Caroline Islands

Location of Caroline Islands in the Pacific

The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the North Pacific Ocean to the north of New Guinea and east of the Philippines. Politically, they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) in the central and eastern parts of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end. An historic name for the Caroline Islands is Nuevas Filipianas or New Philippines. The Caroline Islands is a group of about 500 small coral islands across a distance of 3,540 kilometers (1,910 nautical miles).

There are five major groups of Islands. The four groups making up the Federated States of Micronesia are: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae. Palau consists of the fifth group of islands by the same name.

History

On April 11, 1916, 'Abdu'l-Bahá wrote a Tablet to the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada in which he stated:

The moment this divine Message is carried forward by the American believers from the shores of America and is propagated through the continents of Europe, of Asia, of Africa and of Australasia, and as far as the islands of the Pacific, this community will find itself securely established upon the throne of an everlasting dominion. Then will all the peoples of the world witness that this community is spiritually illumined and divinely guided. Then will the whole earth resound with the praises of its majesty and greatness. A party speaking their languages, severed, holy, sanctified and filled with the love of God, must turn their faces to and travel through the three great island groups of the Pacific Ocean—Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia, and the islands attached to these groups, such as New Guinea, Borneo, Java, Sumatra, Philippine Islands, Solomon Islands, Fiji Islands, New Hebrides, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia, Bismarck Archipelago, Ceram, Celebes, Friendly Islands, Samoa Islands, Society Islands, Caroline Islands, Low Archipelago, Marquesas, Hawaiian Islands, Gilbert Islands, Moluccas, Marshall Islands, Timor and the other islands. With hearts overflowing with the love of God, with tongues commemorating the mention of God, with eyes turned to the Kingdom of God, they must deliver the glad tidings of the manifestation of the Lord of Hosts to all the people. Know ye of a certainty that whatever gathering ye enter, the waves of the Holy Spirt are surging over it, and the heavenly grace of the Blessed Beauty encompasseth that gathering.

— Tablets of the Divine Plan by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

In 1953, the United States was assigned the goal of opening the Caroline Islands and Tonga at the beginning of the Ten Year Crusade. The goal was accomplished when Virginia Breaks arrived in Truk on January 7, 1954, and she was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for doing so, ultimately remaining in the Caroline Islands for fifty years and serving as an Auxiliary Board Member for twenty. She was employed with the government health department. Most available jobs were with the government and administered by the United States, however the capacity for Bahá’í teaching was hampered by the government code which prevented its employees from supporting any particular religion.

The first indigenous Bahá’í of the Caroline Islands was 22 year old Joe Erie Ilengelkei from Palau who declared on April 7, 1956.

In 1971, the first Pingalapese enrolled in the Faith in the East Caroline Islands.

The Caroline Islands were assigned to the National Spiritual Assembly of the North West Pacific Ocean in 1972.

In 1975, Mr. Masaaki Ushibata became the first Japanese Bahá’í to fulfill an international pioneer goal assigned to the Japanese Bahá’í community when he moved the the Eastern Caroline Islands and then to the Western Caroline Islands. In 1976 he was named Auxiliary Board Member for the North East Pacific. His assigned area as Board member was the Western Caroline Islands.

In 1978 the National Spiritual Assembly of the Caroline Islands was formed.

In its Ridván 1984 letter to the Bahá'ís of Japan, the Universal House of Justice stated:

Moreover we call upon you to act as a source of leadership and strength for the developing communities on both sides of the spiritual axis, particularly those in the vast Pacific basin. Bearing in mind the implications of that axis you should collaborate with the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and the respective National Spiritual Assemblies in arranging and implementing teaching, consolidation and development projects in Pacific island communities. Together with the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia you should assist the National Spiritual Assembly of the Caroline Islands to carry out projects to strengthen that Bahá'í community in preparation for the establishment of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Western Caroline Islands at Ridván 1985.

— Selected Communications Concerning the North East Asia Area including Japan

In 1985 the National Spiritual Assembly of the Caroline Islands was split into the National Spiritual Assembly of the Eastern Caroline Islands consisting of the Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae island groups, and the National Spiritual Assembly of the Western Caroline Islands consisting of the Yap and Palau island groups.

In 1986 the Federated States of Micronesia was formed, and in 1992 Palau was formed as an independent country. The alignment of the National Spiritual Assemblies continues to split the Federated States of Micronesia.