Sen McGlinn about the US Baha'i community

Baha'i scholar Sen McGlinn states that he and Moojan Momen agrees that "there has been a marked ‘change of culture’ in the Baha’i community over the past 10–15 years, associated with the introduction of ‘Ruhi method’ catechism classes. Over the same period, there has been a marked fall in enrollments and an increase in formally notified withdrawals and expulsions in the US Baha’i community, as well as the development of a ‘penumbra’ of unenrolled Baha’is around the enrolled community. A report written by the National Spiritual Assembly of the USA in 2007 observes that there has been a 50 percent drop in enrollments since 1997, and that ‘this year’ (2006) ‘withdrawals (369) from Baha’i membership have risen 30 percent.’ This is a phenomenon worth study. It appears analogous to the general growth in unchurched religion, but it is more rapid by far. A proper study, using questionnaires and interviews, would be required to reveal how many of these people are exiting the religion and how many are only ending their administrative enrollment, and their reasons for doing so. My experience in the Baha’i community leads me to think that one significant factor is the policy-driven ‘change in culture’ for which Momen has been a leading theorist and apologist. Other contributing factors that show up in the exit narratives are feeling burdened by excessive administrative and missionary work, long-unfulfilled expectations of ‘entry by troops’ and the achievement of the unity of nations by the year 2000, and the usual range of interpersonal conflicts and personal motivations for disaffiliation from any religious community. I doubt that the few vocal opponents operating primarily through the Internet are a significant part of this story."

("Challenging apostasy: Responses to Moojan Momen's 'Marginality and Apostasy in the Baha'i Community'". Religion. 38 (4): 384–393)