When in December
1995 we called for the establishment of training institutes worldwide, the
pattern most prevalent in the Bahá’í community for helping individual believers
to deepen their knowledge of the Faith consisted principally of occasional
courses and classes, of varying durations, addressing a variety of subjects.
That pattern had satisfied well the needs of an emerging worldwide Bahá’í
community, still relatively few in number and concerned chiefly with its
geographic spread across the globe. We made clear at the time, however, that
another approach to the study of the writings would have to take shape, one
that would spur large numbers into the field of action, if the process of entry
by troops was to accelerate appreciably. In this connection, we asked that
training institutes assist ever-growing contingents of believers in serving the
Cause through the provision of courses that would impart the knowledge, insights
and skills required to carry out the many tasks associated with accelerated
expansion and consolidation.
- The Universal House of Justice (2010 Ridvan message)
