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Funding Cluster Agencies An excerpt from International Teaching Centre letter dated 5 January 2006 to all Continental Counsellors Prepared by Gene Andrews
As the Bahá'í world pursues the thrilling objectives of the next global Plan, we can anticipate that the pace of activity will rise to levels where intensive programmes of growth will become firmly established and accelerated growth will create new challenges for the agencies operating at the level of the cluster.
As elaborated in our letter dated 26 November 2003, experience has demonstrated that in clusters where programmes of growth are being launched, a
stage will arrive when core activities, campaigns of home visits, and teaching initiatives increase significantly in scale and complexity. In these circumstances there will be a need for believers with appropriate characteristics to serve part- and eventually full-time to coordinate these activities and ensure their sustainability. Such individuals serving either as training institute coordinators or as secretaries of Area Teaching Committees work to ensure an ever-greater mobilization of the believers so that the continuity of expansion and consolidation efforts is assured.
As this stage is reached in advanced clusters in the countries you serve, we feel that it will be important for you to explore the issues involved with National Spiritual Assemblies and Regional Bahá'í Councils and consult on the necessary steps to ensure that sufficient resources are available to support the process of growth.
…we would like to draw your attention to a number of principles that should be borne in mind:
. It will be important to ensure that the creation of funded posts does not diminish the spirit of selfless and devoted service to the Cause on which the success of all Bahá'í endeavours depends. In this connection, the Universal House of Justice has provided the following guidance to a National Assembly:
A system of the magnitude being considered will not come into existence and flourish if it depends primarily on the efforts of a cadre of remunerated workers. Such a system must receive its impetus from the spiritual energies of those steadfast and devoted souls who long to labour without expectation of financial reward in the path of God and experience the joy of contributing purely as volunteers to plans to build His Kingdom on earth, whether by acting as tutors, holding devotional meetings or participating in a teaching project. It is such selfless joy that should distinguish your community.
. In many clusters the requirement for intensive effort on the part of individuals serving in a coordinating and administrative capacity is met by volunteers. However, it will not always be possible for the work to be carried out on an exclusively voluntary basis and, in time, individuals may need remuneration.
. Where remuneration is required, a clear distinction should be made between, on the one hand, the administration and coordination of activities and, on the other, the holding of core activities and the performance of those services which constitute the duty of every believer. The need to subsidize a few individuals to carry out specific, essential tasks but who lack the personal material means to offer part-or full-time services without financial support, should be clearly distinguished from the actions which the generality of the believers perform as their contribution to the progress of the Cause of God.
. Although in some cases the financial requirements for staff could be sustained from within the cluster, in the majority of instances subvention will need to be provided from outside. Given the anticipated multiplication of the number of clusters with intensive programmes of growth, national communities will need to arrange their priorities in such a way as to make available more resources to support their advanced clusters. With the rising sense of ownership about the process of growth, contributions to the Funds of the Faith in order to support all aspects of the teaching work should increase commensurately.