Two Wings of a Bird” was presented to the mayor and city council, preceded by a ten minute talk about the Faith, which was televised over local cable television. In addition, the city manager, the city attorney, and the recorder received copies of the statement.
Bahá’ís were invited to address a class on comparative religion at Morningside College and were also invited to speak to the men’s group of Trimble United Methodist Church.
We continued to use the media to make the general community more familiar with the Faith. Notices of every Bahá’í holy day were printed in the Sioux City Journal, along with some letters to the editor. The national 1-800-22UNITE phone number stimulated several area residents to call asking for information to be sent to them.
In response to the National Assembly’s request, the Assembly contacted the local colleges regarding the stifling of higher education in Iran and asking the college presidents to write to UNESCO. This effort created an opportunity to send information to the presidents of Western Iowa Tech and Morningside College. The Assembly also received a warm letter from Sister Margaret Wick, President of Briar Cliff College, who wrote several letters in this effort.
Community life:
Community life continued to be enhanced by regular observances of every Feast and each of the holy days. The Feast increasingly focused on uplifting the spirit and providing assistance to the teaching work.
Deepenings were held periodically throughout the year, covering such topics as Bahá’í heroines, the Covenant, relating the Faith to current events, and themes from “The Prosperity of Humankind.” Vicki Abel, a representative in the Assembly Development Program, came in June to facilitate the workshop on “A Spirit of Partnership: The relationship between the Individual and the Assembly.” A special video series on teaching Christians was made available for individual and group study. The community also studied “Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh,” the first selection in the National Spiritual Assembly’s two year deepening program on “Cultivating Distinction.”
Heartland Bahá’í School continued to grow and mature, and the pool of teachers involved increased. Eight children attended classes regularly, 6 of whom were non-Bahá’ís.
The Siouxland Herald was published each Bahá’í month and shared detailed news from the Assembly, as well as notices of teaching, deepening, and other events. Our local bookstore made numerous materials, from the latest publications to teaching materials, available for the friends.
Reflections on the Four Year Plan:
In its Ridvan 2000 message the Universal House of Justice enumerated various changes to the global community over that period of time:
“The culture of the Bahá’í community experienced a change. This change is noticeable in the expanded capability, the methodical pattern of functioning and the consequent depth of confidence of the three constituent participants in the Plan—the individual, the institutions and the local community. . . . In a word, they entered into a learning mode from which purposeful action was pursued. The chief propellant of this change was the system of training institutes established throughout the world with great rapidity—an accomplishment which, in the field of expansion and consolidation, qualifies as the single greatest legacy of the Four Year Plan.”
“The members of the community came gradually to appreciate how systematization would facilitate the processes of growth and development. This raising of consciousness was a huge step that led to an upgrading of teaching activities and a change in the culture of the community.”
“. . .the formal establishment and widespread introduction of Regional Bahá’í Councils as a feature of the administration between the local and national levels to strengthen the administrative capacity of certain communities where the growing complexity of the issues facing National Spiritual Assemblies required this development.”
“At the conclusion of these four eventful years, we have arrived at a portentous convergence of ends and beginnings in measures of Gregorian time and the Bahá’í era. . . . We come thus to a bridge between times.”
This message also highlighted “a pressing challenge to be faced: Our children need to be nurtured spiritually and to be integrated into the life of the Cause. They should not be left to drift in a world so laden with moral dangers. . . .
“Even though children’s activities have been a part of past Plans, they have fallen short of the need. Spiritual education of children and junior youth is of paramount importance to the further progress of the community. It is therefore imperative that this deficiency be remedied.”
The Ridvan message closed with the statement that “With this Twelve Month Plan, we cross a bridge to which we shall never return.”
Application of this analysis to Sioux City:
Although the House of Justice noted changes in the global Bahá’í community, a change in culture came much more slowly in Siouxland. The “expanded capability, the methodical pattern of functioning and the consequent depth of confidence of the three constituent participants in the Plan—the individual, the institutions and the local community” would not be discernible for many more years. While some members of the community “came gradually to appreciate how systematization would facilitate the processes of growth and development,” these were primarily early adaptors and believers who worked professionally with systems theory and could consequently make the mental leap more easily. Many others were resistant and felt, “Why do we need to develop systems to do things when, in a community as small as ours, we all know which believers can do what? Why can’t we just call on them to do what needs doing or do what they have always done?”
The differences between deepenings and courses of the training institutes were still somewhat unclear, and the concept of developing our own capacities to serve was not distinguished from deepening new believers. Consequently, we were slow to develop “bench strength” in many areas, such as children’s class teachers, until we started to experience the loss of our veteran stand-bys to decline and death.
Similarly, an understanding of what it meant to “enter into a learning mode from which purposeful action was pursued” took several more Plans to become a part of our thinking and planning. Most of the community was unused to analysis of outcomes. A strategy “succeeded” if it resulted in sincere interest or declarations and “failed” if it did not. If asked the question “what was learned?,” our answers tended to be “repeat this” or “don’t ever do this again.”
The “bridge between times” – our old ways of thinking and doing vs. new concepts and frameworks – was a very long bridge, and as a community we walked slowly in a lengthy, spread out line. [Marie Scheffer] Alan and I used to call to mind the 40 years Moses took to lead the formerly enslaved Jews to the Promised Land, years allowing a “slave mentality” to die out. [MS]
The Twelve Month Plan (2000-2001)
When the Universal House of Justice announced, in its letter of 26 November 1999, the next two stages in the unfoldment of the Divine Plan lying immediately ahead, it said that the first, short plan was aimed at “concentrating the forces, the capacities and the insights that have so strongly emerged [during the Four Year Plan].” “The Five Year Plan that follows will initiate a series of worldwide enterprises that will carry the Bahá’í community through the final twenty years in the first century of the Faith’s Formative Age. These global Plans will continue to focus on advancing the process of entry by troops and on its systematic acceleration.”
2000-2001
The Assembly this year was composed of Nancy Braun, Terri Foster, Kathy McClendon, Cheryl McMullen Cheng, Audrey Miner, Alan and Marie Scheffer, Judi Swanson, and Pat Williams.
Vital statistics: 26 adults in good standing, 3 youth, 10 children = 39 believers
New believers enrolled included Cathy Olson and Lisa Scoville of Sioux City, and Eddie Dunn of Plymouth County.
Our vision, our goal, and our objectives:
The Spiritual Assembly began the year with a day-long retreat in May. We studied the new guidance, reaffirmed our local vision, and adopted a simple goal statement: to support and translate into action the Universal House of Justice’s Ridván 2000 message and National Spiritual Assembly’s One Year Plan, focusing on families and children in Sioux City. Our local plan was visualized as having three pillars or objectives: systematizing our teaching; systematically acquiring knowledge, qualities, and skills of service; and nurturing children spiritually and integrating them into the life of the community. These three pillars of our plan were designed to be interwoven components.
Systematic teaching:
The Assembly called on every believer in the Sioux City Bahá’í community to have one planned teaching activity each Bahá’í month. We started with a goal of having a minimum of 9 activities each month. The number of individually planned teaching events each month was tracked as well as the number of Bahá’ís who participated in the events. The number of reported teaching events per month ranged from 0 to 10, averaging 4.5. The number of participants ranged from 0 to 9, averaging 5.2. Although these numbers reflect a challenge for improvement, the Assembly was also aware that there had been many additional teaching events taking place that did not get reported.
In January the Spiritual Assembly discussed the status of teaching in the community and recognized a need to further systematize our teaching efforts to make them as effective as possible. A Systematic Follow-up Committee was formed to consider how we can be more systematic in following-up local teaching and proclamation events, including seekers and contacts resulting from the US Bahá’í website and the national media campaign. A “buddy system” was developed to match seekers with believers. All committees and task forces were asked to consider follow-up strategies as part of event planning. Literature was sent to 7 new people who called the 1-800-22UNITE number or visited the national Bahá’í website, and follow-up letters were sent to all seekers who had called since the campaign began.
Much effort was put into planning and designing a local website aimed, primarily, at reaching seekers. The site was on-line for a while; but due to problems with the host site, it was discontinued until another option could be found.
A video training series on teaching Christians was purchased and made available to the community. Several people went through the training and felt it made them more effective in talking to Christians about the Faith.
This year only one travel teacher visited Sioux City: Bill Ekomiak, who was part of the Spirit Run, spoke at a fireside this summer.
Nurturing our children:
Aligned with the emphasis in the Ridván 2000 message on nurturing children spiritually and integrating them into the life of the community, we continued to build Heartland Bahá’í School, which was held at the home of Albert and Katie Verbrugh on Sunday mornings.
The school had a summer picnic at Bacon Creek Park, with weekly classes resuming in the fall. Teachers, drawn from the adults and youth of the community, used Ruhi curriculum materials. The Assembly also offered the opportunity for community members to receive core curriculum training. Several Heartland teachers registered to attend a core curriculum teacher training in Lincoln, NE, which was unfortunately canceled due to very small enrollment.
For most of the year Heartland School was an intercommunity effort with the Vermillion Bahá’ís, but in March Vermillion began holding its own separate classes. The Heartland Bahá’í School Committee and teachers faced some sizable challenges this year, yet through prayerful, unified consultation and action, they persevered. The children ⎯ in addition to study, memorization of prayers and verses, and work on acquiring virtues ⎯ recited verses at our Ayyam-i-Ha celebration, put on a play for Naw-Ruz, and performed songs in front of the entire audience gathered at the second annual Festival of Faiths.
Systematically developing knowledge, qualities, and skills of service:
The Assembly encouraged every adult and youth in the community to participate in the “Cultivating Distinction” deepening project. A midyear evaluation found that a significant number of believers were taking the initiative to delve into The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, The Advent of Divine Justice, and The Epistle to the Son of the Wolf. One group of friends chose to study these writings together at a weekly meeting at Terri Foster’s home, while others read on their own.
The systematic follow-up committee canvassed the community to see who would be willing to be a host for a “video fireside” using the national media campaign materials for fireside teaching.
Community members participated in two training workshops on the Bahá’í electoral process this year. “Cultivating Distinction: Bahá’í Electoral Practices” was held in September and “Cultivating Distinction: The Spiritual Nature of Bahá’í Elections” was held in April, with the hope that deepening on the election process would enable us to more fully rise to our high standard of responsibility as Bahá’í electors in our local Spiritual Assembly elections, the unit convention, and the election of the Regional Bahá’í Council.
Additional activities
Promoting race unity:
We again had a booth at the annual multicultural fair sponsored by the Human Rights Commission. We displayed the “Human Spectrum” PowerPoint program developed by Nancy Braun that we had used in the past. As an added feature this year, we took pictures of people who visited the booth, reflecting diversity in our local community. Polaroid pictures were posted at the booth drawing much attention. Next year we plan to incorporate these pictures into the PowerPoint program. In July we again marched in the Mardi Gras parade under the banner of “No Room in My Heart for Prejudice,” giving out hundreds of stickers with the same statement.
Four Bahá’ís were on the planning committee and one was selected to be a speaker at the second annual “Stop The Hate” rally against hate crimes. Quotations from the Bahá’í Writings were included in the materials handed out at the event.
The Assembly decided not to hold monthly Friendly Supper Club gatherings this year. Instead, the community was encouraged to build friendships with diverse people, using individual or family dinners and other social events. This was seen as a necessary, preliminary step to reinvigorate the Friendly Supper Club in the future. One Friendly Supper Club was held in November and another in March.
The Bahá’i community took out an advertisement with a race unity photo and message in the Black Homecoming commemoration booklet during the summer. A Sioux City Diversity Forum was held at Morningside College, and Bahá’ís, at the request of the forum coordinators, helped to welcome and register people. The Spiritual Assembly also continued to have a representative on the Siouxland Diversity Coalition.
Proclamation:
The largest proclamation event of the year resulted from active Bahá’í participation in the Siouxland Spiritual Leadership Coalition. Alan Scheffer served on the board and was a central planner of the 2nd Festival of Faiths held on November 12, the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh. Bahá’ís from Sioux City and the surrounding area were very active in the festival. Not only did we have a beautiful booth, at which a large amount of literature was given out, Adem Swanson, a Bahá’i youth, did an impressive job fielding questions as part of a youth panel, Nancy Braun facilitated the youth panel, the children of Heartland Bahá’i School sang songs of peace, and two Bahá’ís read from the Writings during the intercommunity worship service. An overview of Bahá’i beliefs was also printed in the booklet every participant received.
Following up on an invitation to “break bread together,” the Bahá’i community was invited to an Easter service and breakfast at the Mayflower Congregational church.
Community life:
In our on-going effort to enhance the Nineteen-Day Feast, and springing from guidance given by the Universal House of Justice, the Assembly asked hosts to choose Writings and assign readers further in advance, requested the entire community to strive for punctuality, and arranged to start Feast with a quiet time of transition to allow people to settle into the spirit of the gatherings. All of these actions were aimed at uplifting the devotional nature of our Feast.
Each of the holy days was observed with a wide variety of moving, thoughtful, and lively events, appropriate to the occasion. Many of our holy days this year attracted seekers and friends who joined us in celebration. [Marie Scheffer] I remember celebrating the Declaration of the Bab at Barb and Dave Gross’ deck overlooking McCook Lake in their newly remodeled home and watching the sun go down. [MS]
The Assembly consulted with the community and reviewed the process of welcoming and deepening new Bahá’ís. It was decided to schedule a special new believer’s deepening whenever there were 3 new believers. The first of these was held in October. The Assembly also introduced two new concepts: 1) “Deepener Friends,” pairing a new believer with a “veteran” Bahá’í to deepen together and 2) the “10,000-mile check-up,” in which new Bahá’ís were met with after a few months to find out how their transition to the Faith was going and to discuss any questions or concerns that may have arisen.
In an effort to make sure we utilized the talents and capacities of all community members, our talent survey was updated and sent out to everyone in the community. This information was put in a database to be used to assign committees, make appointments, and find helping hands for a variety of tasks.
The Siouxland Herald continued to be a vital link between the Assembly and the community and between the Sioux City community and nearby communities. Toward the end of the year we began using a compartment of an individual believer’s personal website to create an on-line Siouxland Bahá’í community page with information about local Bahá’ís and events. It even had photographs!
The Sioux City Bahá’í community made a commitment to begin taking part in the Kingdom Project, starting this year.
Maturation of the Local Spiritual Assembly:
At the beginning of each of its meetings this year the Assembly deepened on the station of the Local Spiritual Assembly, consultation, and Developing Distinctive Bahá’í Communities. The Spiritual Assembly continued to look at its own processes and identified several elements taken from the Writings about Bahá’í consultation that it particularly wanted to keep in mind with the aim of continuously raising the level of its consultation.
The Assembly shared input from one of our Auxiliary Board members with the community regarding Spiritual Assembly/community interactions related particularly to Feast. The Spiritual Assembly requested its members to be especially sensitive to how they communicate at Feast and to be aware of the need to be explicit about when they are speaking as community members and when as Local Spiritual Assembly members.
A task force was appointed to review all of the policies and procedures of the Local Spiritual Assembly and make recommendations about their continued application. In addition the task force recommended the creation of a Local Spiritual Assembly Secretary’s Manual. The recommendation was adopted by the Assembly, and the manual is in process of being created by Nancy Braun.
In addition to developing the skills of individuals, it was also hoped that community participation in the two training workshops on the Bahá’í electoral process would contribute to the maturation of this Spiritual Assembly.
Collaboration with other institutions:
The Spiritual Assembly made efforts to increase its collaboration with the institution of the Auxiliary Board this year. We invited both of our Auxiliary Board members, Khosrow Rezai for Propagation and Dianne Bohannon-Letzer for Protection, to Sioux City in May to meet with the Assembly and the community. They also gave a fireside. During the course of the year the Assembly met twice with Terri Foster, assistant to Mr. Rezai. One result was a community gathering to listen to and discuss a portion of a talk by Dr. Peter Khan, a member of the Universal House of Justice, dealing with the relationship between individuals and their institutions. In March Mr. Rezai wrote to the Assembly saying that he had offered prayers for it at the Shines when he was in Israel, and he enclosed a prayer which he asked the Assembly to say at its meetings to strengthen the bond between these two institutions. The Auxiliary Board members were invited back to consult with the Assembly before our local 5-Year Plan was finalized and to meet again with the community.
On November 26, the Sioux City Bahá’í community took part in the election of the Regional Bahá’í Council of the Central States, with the Spiritual Assembly members voting while the community offered its prayers. On April 7 the Regional Training Institute met with the local Bahá’í community to get our input and to help us to understand and foster this budding new relationship.
Collaboration with other communities:
The Assembly sent encouragement and an offer of assistance to the growing Plymouth County Bahá’í group. We also nominated Plymouth County as a potential homefront pioneering post through a process being developed by the Regional Council of the Central States to match pioneers and communities. In December a representative of the Spiritual Assembly attended a Bahá’í hand-game fundraiser in Macy, NE.
Collaboration with non-Bahá’ís:
The Sioux City Bahá’í community joined in signing the Siouxland Pledge of Non-Violence. In addition to representatives on the Siouxland Spiritual Leadership Coalition and Siouxland Diversity Coalition, we also continued to participate in Interfaith Resources, with our representative serving this year as President of the organization.
In an on-going effort, Terri Foster and Katie Verbrugh contacted chaplains at the local hospitals and medical establishments about making Bahá’í literature available.
Special developments:
The 9 January 2001 letter from the Universal House of Justice called for the formation of geographic area clusters around the world, perhaps “a cluster of villages and towns,” or “a large city and its suburbs.” The defining characteristics were such non-Bahá’í demographic characteristics as “culture, language, patterns of transport, infrastructure, and the social and economic life of the inhabitants.”
The House of Justice further clarified that “a ‘cluster’ is a construct that is to enable the friends to think about the growth of the Faith on a manageable scale and to design and implement plans close to the grassroots of the community. Therefore, the [Regional] Councils need only come to a first, reasonable approximation of the boundaries, which can be adjusted later if necessary.” The Sioux City believers waited expectantly to see what effect this would have on us.
Achievements of the Twelve Month Plan and announcement of the Fifth Epoch:
In its Ridvan message of 2001 the Universal House of Justice stated: “Despite its brevity, the Twelve Month Plan had an importance beyond the objectives specifically assigned. The Plan was a dynamic link between a highly eventful epoch in Bahá’í history and the immensely promising prospects of a new one, for which its achievements have so well prepared the community. It has been etched in our annals, too, for the enduring effects of the Faith’s activities at the end of the twentieth century—a century that deserves to be reflected upon by any Bahá’í who wishes to understand the tumultuous forces that influenced the life of the planet and the processes of the Cause itself at a crucial time in humanity’s social and spiritual evolution.“
The House of Justice began its message on a high note: “With great joy in our hearts and high expectations, we come to the Ridvan season at a change of time, when a new state of mind is evident among us all. Abroad in our world community there is a heightened awareness of the value of process, the necessity of planning and the virtue of systematic action in fostering growth and in developing the human resources by which expansion can be sustained and consolidation assured. The coherence of understanding about these prerequisites of progress cannot be overvalued, nor can the importance of perpetuating them through well-ordered training be overestimated. And so the arrival of our community at such a moment of consciousness is an occasion of significance for us.” Expanding on that significance, the House of Justice proclaimed that it signaled “the Faith’s entry into a new epoch, the fifth of its Formative Age.”
This whole effort is a treasure in so many ways! But it’s also astounding to see how much a small group of dedicated believers can accomplish, year by year and over time. Thanks, Marie!