The beloved Guardian has instructed me to answer the letters received,
with enclosure, from the Assembly’s Recording Secretary and from the
Secretary, and dated as follows: May 4, 7, 29 and June 11.
He is very happy to see the eagerness with which this new historic Body
has embarked upon its tasks, and he wishes you to know that he is
particularly pleased with the Alaska Community. He admires the lively
spirit animating it and which indeed has animated it for years—the spirit
of optimism and joyous service, and its determination and courage. He has
recently heard many fine things about the friends there and the work they
are doing from Mrs. Florence Mayberry, all of which have encouraged him to
cherish the very highest hopes for the future of the work in that vast
territory.
He hopes your Assembly will devote special, constant attention to
encouraging the friends in their teaching work, and facilitate their
tasks. As the new National Assemblies are being formed, he feels it
incumbent upon him to issue a word of warning to avoid rules and
regulations and tying the believers’ work up in red tape.
Over-administration can be even worse for the Faith at this time than
under-administration. The believers are, for the most part, young in the
Cause, and if they make mistakes it is not half as important as if their
spirit is crushed by being told all the time—do this and don’t do that!
The new National Body should be like a loving parent, watching over and
helping its children, and not like a stern judge, waiting for an
opportunity to display his judicial powers. The reason he points this out
to you is that constantly, for the past twenty years and more, he has been
pointing this out to the old and tried National Assemblies, and he does
not want the younger bodies to make the same mistakes. Individual cases
should be dealt with as they arise, according to the Teachings, of which
the believers have quite sufficient available to handle all of their
problems at this time, and no more additional rules and regulations need
be introduced.
The friends should be helped to overcome their problems, deepen in the
Faith, and increase their unity and their love for each other. In this way
you will find that your work goes ahead speedily, and that the National
Body is like the beating of a healthy heart in the midst of the Community,
pumping spiritual love, energy and encouragement out to all the members.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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