How is the Bahá’í community organized?
The Bahá’í community’s collective life is administered by nine-member consultative councils that are democratically elected, without nomination or electioneering, at the local, national and international levels. These are Local Spiritual Assemblies, National Spiritual Assemblies, and the Universal House of Justice. Additionally, appointed advisors assist and counsel local and national communities and institutions in their development. There is no clergy in the Bahá’í Faith. Local Bahá’í communities meet every 19 days for a “Feast,” a gathering that includes consultation on community activities as well as devotional and social portions.
