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London has hosted the United Kingdom’s largest Bahá’í gathering in 45 years with a northern European regional conference that brought together 3,200 people from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and Greenland.

A World Congress held in the Royal Albert Hall in 1963 was the only bigger Bahá’í gathering in the city – attended by more than 6,000 people.

Around 200 participants travelled from the Republic of Ireland, with others from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland. Six visitors came from Greenland. More than 200 also attended from other countries including Croatia, Australia and Mongolia.

The gathering was one of 41 Bahá’í conferences being held over a four-month period in cities around the world, all convened by the Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Bahá’í Faith. The goal was to celebrate the achievements of the community’s growth and development thus far and to contemplate the immediate needs of the region.

For most of the participants, coming from their own countries, the bracingly cold but dry weekend was not out of the ordinary. But for some the journey to the conference had been arduous. Shortly before the event, the Bahá’ís of Iceland – along with their fellow countrymen – were faced with the unexpected collapse of their country’s banking system and the ensuing financial crisis. Only a few of the Icelandic Bahá’ís thought it would be possible to attend the conference. The price of airline tickets rocketed and foreign currency was not available. 

“A deputisation fund was established,” said Bee McEvoy from Iceland, “and enough money was raised to be able to assist some who were interested in going. Others made great sacrifices to meet the cost.” Bahá’ís living close to the conference centre in Islington and Hackney offered accommodation at their homes at no charge to the Icelanders. 

A number of young Icelanders who have recently joined the Bahá’í community were able to attend. Tonje Plur Brenna made the journey from Hammerfest in the North Calotte region, referred to by Norwegians as the northern-most city in the world. Tonje, who works in a flower shop, took a break from the long winter days of total darkness in her home city to travel to London.

The conference programme looked at how many of the various representatives were devoting their energies to grassroots community building projects that are beginning to impact on the wider society. 

Howard Freemantle, 21, a student at Durham University in the north-east of England, spoke of new efforts to bring several Bahá’í communities in his area together to carry out activities dedicated to the benefit of society. “Our identity became a lot stronger when we started working together collectively,” Howard said. “We were no longer a collection of communities. With that power, nothing can stand in our way.”

Olinga Tahzib, aged 18, and his 16-year-old brother Collis told the conference about their efforts to work in a neighbourhood in the Hillfields area of the historic English city of Coventry. “Thirty families are now taking part in a social action initiative which the Bahá’ís have started which also include children’s classes and junior youth groups,” said Olinga.

“It’s a completely different experience to live within a locality, side by side with its people and working on projects that are prompt and sustainable,” said Collis. “Making time for others is a practical expression of our love for humanity.”

The National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom described the conference as an “extraordinary gathering” at which Bahá’ís had risen to new levels of understanding and confidence at what they would achieve for the Faith. “There was a spirit of inclusiveness and a very real sense of unity tangible throughout the sweet moments of this blessed event,” read a message from the Assembly.

The London event coincided with another in Abidjan attended by 1,200 participants from Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.