Nine Year Plan (2022-2031)
The Nine Year Plan from 2022 to 2031 is one of a series of Plans carried out under the guidance of the Universal House of Justice. The plan was first announced in the Universal House of Justice's Ridván message for 2021.
At the opening of the Plan the borders of clusters worldwide were revised with 22,000 clusters being designated. The Universal House of Justice has advised that based on forecasts undertaken by National Spiritual Assemblies and Regional Bahá’í Councils it has been estimated that 14,000 clusters will have a program of growth, 11,000 will have an intensive program of growth, and 5,000 will have reached the third milestone by 2031.
Prelude to the Plan[edit]
In its December 30, 2021, message to the Counsellors Conference the Universal House of Justice provided an outline of the Nine Year Plan. The themes of the Plan listed in the message were:[1]
- The movement of clusters
- Learning from the most advanced clusters
- Contributing to social transformation
- Educational endeavours and the training institute
- Raising capacity for administration at all levels
The message announced that a goal of the Nine Year Plan was to have one cluster in every country reach the third milestone and also noted the importance of the Institution of the Local Spiritual Assembly expressing that the formation and development of Assemblies was to be an important aspect of the Plan.[1]
Regarding the Training Institute the message contained the following passage:
The training institute has no parallel as an instrument for the systematic exposure of limitless numbers of souls to the life-giving waters of the Revelation and the inexhaustible meaning of the Word of God. But the friends’ efforts to increase their understanding of the Faith and its teachings are of course not limited to participation in the institute process. Indeed, one strong indicator of an institute’s effectiveness is the thirst it cultivates within those who engage with its materials to continue to study the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh—individually, but also collectively, whether in formal spaces created by the institutions or in more informal settings. Beyond the study of the Revelation itself, the implications that the teachings hold for countless fields of human endeavour are of great importance. A notable example of one form of education through which young believers are becoming better acquainted with a Bahá’í perspective on issues relevant to the progress of humanity is participation in the seminars offered by the Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity. Given the vastness of the ocean of the Revelation, it will be apparent that exploring its depths is a lifelong occupation of every soul who would tread the path of service.[1]
In regards to the methodology of the Plan the December 30 message announced that international and homefront pioneers familiar with the framework of action of the Faith would be deployed and requested that the Counsellors encourage National Assemblies and Regional Councils to encourage Bahá’ís to arise to pioneer. The message also asked the Counsellors and their Auxiliary Board members to encourage the Bahá’í community to reflect on effective ways of teaching the Faith, noting that the community building activities of the Faith were not directly related to people formally enrolling as Bahá’ís:
. . . it is important for the friends to remain mindful that the doors of the Faith are wide open and to give encouragement to those who stand at the threshold. And in areas where such endeavours have been well established for some time, many believers are discovering that a vibrant, expanding pattern of activity can naturally lead to families, groups of friends, and even clusters of households being ready to enter the Cause. For in spaces where the possibility of joining the community can be discussed openly and inclusively among those who share a sense of collective identity, souls can more easily feel emboldened to take this step together. Bahá’í institutions, especially Local Spiritual Assemblies, must adopt a mindset that allows for such developments, and ensure that any obstacles are removed.[1]
The message emphasized the importance of flexibility containing the following passage:
Over the last series of Plans, the community’s capacity to maintain focus on the Faith’s most pressing needs emerged as one of its most important strengths. However, this sense of focus has to accommodate many lines of action, all of which must advance without being in competition. This calls for an expanded vision, a nuanced understanding of coexisting imperatives, added flexibility, and heightened institutional collaboration. We are conscious that the Faith’s resources are finite, and individuals experience many demands on their time. But as the Plan unfolds in a given place and the ranks of those who are willing to serve swell, the varied aspects of a rich and vibrant Bahá’í community life will advance in step, and the society-building power of the Faith shine forth.[1]
The December 30 message also announced that the new Institution of the National Growth Committee was to be formed in countries where Regional Councils had not yet been established.[1]
At Ridvan 2022 the Universal House of Justice announced the Plan was to consist of two phases, the first spanning four years and the second spanning five, and announced that from December 30 to Ridvan National Spiritual Assemblies and Regional Bahá’í Councils had been re-determining the borders of their clusters and undertaking forecasts of how much progress they were likely to make during the Plan. The 2022 Ridvan message includes the following:
Since we addressed our 30 December 2021 message to the Counsellors’ Conference, National Spiritual Assemblies and Regional Bahá’í Councils have been earnestly assessing the possibilities for intensifying the process of growth in the clusters within their jurisdiction during the Nine Year Plan. We feel it would be helpful, for the purpose of gauging the progress made over time, to view the Plan as unfolding in two phases of four and five years’ duration, and National Assemblies were invited to consider the advances they expect to see in their respective communities by Riḍván 2026 and then by Riḍván 2031. This exercise also involved a re-evaluation of cluster boundaries, and the outcome of these adjustments is that the total number of clusters in the world has risen by a quarter and now stands at over 22,000. Judging by the forecasts received, it is estimated that, by the end of the Plan, a programme of growth at some level of development will exist in around 14,000 of these clusters. From among them, the number where the programme of growth could be considered intensive is projected to climb to 11,000 over the same time period. And of these, it is anticipated that the number of clusters where the third milestone has been passed will rise above 5,000 by 2031.[2]
