Raúl Pavón
Raúl Pavón | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1933 Otavalo, Ecuador |
| Died | October 23, 1983 Lima, Peru |
| NSA member | Ecuador 1961 - ???? |
| Counsellor | South America 1973 - 1980 Americas 1980 - 1983 |
Raúl Pavón Mejia (1933 - October 23, 1983) was an Ecuadorean Bahá’í who served as a National Spiritual Assembly member and Continental Counselor in South America. He was notable for his advocacy for and success in executing mass teaching particularly to indigenous Americans.
Biography[edit]
Pavón was born in Otavalo, Ecuador, in 1933. He discovered the Bahá’í Faith in the mid-1950's and in May 1958 he declared by writing to the National Teaching Committee of Ecuador. He was living with his parents at the time and would leave Bahá’í books around the house hoping they would become curious and ask about the religion and his mother declared in July 1960 and his father in December 1960. He began studying messages from the Guardian and became inspired to engage in mass teaching.[1]
In 1960 the Local Spiritual Assembly and Teaching Committee of Otavalo asked the National Teaching Committee of Ecuador if Pavón could be sent to Otavalo to assist with teaching nearby indigenous peoples and their request was granted with Pavón's teaching work leading to the first all-Indigenous Local Spiritual Assembly of Ecuador forming in Vagabundo in 1961.[2] In 1961 when the National Spiritual Assembly of Ecuador was formed he was elected as an inaugural member.[3]
Pavón was able to secure mass conversions in Ecuador through his teaching work often spending time with Hand of the Cause Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir when he visited the country.[2] In 1973 he was appointed as a Continental Counselor for South America by the Universal House of Justice and began traveling internationally to serve in the role.[4] He was a driving force behind the founding of Radio Bahá’í in Ecuador in 1977 which was the first Bahá’í owned and operated radio station in the world.[2][5]
Pavón suffered from ill health throughout his life and often required medical care during his travels as Counselor. In August 1983 he he was hospitalized in Miami, Florida, on a journey returning from meeting of the Counselors for the Americas and received a diagnosis that he required surgery. He returned to Ecuador to consult his family after the diagnosis and then returned to the United States where he underwent tests and treatment with a Bahá’í physician for a few weeks and then returned to Ecuador however he was then summoned to Bolivia to assist with a Bahá’í radio station and then to Lima, Peru, where he met with the National Spiritual Assembly. His condition deteriorated while he was in Peru and he received an operation but his condition was ruled as incurable and that he would not live.[2]
The National Spiritual Assembly of Peru arranged for a prayer vigil to be kept at the hospital until Pavón passed away on October 23, 1983.[6] The Universal House of Justice conveyed the following message after his passing:
"DEEPLY DEPLORE LOSS ZEALOUS SERVANT CAUSE BAHÁ’U’LLÁH RAÚL PAVÓN DISTINGUISHED PROMOTER FAITH AND INDEFATIGABLE WORKER IN TEACHING INDIGENOUS PEOPLES LATIN AMERICA. HIS OUTSTANDING SERVICES AS MEMBER BOARD COUNSELORS AMERICAS AND UNIQUE ENDEAVOURS ESTABLISHMENT FIRST BAHÁ’Í RADIO STATION WARMLY REMEMBERED. PRAYING HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HIS RADIANT SOUL WORLDS GOD AND SOLACE LOVING COMFORT HIS BEREAVED FAMILY. FEEL CONFIDANT HIS DEARLY CHERISHED PARENTS REJOICE ABHÁ KINGDOM RANGE HIS DEDICATED SERVICES. URGE ALL COMMUNITIES AMERICAS HOLD MEMORIAL GATHERINGS BEFITTING HIS HIGHLY VALUED CONTRIBUTIONS BELOVED FAITH.[7]
References[edit]
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1994). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 19 (1983-1986), Pg(s) 617. View as PDF.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Baha'i News Letter (1927). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 19, Pg(s) 618. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1961). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 365, Pg(s) 4. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1973). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 509, Pg(s) 3. View as PDF.
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1994). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 19 (1983-1986), Pg(s) 120. View as PDF.
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1994). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 19 (1983-1986), Pg(s) 619. View as PDF.
- ↑ https://bahai.works/MUHJ63-86/380/Passing_of_Continental_Counselor_Raul_Pavon
