Bahá'ís of the Heartland States
Bahá'ís, and those who join with them, across these three states are working together alongside their neighbors and networks in a humble posture of learning to transform our inner and outer reality -- to build just, peaceful, and unified neighborhoods and communities. We are part of a global community seeking peace and social transformation.
Welcome to the Heartland Region
Illinois
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Getting to Know Your Heartland Council
The Regional Bahá’í Council of the Heartland Region is a 7-member institution, elected annually, which administers the activities of the Bahá’í community throughout the three-state region, and which operates under the direction of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. The Council coordinates regional efforts to expand and consolidate the outreach of the Bahá’í community; analyzes approaches to carry out current Bahá’í plans, and proposes strategies to help clusters move through stages of growth, and promote neighborhood capacity building and learning.
It is our ardent prayer at the Sacred Threshold, that the establishment of Regional Baha’í Councils will greatly enhance the ability of the Administrative Order to deal with the complex situations with which it is confronted in a number of countries at the present time, and thus carry forward, with increased vigour, the propagation of the Cause of God. ... …their primary task is to support and guide the work of expansion and consolidation in cluster after cluster. --Universal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice has described the
work of Regional Bahá'í Councils. Click here to view.
What the Regional Council Does
The Heartland Regional Council for Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin carries out its service through consultative meetings, reflection spaces, and learning teams while accompanying the friends across the region in community building within the framework for action, efforts regarding social action, and engagement in discourses of society. ​
'Abdu'l-Bahá also gave one public address in Evanston, on May 4, 1912, before the Theosophical Society at Northwestern’s historic University Hall. At that time, He revealed a prayer for those in attendance. Read it here.
May 1, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá lays the cornerstone for the Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette, IL. Read more about it here.
The Corner Stone
This region, designated as the Heartland, comprises the states of Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The North American Bahá'í House of Worship was erected in Wilmette, IL. All three states were honored to receive the footsteps of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, son of the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá'í Faith, Baha'u'lláh.
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'Abdu'l-Bahá's visits to the following communities in 1912:
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Apr 29-May 4 - Illinois: Chicago, Wilmette, Evanston
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Sept 15 - Wisconsin: Kenosha
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Sept 18 - Minnesota: Minneapolis/St. Paul
Click on icon for complete letter describing the establishment of Regional Bahá'í Councils
The Heart of the Heartland
These twelve Central States of the United States are like unto the heart of America, and the heart is connected with all the organs and parts of man. If the heart is strengthened, all the organs of the body are reinforced, and if the heart is weak all the physical elements are subjected to feebleness. ...
The first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár (Dawning place of the mention of God) in America was instituted in Chicago, and this honor and distinction is infinite in value. Out of this Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, without doubt, thousands of Mashriqu’l-Adhkárs will be born.
— Revealed on February 8, 1917, to the Bahá’ís of the twelve Central States of the United States by 'Abdu'l-Bahá
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