Magdalene Carney
Magdalene Carney | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | October 19, 1929 Ringold, Tennessee, USA |
| Died | October 10, 1991 Haifa, Israel |
| NSA member | USA 1970 - 1983 |
| ITC member | 1983 - 1991 |
Dr. Magdalene Margaret Carney (October 19, 1929 - October 10, 1991) was an American Bahá’í who served on the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and the International Teaching Center.
Biography[edit]
Carney was born in Ringold, Tennessee, in 1929. Her parents were Herbert and Sallie Lisenby Carney and she had seven younger siblings. Her parents owned a farm and in her youth she had to assist them in running the farm and caring for her siblings. She was dedicated to pursuing an education from an early age and she attended Burt High School in Clarksville graduating with highest honors. She then attended the Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial State University in Nashville and graduated magna cum laude majoring in English and Spanish with minors in Speech and Drama.[1]
After graduating from University Carney became a teacher working in elementary schools and high schools in Nashville and ultimately being appointed the Chair of the Cameron High School English Department. In 1962 she was introduced to the Bahá’í Faith by Sarah Pereira and became an active member of the Bahá’í community serving on the Local Spiritual Assembly of Nashville.[1]
In 1967 Carney completed a masters degree at George Peabody College,[1] and in 1968 she was appointed to the U.S. Bahá’í National Teaching Committee. She was appointed to the Bahá’í Deep South Committee as secretary in 1969 and in her professional career she was appointed Chairman of the Rogers High School English Department in Canton, Mississippi, overseeing a desegregation program for the school system in Canton. In 1970 she became the administrative assistant of the newly established Southern Office of the National Teaching Committee,[1] and on November 13 that year she was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States in a by-election.[2]
In 1972 Carney began pursuing a Doctor of Education degree at the University of Massachusetts, after receiving a Ford Fellowship in Educational Leadership, and she completed her studies in 1977. She then became the Assistant Secretary of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly in 1978 which was a full-time position which she served in until 1983.[2]
Carney was appointed a Counselor member of the International Teaching Center in 1983 and moved to Haifa to serve on the body. In her service on the body she was required to make extensive international travels visiting the Bahamas, Canada, Finland, the Gambia, Ghana, Iceland, Jamaica, Kenya, Nigeria, Norway, Papua New Guinea, and Samoa.[2] In October 1991 she passed while still serving a term on the International Teaching Center and the Universal House of Justice conveyed the following message:
DEEPLY GRIEVED SUDDEN PASSING STALWART MAIDSERVANT BAHA’U’LLAH MEMBER INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CENTRE MAGDALENE M. CARNEY. HER WELL NIGH THREE DECADES UNBROKEN SERVICE CAUSE GOD EXERTED IMMENSE INFLUENCE TEACHING WORK SOUTHERN REGION UNITED STATES, INVOLVED THIRTEEN YEARS MEMBERSHIP NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY THAT COUNTRY UNTIL HER APPOINTMENT IN 1983 TO INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CENTRE. INDOMITABLE FAITH, UNSWERVING DEVOTION COVENANT, SELFLESS SPIRIT, OPEN CANDOUR, WHOLEHEARTED COMNHTMENT EDUCATION CHILDREN AND YOUTH ARE AMONG QUALITIES THAT WILL EVER BE ASSOCIATED WITH GOLDEN MEMORIES HER HIGHLY ACTIVE LIFE. ARDENTLY PRAYING HOLY THRESHOLD PROGRESS HER STERLING SOUL THROUGHOUT DIVINE WORLDS. ADVISE HOLD MEMORIAL SERVICES HER HONOUR ALL HOUSES WORSHIP AND IN BAHA’I COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT WORLD.[3]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1998). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 20 (1986-1992), Pg(s) 1022. View as PDF.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1998). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 20 (1986-1992), Pg(s) 1023. View as PDF.
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1998). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 20 (1986-1992), Pg(s) 1021. View as PDF.
