Shoghi Effendi about using AI ??

"The Bahá'ís should not always be the last to take up new and obviously excellent methods, but rather the first, as this agrees with the dynamic nature of the Faith..."

-Shoghi Effendi

https://bahai.works/Bahá’í_News/Issue_659/Text

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The Office of Membership and Records

The Bahá’í Center Assistance Corporation (BCA) works with offices of the National Assembly to update and maintain data related to all Bahá’í properties requested by the Office for the Development of Administrative Systems at the Bahá’í World Center. BCA also worked with the IT department at the Bahá’í National Center to ensure that all relevant data requested by that office could be included in the properties database. This year, database fields were updated and modified so that the data spreadsheet could be populated by a query of the database. This includes all properties owned or rented by the National Assembly, Regional Bahá’í Councils, Local Spiritual Assemblies, and registered Bahá’í groups. National and regional offices can add to and update this information through UnityWeb, and Local Assemblies and registered groups can add or update properties through eMembership2.

(Ridvan Annual Report 2024)

The Office of Membership and Records plays a crucial role in maintaining the official records of all Bahá’ís, Local Spiritual Assemblies, and registered groups within the US Bahá’í community. In fulfilling this mandate, the Office is responsible for a range of essential functions:

• processing enrollments, child registrations, and international transfers to and from the United States

• facilitating UnityWeb access for Auxiliary Board members and individuals designated by Regional Bahá’í Councils

• providing UnityWeb and national website access (bahai.us/community) for approved foreign Bahá’ís

• updating the membership database to reflect changes in locality boundaries

• entering results for Ridván elections, Spiritual Assembly officer elections, and by-elections

• maintaining accurate records of contact information, postal addresses, marriages, and deaths

• issuing marriage and birth certificates

• distributing digital welcome letters and instructions for accessing virtual Bahá’í identification cards via bahai.us/community to new enrollees and new arrivals to the US Bahá’í community

• sending hard copy welcome packages to newly registered Bahá’í youth turning 15, including a welcome letter, Bahá’í ID card, a booklet of prayers titled Strive, and guidance on creating a Bahá’í Online Services Account (BOSA)

• cataloging correspondence exchanged between individuals, institutions, and the National Spiritual Assembly and its agencies

(Ridvan Annual Report 2025)

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Defending the Cause against Opponents on the Internet

The Bahá'í World Centre Department of the Secretariat addressed a letter to an individual believer concerning "Defending the Cause against Opponents on the Internet," stating in part "Under most circumstances, it would seem worse than futile for a Bahá'í to attempt to defend the institutions or members of the Faith... Similarly, for believers to be drawn into discussion of subjects which the Writings themselves tell us will find clarification only through the passing of time, such as the wisdom of Bahá'u'lláh's limiting membership of the Universal House of Justice to men, the full implication of the Will and Testament, and the process by which the Bahá'í Commonwealth will emerge, would tend to divert attention from real and pressing issues... Where opposition chooses to assail the Faith on points where scholarly expertise in a particular field is required, the challenge to respond falls directly on those believers who are thus qualified, and the Bahá'í community is fortunate in having the human resources necessary to this purpose. For discussions that are of a more general nature, a wider number of the friends will be in a position to provide helpful comment. While the initiative in all such matters rests primarily with the individual believer, the institutions of the Faith are in a position to offer guidance on how the Faith's interests can best be served. Indeed, where discussions of this kind have a direct and immediate impact on the perception of the Faith among the non-Bahá'í public, the Guardian has emphasized the importance of the friends' seeking "the guidance and approval of the National Spiritual Assembly" in all attempts to counter open attacks on the Cause"

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