What type of organization is there to Bahai community life?
Baha’i local communities are run by Spiritual Assemblies, which are democratically elected bodies of nine men and women. There are no clergy in the Baha’i community, because Baha’is believe that interpreting the writings of God is up to each individual. The Local Spiritual Assembly has two duties: to organize the life of the community, and to provide counsel for the individual members and families in the community. How the community events are organized depends on the size of the Baha’i community. In a large community, the Spiritual Assembly may appoint different committees to plan community events at the Baha’i center, and in small communities, the Assembly may ask individuals to plan community events in their own homes.
