Bahá’í Faith community invites public to Twin Holy Birthdays celebration

The community is invited to join millions worldwide in celebrating the bicentenary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh, founder of the Bahá’í Faith.

Marzieh “Joy” Yousefian, who serves on the local spiritual assembly in Rock Hill, said the Twin Holy Birthdays celebration Friday and Saturday comes after its Divine Educator’s Series, which was open to the public. For weeks since August, different religious faiths were discussed. That brought more than a dozen members from Muslim, Christian, Hindu and other religions together.

“We’re taking an approach that it isn’t a single event in time. It’s a much larger enterprise of community building,” she said of the 200th birthday celebration. “We’re reaching out to everyone of all backgrounds and coming together in prayer, for children’s classes to teach the virtues, study groups or other activities. It’s a whole process of community-building activities.”

The Bahá’í Faith is based on the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, who said there is one God who is the creator of everything, and although He is called different names – God or Yahweh, Allah, Brahma or the Great Spirit – it’s the same presence that guides humanity throughout history, according to bahai.us/bicentenary/. Bahá’í Faith, followers say, teaches the essential worth of all religions, and the unity and equality of all people.

Yousefian explains “the spiritual essence of all religions is one and the same.”

Yousefian said the local Bahá’í Faith community includes members from York, Fairfield and Lancaster counties.

“In Bahá’í Faith, we don’t have the same structure as far as clergy. None of us is clergy. We have an administrator structure,” she said.

Willie Phillips of Rock Hill is one of about 70 local followers of Bahá’í Faith. She said she was raised Christian until she found the studies of Bahá’í about 60 years ago.

“I had only been acquainted with the teachings of Christ, and as I matured, I asked more questions, and the questions led me to believe God speaks to mankind as mankind grows,” Phillips said. “Bahá’í Faith appealed to me. It’s an overall knowledge of complete religion, unity, newer teachings.”

Phillips said the Bahá’í do not have a church and meet in member’s homes. “It’s not like what you are accustomed to,” she said.

“In an area where there are nine or more, Bahá’í have a spiritual assembly,” Phillips said. “Those nine meet and discuss affairs of the community, say prayers and talk once or twice a month.”

The Bahá’í calendar is different, she said, with a month being 19 days and a year is 19 months. Bahá’í gather once a month (or every 19 days) for a feast service with prayers and discussion of community affairs, followed by fellowship. Phillips said Bahá’í also meet every other Monday for divine education to discuss different religions, as well as holding Sunday devotions studying various writings of prophets and Wednesday night Bahá’í literature studies.

Before Saturday’s birthday celebration for Bahá’u’lláh, there will be another observance Friday for The Báb, a martyr persecuted for his religious writings and beliefs whose message led to the Bahá’í Faith. Yousefian said there will be a program at 7:30 p.m. about The Báb and prayers, lasting about 30 minutes, then dinner at Nishie G’s on Dilworth Lane.

Saturday’s celebration begins at 6 p.m. at Thi's Place on Main with a buffet-style dinner. Yousefian said there will be a welcome, prayer and showing of the 56-minute film commissioned by the Universal House of Justice.

“What’s exciting is here we are in Rock Hill, and a relatively small number, but what I think about is how all over the world there are gatherings of friends, neighbors, getting together to honor and celebrate the birth of Bahá’u’lláh,” she said. “His mission was to unite humanity, which is no different than other prophets of God. It’s the purpose of any religion to bring all people together after all.”

Yousefian said she is delighted reservations are filling up.

“Bahá’í are few in numbers, so we are reaching out to everyone who is open and interested. We’re not trying to change anyone,” she said. “We’re reaching out to say, let’s be part of this spiritual endeavor to unite humanity together.”

For more information about Bahá’í Faith, call 1-800-228-6483 or visit bahai.org. For local information or to make a reservation for the celebrations, email rhscbahai@gmail.com.

This story was originally published October 19, 2017 at 11:10 AM with the headline "Bahá’í Faith community invites public to Twin Holy Birthdays celebration."