Baháʼí Faith in Guyana
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The Baháʼí Faith in Guyana was first mentioned in Baháʼí sources as early as 1916,[1] the first Baháʼís visited as early as 1927[2][3] but the community was founded in Guyana in 1953 with the beginning of the arrival of coordinated pioneers and from Guyanese converts. The community elected the first Baháʼí Local Spiritual Assembly in 1955 and an independent National Spiritual Assembly in 1977.[4] The Baháʼí community, while relatively small, is well known for its emphasis on unity, non-involvement in politics and its work in issues such as literacy and youth issues.[5][6]
The country has experienced large migrations[7] and the size of the Baháʼí community has also dramatically changed. Rapid growth took place from 1964 to 1996,[8] but levelled off and was affected by emigration. The 2002 national census showed about 0.1%, or 500, Baháʼís mostly in three of its 10 Regions, though Baháʼís were noted in every Region.[9] Baháʼís are now widely distributed across Guyana and are represented in all major racial groups and regions.[10] In 2019 a reporter for the Guyana Chronicle wrote that there were more than 800 Bahá’is, "spread across the 10 administrative regions of Guyana".[11]