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From 1953 to 1963, Bahá’ís around the world undertook to share the healing Message of Bahá’u’lláh with peoples in all the countries and territories of the globe. There is no clergy in the Bahá’í Faith; rather each and every believer is enjoined to arise and teach. The first Bahá’í to come to the Gambia was Mr. Fariborz Ruzbehyan, who arrived in Bathurst on February 19, 1954 after a long journey from India. He came by land, by sea, and finally by a short flight from Dakar.
The Message of Bahá’u’lláh attracted many souls in Bathurst (now Banjul) and surrounding towns. Mr. Nelson Ethan Thomas was the first African believer in the Gambia. Within two short years, more than 300 people declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh. Among the earliest Bahá’ís was Mr. Abdoulie N’jie, who passed away in 1990 and is buried in the Baha’i Cemetery in Banjulnding.
The organization of the affairs of the Bahá’í community rests upon the Bahá’í Administrative Order established by Bahá’u’lláh. In every locality where there are 9 or more adult (21 years or more) Bahá’ís (men and women), they elect their Local Spiritual Assembly each year by secret ballot without any form of nomination or electioneering. In April of 1955, four Local Spiritual Assemblies were elected in Bathurst, Serrekunda, Lamin, and Brikama. The next year two more Local Spiritual Assemblies were elected in Yundum and Meme. And by 1963, there were 21 Local Spiritual Assemblies and a total of 31 localities where Bahá’ís resided in the Gambia.
In 1964 an important institutional development occurred through the formation of the Regional Spiritual Assembly of West Africa with its seat in Monrovia, Liberia and with responsibility for more than a dozen countries including the Gambia. In 1967, the first Gambian was elected to this body.
By 1970, the Gambian Baha’i community comprised the ethnic diversity of Aku, Bainunko, Bambara, Fula (Tukulor, Lorobeh), Jola (Cassa, Karoni), Mandinka (Malinke, Jahanke, Manding More), Manjago, Serahuli, Serere, Suso, Temne, Wolof, and Yoruba. In April of that year, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Upper West Africa (comprising the Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania, Cape Verde, and Guinea Bissau) was established with its seat in Bathurst. Several Bahá’í dignitaries participated in this Convention: the Hand of the Cause of God Mr. Enoch Olinga of Uganda representing the Universal House of Justice (the Supreme Bahá’í International Administrative Body), Mr. Husayn Ardekani of Dakar representing the Continental Board of Counsellors of the Bahá’í Faith in Africa, and Mrs. Vivien Wesson representing the parent Regional Assembly of West Africa in Liberia.
From April 9-26, 1971, the widow of the Guardian Shoghi Effendi, Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum visited the Gambia during her four year tour of Africa. She greatly encouraged teaching especially in the Foni area where large numbers of villagers entered the Faith over the next decade. On one memorable occasion an elder in Bulenghat stopped the van and asked Ruhiyyih Khanum why they were passing through and going only to Kankurang. When the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh was explained to Mr.Kebba Badjie, he instantly declared and was the guest of Ruhiyyih Khanum at the National Convention. A member of his family currently serves on the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Gambia.
By 1973, the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies had increased to 27, the number of localities where Bahá’ís reside to 74, and the number of Bahá’ís, men, women, children, and youth to 1800. Official status of the Bahá’í Faith was achieved that year when the Government of the Gambia recognized the Bahá’í Community as a religious body. Further institutional development occurred at Ridván 1975, when the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Gambia was elected, and in 1976, when this National Spiritual Assembly was registered. In 1983 and 1984, the first Gambian women were elected to the National Spiritual Assembly.
In December of 1972, the Gambia hosted the First West African Bahá’í Youth Conference on the Yundum College campus. Regional interaction continued throughout the 70s and 80s as numerous Bahá’ís from the sub-region came to Latrikunda-Sabiji for the Annual Baha’i Winter School and the Bahá’ís of the Gambia traveled extensively to attend Bahá’í schools, youth conferences and continental conferences from Dakar to Lagos.
At the same time, the National Spiritual Assembly collaborated closely with the United Nations Office and Agencies in the Gambia. In 1996 at the Bahá’í hosted 50 Year Jubilee of the UN, the UNDP Resident Representative Mrs. Zahra Nuhru commended the Bahá’ís of the Gambia on their long-standing collaboration and support both locally and internationally through the Bahá’í International Community a prominent NGO at the UN in New York. The NSA was also a founding member of TANGO, the Association of Non-Governmental Organizations.
In 1985, the statement by the Universal House of Justice, The Promise of World Peace was presented to government leaders and other people of prominence. Several school art, essay, music, and drama competitions on this theme and other spiritual topics were organized by the National Spiritual Assembly between 1986-2005.
Youth have been a dynamic force in the Bahá’í Community in the Gambia from the earliest years. Scores of Gambian and international Bahá’í youth have taught children’s classes, translated, published a Youth Newsletter, served on rural teaching and literacy teams, participated in the Institute Process, promoted moral education workshops, organized dance workshops, youth conferences, and sports, and served the Bakau Bahá’í Socio-Economic Development Project which has offered free computer classes to over 1000 people.
The Fifty Year Jubilee was joyously celebrated in December of 2004 together with the dedication ceremony of the new National Bahá’í Centre in Bakau where in January of 2006, World Religion Day was observed by the SOS for Religious Affairs and representatives of the various Faiths in the Gambia coming together in unity and amity.
