In August 2002, devoted Baha’i Ismael Velasco wrote to the Universal House of Justice with a plea for clarity and direction. His concerns were not based on speculation but on hard evidence and lived experience: the Faith in much of the Western world was stagnant, shrinking, and spiritually discouraged.
At the time, Velasco pointed out that:
The British Baha’i community had shown no growth — in fact, slight decline — since 1975.
In France, Switzerland, Denmark, and other parts of Western Europe, the story was the same.
In the United States, official numbers painted an inflated picture, while actual active membership was far lower — closer to 60,000, not the 138,000 claimed.
Significant portions of the community were inactive, disillusioned, or quietly withdrawing.
Velasco described a “sub culture of discouragement” in which believers persevered out of duty but without hope, withdrew due to community dysfunction, or turned teaching into a desperate obligation rather than a joyful service.
Today — The Same Letter Could Be Written, Word for Word
It has now been 23 years since Velasco wrote that letter, and the situation has not improved. If anything, it has worsened — not just in the United States or Western Europe, but across the globe.
From America to Canada, the UK to the Middle East, India to Singapore, Thailand, and beyond, the story is the same:
No real growth in decades — in some places, numbers are actually falling.
Young people are almost entirely absent from the Faith. Those who explore it are often driven away by a rigid, outdated, bureaucratic structure.
Old leadership refuses to step aside, clinging to administrative chairs year after year, blocking fresh perspectives and driving the community further into decline.
Teaching work feels lifeless, reduced to programs and slogans that inspire no one outside the faithful few.
The Master’s Vision Forgotten
Abdu’l Baha was clear: leadership in the Faith was not meant to be a permanent seat of power. He urged every believer to be active, to serve, and to avoid positions of authority becoming personal thrones.
Yet what do we see today? An Administrative Order where local and national positions are held for decades by the same individuals, while youth and new voices are sidelined. Decisions are filtered through bureaucracy rather than the spirit of service.
The rot began when Shoghi Effendi wrongfully took control of the Cause as “Guardian,” distorting the organic, consultative nature of the Faith into a hierarchical system of power. Once the focus shifted from living the Teachings of Baha’u’llah to enforcing the rules of an administrative machine, decline was inevitable.
Why the Faith is Losing People Everywhere
Across continents, the same problems repeat:
Communities are not “vibrant,” but tired.
Most activity is driven by a handful of aging believers.
Younger generations do not see their values — truth-seeking, inclusivity, openness — reflected in the current culture of the Faith.
The emphasis is on obedience to the Administration rather than personal investigation of truth.
The heart of the Faith — unity, service, love — has been overshadowed by programs, numbers, and reports.
This is why people are leaving. They have not turned away from Baha’u’llah — they have turned away from what the Administration has made of His Cause.
Velasco’s Letter: Even More Relevant Now
When Velasco wrote in 2002, his words described a generation of Baha’is discouraged by decades of no progress. He pleaded for honest reflection and meaningful change.
It is now 2025 — and that letter could be published today without changing a single word.
The issues he named are not only unresolved — they have spread. They are now the shared experience of communities from North America to Asia, Europe to the Middle East. The Faith has not grown because the spirit has been replaced by structure, the heart by hierarchy.
The Way Forward
The Free Baha’is believe the solution is simple — but it requires courage:
End the culture of permanent leadership and bureaucratic control.
Restore the principle of independent investigation of truth, where each believer connects directly with the Writings, free from institutional filtering.
Return to the original vision of Baha’u’llah and Abdu’l Baha — a faith led by service, not power.
Until then, the Faith will continue to lose members, discourage seekers, and drift further from its intended purpose.
Velasco’s question in 2002 still demands an answer in 2025:
How much longer will the Administration ignore the truth — that under its leadership, the Cause of Baha’u’llah has stopped growing?
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