The Unfolding Destiny of the British Bahai Community Part 125

ERNEST WILLIAM GREGORY

Responded to an experimental postal card advertis.e.m.e.nt in Sheffield and accepted the Faith there in March 1951. He was elected to the National a.s.sembly in 1954 when John Mitch.e.l.l pioneered to Malta. He served until 1963 when he became an Auxiliary Board Member. He left in April 1974 to serve at the World Centre and pa.s.sed away there in April 1978. The Universal House of Justice cabled: "ANNOUNCE Pa.s.sING TO ABHa KINGDOM MORNING OF FIRST DAY RIDVaN DISTINGUISHED SERVANT BAHa'U'LLaH ERNEST GREGORY. HIS OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION GROWTH BRITISH BAHa'i COMMUNITY AS MEMBER MANY YEARS NATIONAL SPIRITUAL a.s.sEMBLY AND LATER MEMBER AUXILIARY BOARD ENSURE HIM HIGH PLACE THAT COMMUNITY'S ANNALS. HIS STIRLING QUALITIES ENDEARED HIM TO ALL AT WORLD CENTRE FAITH WHERE HIS LOSS KEENLY FELT. ADVISE BRITISH COMMUNITY JOIN PRAYERS THANKSGIVING HIS LIFE PROGRESS HIS SOUL."

DR. ERNEST SPENCER MILLER

Became a Baha'i in September 1951 in Liverpool and at great sacrifice left his medical practice to pioneer to Cardiff in 1955. For some years prior to his death in October 1976, he lived partly in Liverpool and partly in Anglesey, North Wales. The Universal House of Justice cabled: "GRIEVED LOSS DEVOTED BELIEVER ERNEST MILLER WHO RENDERED DISTINGUISHED SERVICES BRITISH HOME FRONT ENDEARED HIMSELF FELLOW BELIEVERS. EXTEND SYMPATHY FRIENDS a.s.sURE ARDENT PRAYERS SACRED THRESHOLD PROGRESS HIS SOUL ABHa KINGDOM."

IAN SEMPLE

Heard of the Faith at the first public meeting organised by the Oxford Spiritual a.s.sembly in 1949 and accepted it shortly afterwards. He was elected to the National a.s.sembly in January 1955 and was a member until Ridvan 1961, serving as Secretary from January 1960 to January 1961. In 1956 he pioneered to Edinburgh for two and a half years, and was appointed to the Auxiliary Board for the Propagation of the Faith in November 1957.

He was elected to the International Baha'i Council at Ridvan 1961, and to the Universal House of Justice in 1963.

MISS JEAN M. CAMPBELL

Jean Campbell accepted the Faith in Oxford in 1949 in time to be on the first Spiritual a.s.sembly there. She served as the a.s.sembly secretary for some years, pioneered to Aberdeen in 1959 and then to Malta in February 1964 where she is still at her pioneer post (1979).

JOHN CHARLES CRAVEN

Was a.s.sociated closely with E. T. Hall and Rebecca Hall from the earliest days of the Faith in Manchester, and remained a dedicated worker until his death, aged 80 in 1958. "Uncle John" kept up a wide correspondence with many of the early believers, and it was in a letter to him that Dr. T. K.

Cheyne D.D. made his "Declaration" of belief in Baha'u'llah. He received three Tablets from the Master and was on the National a.s.sembly for six of the first eight years. His teaching of the Faith was mostly in the Altrincham area and among his workmates.

ADDENDUM FOR H. M. BALYUZI

His crowning work, "Baha'u'llah-the King of Glory" was still at the binders when he pa.s.sed away at his home in London on 12 February 1980. The Universal House of Justice cabled the Baha'i world, "WITH BROKEN HEARTS ANNOUNCE Pa.s.sING DEARLY LOVED HAND CAUSE ?ASAN BALYUZI. ENTIRE BAHa'i WORLD ROBBED ONE OF ITS MOST POWERFUL DEFENDERS MOST RESOURCEFUL HISTORIANS. HIS ILl.u.s.tRIOUS LINEAGE HIS DEVOTED LABOURS DIVINE VINEYARD HIS OUTSTANDING LITERARY WORKS COMBINED IN IMMORTALISING HIS HONOURED NAME IN ANNALS BELOVED FAITH. CALL ON FRIENDS EVERYWHERE HOLD MEMORIAL GATHERINGS. PRAYING SHRINES HIS EXEMPLARY ACHIEVEMENTS STEADFASTNESS PATIENCE HUMILITY HIS OUTSTANDING SCHOLARLY PURSUITS WILL INSPIRE MANY DEVOTED WORKERS AMONG RISING GENERATIONS FOLLOW HIS GLORIOUS FOOTSTEPS."

FOOTNOTES

1 Printed also in "Baha'i Administration". (See para. 3, page xvii.)

2 Dr. Esselmont was elected Chairman.

3 The first meeting of the elected "National Spiritual a.s.sembly" took place in London on 13 October 1923.

4 Also addressed to America and published in "Baha'i Administration".

5 Printed also in "Baha'i Administration".

6 Printed also in "Baha'i Administration".

7 Printed also in "Baha'i Administration".

8 This is the first example of a receipt from the Guardian. A few such receipts appear in this book as they ill.u.s.trate his meticulous attention to detail. They do not, however, represent the total contributions made by members of the British Baha'i community during the thirty-five years covered by the book.

9 Printed also in "Baha'i Administration."

10 Printed also in "Baha'i Administration".

11 Martha Root.

12 Printed also in "Baha'i Administration".

13 Martha Root and Mountfort Mills.

14 Printed also in "Baha'i Administration".

15 In a different handwriting from Miss Rosenberg's.

16 Printed also in "Baha'i Administration".

17 Printed also in "Baha'i Administration".

18 As there were two believers with an equal number of votes for the ninth place it had been decided to have all ten on the National a.s.sembly!

19 Printed also in "Baha'i Administration".

20 Printed also in "Baha'i Administration".

21 Printed also in "Baha'i Administration".