Malcolm King
Malcolm King | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1885 |
| Declared | March 1931 USA |
| Died | October 19, 1966 Jamaica |
Dr. Malcolm King (1885 - October 19, 1966) was an American Bahá’í pioneer who pioneered to Central and South America where he was instrumental to developing Bahá’í communities in Nicaragua, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Antigua, Jamaica, and was perhaps most notably the first pioneer to British Guiana for which he was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh.
Biography[edit]
King was from Jamaica but moved to the United States at some point where he became a Bahá’í in March, 1931, and he was elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in April that year. He served on the Assembly until 1940 when he left Milwaukee to pioneer within the United States in support of the First Seven Year Plan.[1]
In 1942 King made a travel teaching trip to Jamaica and lent a Bahá’í book to a parson, J.C. Mitchell, who then lent it to William Mitchell, an accountant from Kingston, Jamaica. King visited Kingston to collect the book and then stayed in Jamaica for most of the year facilitating weekly study classes in William Mitchell's business offices which were attended by all sixteen employees. His efforts resulted in Mitchell and one employee, Charles Duff Porter, declaring.[2]
In December 1944 King pioneered internationally to Managua in Nicaragua and formed a study group in late December and his interpreter, Robert Hooker, declared after a short time.[3] During his time in Managua eight people in the city declared and he established a weekly study class at the home of a newspaper publisher and assisted with a weekly radio program on the Faith. He was also able to have the Faith officially registered as a religious body with the government through correspondence and meetings with officials.[4] In August 1945 he had to depart Nicaragua due to circumstances out of his control.[5]
From Nicaragua King pioneered to Haiti where he hosted three Bahá’í meetings a week, helped strengthen Local Spiritual Assembly functioning and assisted with efforts to have the Faith officially recognized by the government. While living in Haiti he made a travel teaching trip to Santiago in the Dominican Republic and Kingston in Jamaica.[6] At the opening of the Ten Year Crusade in 1953 he volunteered to pioneer to a territory with no Bahá’ís and arrived in Georgetown in British Guiana on October 16, 1953. The country was in a state of civil unrest at the time of his arrival with a curfew being in place and he was robbed shortly after arriving however he actively taught the Faith and was able to establish Bahá’í meetings which took place twice a week.[7]
In early 1954 King temporarily departed Georgetown returning in July. After his return four people declared and in September he helped them establish a Bahá’í group. He then departed Georgetown again on a travel teaching trip throughout the Caribbean until returning in February 1955 and he helped establish a Local Spiritual Assembly of Georgetown in April 1955.[8]
King remained in Georgetown supporting the development of the Local Spiritual Assembly until 1961 when he pioneered to Jamaica. He passed away in Jamaica on October 19, 1966.[9]
References[edit]
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1974). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 14 (1963-1968), Pg(s) 316. View as PDF.
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1994). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 19 (1983-1986), Pg(s) 684. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1945). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 174, Pg(s) 8. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1945). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 175, Pg(s) 8. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1945). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 177, Pg(s) 7. View as PDF.
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1974). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 14 (1963-1968), Pg(s) 316. View as PDF.
- ↑ Redman, E. The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, George Ronald Press, London. p 314
- ↑ Redman, E. The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, George Ronald Press, London. p 315
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1974). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 14 (1963-1968), Pg(s) 317. View as PDF.
