The local Baha’i community in the U.S. Virgin Islands recently selected delegates as part of its annual Ridvan observance. Chosen at the close of the 10-day festival, the delegates will help elect members of the National Spiritual Assembly, the faith’s governing body.
Local spokesperson Rodney Clarken and other followers say the Ridvan marks the time just before their leader — called Baha’u’llah — was exiled by the Persian government to Constantinople. The period from April 21 to May 2 is set aside for followers to fast from dawn to dusk, pray and gather in community.
Baha’i is considered one of the newest world religions, dating back to the mid-19th century; adherents follow the teachings of a Persian nobleman who renounced his affluent lifestyle and preached a doctrine of peace and brotherhood, Clarken said.
Followers in the faith number in the thousands in Jamaica and in Antigua/Barbuda; other communities exist in Trinidad and Tobago, and throughout the Lesser Antilles. The group’s spokesman said the count of Virgin Islanders active in the faith is uncertain; there were 85 active members involved in picking leaders in 2026. “It’s the most holy time for Baha’is; it’s also the time we annually reelect our local administrative bodies, which we call Spiritual Assemblies,” Clarken said.
Because the community functions without clergy, Baha’is count on assembly members to serve on one of three local boards of trustees for the year ahead. “Baha’is have a threefold purpose we’re all working on; to make ourselves better people and draw closer to God; to use God-given talents to make our communities a better place, (and) to make the world a better place,” said St. Croix Baha’i member Xawntoia Franklin. “We are all charged with the hard work to grow closer to God and make our communities a better place.”
“We do have some standard Baha’i activities that we engage in which are called the Core Activities,” Franklin said, “We also have study circles that allow us to have guided, meaningful conversations about things that are important — what does an individual stand for, what will they do; how can they help.”
She also described the group’s prayer circles and other activities. Her personal commitments led her to work with displaced residents from the JFK housing community and to help young people organize a bicycle repair clinic.
Those who join the effort are not required to follow Baha’i faith practices, but through their efforts with like-minded organizations, they help different nonprofits serve young and old, support after-school programs, tenant advocacy in public housing and educational support.
