Regarding the statement made by the Guardian in his letter
to Mr. Willard Hatch concerning the fact that believers can serve both as
teachers and administrators. Shoghi Effendi would approve your Assembly making
this fact known to all the friends. For although it is essential for the
believers to maintain always a clear distinction between teaching and
administrative duties and functions, yet they should be careful not to be led
to think that these two types of Baha’i activity are mutually exclusive in
their nature, and as such cannot be exercised by one and the same person. As a
matter of fact, the friends should be encouraged to serve in both the teaching
and the administrative fields of Baha’i service. But as there are always some
who are more specially gifted along one of these two lines of activity it would
seem more desirable that they should concentrate their efforts in acquiring the
full training for that type of work for which they are best suited by nature.
Such a specialization has the advantage of saving time, and of leading to
greater efficiency, particularly at this early stage of our development. The
great danger, however, lies in that by so doing the friends may tend to develop
a sort of class consciousness which is fundamentally contrary to both the
spirit and actual teachings of the Faith. It is precisely in order to overcome
such a danger that the Guardian thinks it advisable that the friends should be
encouraged to serve from time to time in both the teaching and the
administrative spheres of Baha’i work, but only whenever they feel fit to do
so.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated July 29, 1935, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi;
Baha’i News, no. 95, October 1935)
