Springfield, Illinois

Springfield
City in the United States
LSA of Springfield, 1943.
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History:
Firsts
 -  Local Assembly 1920 
How to contact:
 -  Email info@springfieldbahai.org 
Official Website https://www.springfieldbahai.org/
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Springfield is the capital city of the U.S. state of Illinois. A Bahá’í community was established in the city in 1919 which remains active to the present day.

History[edit]

The Bahá’í community of Springfield was established in May, 1919, through the efforts of husband and wife Albert and Annie Kilius with five people declaring when they visited the city while travel teaching, with some of them being members of their extended family. After departing they supported the Springfield Bahá’ís through correspondence.[1]

In 1920 the Bahá’í Temple Unity recognized the Springfield Assembly allowing the community to send a delegate to the American Bahá’í National Convention that year.[2] The same year ‘Abdu’l-Bahá mentioned the city in a Tablet revealed for Russell Jurgens, a Springfield Bahá’í, which was published in Star of the West:

Praise be unto God, that in Springfield, Illinois, the fragrances of the love of God have been diffused and the call of the Kingdom hath been raised.[3]

In 1923 the National Teaching Committee of the United States noted that Springfield had significant potential for the expansion of its Bahá’í community,[4] and in 1925 Albert Vail visited the city during an extensive travel teaching tour of Illinois.[5]

As of 1932 the Springfield community was well established and providing regular support to the National Bahá’í Fund.[6] In 1939 Marguerite Reimer visited the city giving five public talks and participating in three radio broadcasts in addition to consulting with the community on teaching efforts,[7] and several travel teachers visited the city throughout the year to give public talks.[8]

In 1940 a model of the Wilmette House of Worship was displayed at the Illinois State Fair held in Springfield,[9] and in 1943 the Springfield Local Spiritual Assembly was legally incorporated.[10] In 1946 the Springfield Assembly was able to organize another display of a House of Worship model at the Illinois State Fair and organized an inter-city picnic for Bahá’í communities across Illinois.[11]

In 1955 the National Bank Building in Springfield began to display Bahá’í prayers selected by the Local Spiritual Assembly on its service line at 11pm,[12] and in 1957 a World Religion Day celebration was held in the home of a Springfield Bahá’í.[13] In 1962 the Springfield Bahá’ís held two public meetings, a fireside, and organized a radio broadcast to commemorate United Nations Day,[14] and the same year some Springfield Bahá’ís donated a copy of the book Foundations of World Unity to the Lincoln Library to celebrate World Peace Day.[15] In 1963 the community commemorated the twentieth anniversary of the incorporation of the Local Spiritual Assembly.[16]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ World Order 2, Vol. 30(3), p 52
  2. ↑ Star of the West, Vol. 11(11), p 172
  3. ↑ Star of the West, Vol. 11(18), p 308
  4. ↑ National Teaching Committee Bulletin, March 22, 1923
  5. ↑ Baha'i News Letter (May-June, 1925). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 5, Pg(s) 7. View as PDF.
  6. ↑ Baha'i News (1932). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 60, Pg(s) 8. View as PDF.
  7. ↑ Baha'i News (1939). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 122, Pg(s) 5. View as PDF.
  8. ↑ Baha'i News (1939). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 126, Pg(s) 6. View as PDF.
  9. ↑ Baha'i News (1940). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 136, Pg(s) 15. View as PDF.
  10. ↑ Baha'i News (1943). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 163, Pg(s) 7. View as PDF.
  11. ↑ Baha'i News (1946). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 189, Pg(s) 13. View as PDF.
  12. ↑ Baha'i News (1955). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 296, Pg(s) 13. View as PDF.
  13. ↑ Baha'i News (1957). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 313, Pg(s) 13. View as PDF.
  14. ↑ Baha'i News (1962). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 370, Pg(s) 11. View as PDF.
  15. ↑ Baha'i News (1962). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 380, Pg(s) 9. View as PDF.
  16. ↑ Baha'i News (1963). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 387, Pg(s) 17. View as PDF.
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