The Unfolding Destiny of the British Bahai Community Part 120

MISS ETHEL JENNER ROSENBERG

"One of the pioneers of the Baha'i Cause in the Western World". Having first embraced the Faith in 1899 she soon afterwards went to Akka, subsequently visiting many times both Akka and Haifa for months at a time, learning from and a.s.sisting the Master in translating and transcribing the Teachings. Beloved by all the members of the Holy Family, her pa.s.sing in November 1930 at the age of 72 evoked a cabled tribute from Shoghi Effendi, who knew her well in England and welcomed her in Haifa after the pa.s.sing of 'Abdu'l-Baha. She was the one entrusted to bring the robe of Baha'u'llah to England, and was a member of the National a.s.sembly from 19231927. ("Baha'i World", Vol. IV, p. 263.)

DiA'U'LLaH ASGHARZaDIH, Knight of Baha'u'llah

Born in 1880 into a Baha'i family which emigrated to I_sh_qabad when he was fifteen years old, Dia'u'llah was throughout his life an active Baha'i. His first pilgrimage was in 1903, his second was seventeen years later, after which he settled in London, and his third was at the time of the pa.s.sing of the Master when Shoghi Effendi gave him the task of making copies of the Master's Will from the original. He was a member of the National a.s.sembly for various periods between 1925 and 1941 and settled in Jersey as a Knight of Baha'u'llah in 1953 at the age of 73. He pa.s.sed away in Jersey in April 1956. ("Baha'i World", Vol. XIII, p. 881.)

SARA, LADY BLOMFIELD (SITaRIH KHaNUM)

For fuller details of her devoted services to the Cause it is necessary to refer to "The Chosen Highway" and "The Baha'i World", Vol. VIII, pp.

6516. Born in Ireland of a fearless Protestant mother and a strong Roman Catholic father, she understood from an early age the tragedy of religious intolerance which led her to search for Truth until she found the Baha'i Revelation. She was held in high esteem in the London society of the late "nineties" but she herself was always looking for the Promised One. She was a great friend and admirer of Basil Wilberforce, Archdeacon of Westminster. Not only did she place her home in Cadogan Gardens at the disposal of the Master during His London visits but she accompanied Him to Paris. While He was in America she went to Mount Pelerin, in Switzerland, to edit the rough notes of "Paris Talks", had them sent to Him for correction and had the book published in time for His second visit when He signed and gave away many copies. She accompanied Shoghi Effendi when he returned to Haifa after the pa.s.sing of the Master and wrote the letter which was later published as "The Pa.s.sing of 'Abdu'l-Baha". She was a member of the National Spiritual a.s.sembly for eight of its first eleven years. She pa.s.sed away on the last day of 1939 and a remarkably fine obituary in the magazine "The World's Children" of March 1940 was headed "Lady Blomfield-Apostle of World Unity".

GEORGE TOWNSHEND, Hand of the Cause of G.o.d

First corresponded with 'Abdu'l-Baha about 1918. The Master wrote to him "It is my hope that thy church will come under the heavenly Jerusalem".

For very many years he tried to bring to the clergy of the Church of Ireland and particularly the senior ones, the realisation of Baha'u'llah as Christ returned in the Glory of the Father. In spite of his important books, "The Heart of the Gospel" and "The Promise of All Ages", no one in the church responded and in 1947 the Guardian called upon him to resign from the church. He complied immediately and moved with his wife and two children to a small bungalow in Dundrum near Dublin. He was one of the founder members of the first Spiritual a.s.sembly of the Baha'is of Dublin and in 1951 was elevated to the rank of Hand of the Cause. For many years he gave distinguished services to the Guardian, not least of which was the writing of the introduction to "G.o.d Pa.s.ses By" and his presentation on behalf of the Guardian of his paper "Baha'u'llah's Ground Plan for World Fellows.h.i.+p" to the inaugural meeting of the World Congress of Faiths in 1936. The pamphlet he wrote to all Christians under the t.i.tle "The Old Churches and the New World Faith" was sent out to 10,000 so-called "responsible people" in the British Isles on the occasion of his resignation from the church, and his last book "Christ and Baha'u'llah"

was described by the Guardian as "his crowning achievement". He partic.i.p.ated in the Inter-Continental Conference, Stockholm, Sweden in July 1953 and pa.s.sed away in March 1957 at the age of 81. ("Baha'i World", Vol. XIII, p. 841.)

MRS. ISOBEL SLADE

It has not been possible to trace exactly when Mrs. Slade became a Baha'i but she did tell the story of how she heard of the Faith from a visiting American believer and wished to go on pilgrimage to see the Master. Before her plans were made she heard of His pa.s.sing and she went in the early 1920s. In the year 1926 there is a record of her being a "subst.i.tute"

member of the National a.s.sembly elected to "represent" the London community. From the following year the delegates elected the National a.s.sembly from the national electorate and Mrs. Slade served as a member for fourteen of the following nineteen years. She was, in different years, Chairman, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and a.s.sistant Secretary.

She was a "last ditch" pioneer to Edinburgh to form the first a.s.sembly there in 1948. To the end of her long life she would delight her visitors with fascinating stories of her experiences in the early days of the Faith in the British Isles and she pa.s.sed away in September 1972 at the age of 98. The Universal House of Justice cabled: "Pa.s.sING ISOBEL SLADE SEVERS ONE FEW REMAINING LINKS EARLY CAUSE BRITISH ISLES DEPRIVES COMMUNITY OUTSTANDING BELIEVER STOP HER UNFLAGGING SUPPORT CAUSE G.o.d MORE THAN HALF CENTURY COMPRISING MEMBERs.h.i.+P NATIONAL SPIRITUAL a.s.sEMBLY PIONEER VISITING TEACHER SIX YEAR PLAN CONSTANT DEVOTION DUTY HIGH MORAL STATURE RENDER HER s.h.i.+NING EXAMPLE FUTURE GENERATIONS STOP EXPRESS RELATIVES FRIENDS LOVING SYMPATHY a.s.sURE PRAYERS SACRED THRESHOLD AMPLE REWARD PROGRESS SOUL ABHa KINGDOM."

MRS. LOUISE GINMAN

Also referred to later as "Louise Charlot". Became a Baha'i in Burlingame, California about 1910, and came to England late in 1919. She served on the London Spiritual a.s.sembly for a period; pioneered to Oxford, and then to Bristol where she died in February 1963 at the age of 92.

MISS FLORENCE E. PINCHON

Little is known about Miss Pinchon's early life but she was mentioned as being active in the Faith with Dr. Esslemont and Major Tudor Pole during the First World War (See "Baha'i World" Vol. XIV, pp. 3702). "Floy" had a most lucid pen and in addition to contributing to Baha'i and non-Baha'i magazines, wrote "The Coming of the Glory", and "Life after Death". She travelled as a Baha'i teacher before the Second World War but suffered from indifferent health for many years before her death in Bournemouth in March 1966.

MISS CLAUDIA STUART COLES

Having accepted the Baha'i teachings in Was.h.i.+ngton, D.C. was one of its most loyal and enthusiastic adherents. Moved to London, England in 1920 and was for eleven years a member of the community, serving for a period as secretary of the National a.s.sembly. She died in London on 25 May 1931.

("Baha'i World", Vol. IV, pp. 2634.)

SISTER GRACE CHALLIS

Sister Challis was a Quaker when she heard of the Faith from Dr. Esslemont and she accepted it at the gathering of the Bournemouth Baha'is called to hear of the pa.s.sing of the Master. Always an active teacher of the Faith, she also served on the National a.s.sembly for fifteen of its first eighteen years, mainly as its Chairman. She pa.s.sed away in Bournemouth in October 1948.

DAVID HOFMAN

A member of the Universal House of Justice since its formation in 1963, he became a Baha'i in the Maxwell home in Montreal in 1933, when he began corresponding with the Guardian. Returning to England in 1936, he was elected to the British National Spiritual a.s.sembly and was the Secretary during some of its most crucial years. He was the first Manager of its Publis.h.i.+ng Trust and played a vital role on the National Teaching and Africa Committees of the Six and Two Year Plans. He served almost continuously on the National a.s.sembly until his election to the Universal House of Justice. David and Marion Hofman pioneered during the Six Year Plan in Northampton, Birmingham and Oxford and during the Ten Year Crusade in Cardiff and Watford. Throughout his years of devoted service to the British community he was always in demand as a most accomplished speaker and convincing teacher.

MRS. LILIAN STEVENS

Was a founder member of the first Torquay Spiritual a.s.sembly in 1938; was for many years its secretary and in spite of prolonged illness remained a great servant of the Faith. She pa.s.sed away on 1 January 1958.

MISS EVELYN BAXTER, Knight of Baha'u'llah

Born around 1883 of missionary parents, accepted the Faith in 1923 and served with absolute devotion throughout the remainder of her life. She was for many years a member of the London Spiritual a.s.sembly and served for six years on the National a.s.sembly. Throughout her Baha'i life she corresponded frequently with the Guardian and responded to his overseas pioneer call when she became a Knight of Baha'u'llah for the Channel Isles in September 1953. She had already pioneered in the Six Year Plan to Birmingham, Nottingham, Hove, Oxford and Cardiff. She died on 21 August 1969 and the Universal House of Justice cabled: "DEEPLY GRIEVED Pa.s.sING KNIGHT OF BAHa'U'LLaH EVELYN BAXTER. AMONG FIRST PIONEERS SIX YEAR PLAN HER LONG FAITHFUL SERVICE BRITISH BAHa'i COMMUNITY PROVIDES EXAMPLE DEVOTION FORt.i.tUDE". ("Baha'i World", Vol. XV, pp. 4567)