Where to start?  

Well, I had a difficult childhood. I was raised as a Catholic, but in my early teens I decided that although I didn’t really disbelieve in God, I didn’t want anything to do with Him. This all changed in 1979 when my sister, Anne Ward, suddenly announced, “I have become a Bahá’í.”  

My first response was, “Well don’t tell me about your stupid religion!” And for some weeks, she didn’t talk about it, which made me very curious and I started to worry about her as I thought that her new beliefs might be like the “Moonies” (aka “The Unification Church”) which had a terrible reputation. So what did I do? I attended a Fireside gathering in Doncaster and asked many difficult questions. Well, I thought they were difficult, but to my surprise, Fuad Ta’eed, the host, answered them all so easily.

This made me quite angry and I insisted on borrowing a Bahá’í book. Fuad and the other Bahá’ís got excited by my request, but they didn’t realise my intention was to come back with even more difficult questions and to save my sister. Anyway, this continued for two and a half months, during which time I read many books – one every week – ranging from Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Tablet to Dr Auguste Forel.  

During this relatively short period of time, I found myself thinking more like “them” (Bahá’ís) and often talking about “them” and what I was learning to my friends. By my second month, I found myself using words like “us” and “we” which puzzled me. Surely I wasn’t thinking of myself as a Bahá’í?

One memory I have is that the local Bahá’í Community had arranged a minibus trip to Shoghi Effendi’s Resting Place; and, coincidentally, there was just one space free. Of course, I was invited to join “them”, or was it “us”? On the day, I thought the sun would be shining and a ray of sunshine would descend on me; the clouds would open and God would speak to me. It’s quite funny when I look back. Anyway, what did happen? Well, it was a freezing cold day and it rained heavily. There was no sun or rays of sunshine and I got soaking wet. Oh! and God didn’t speak to me. Well, if He did, I didn’t hear Him. But I was extremely happy to be with this group of kind and welcoming people and, overall, we had a lovely day. 

Moving on to month three, there was a Bahá’í Winter School in Aberdeen and I decided to go with my sister, Anne. Note that the winter that year (1979) was extremely harsh. Snow piled up on most roads, including motorways, and many of them were closed. When we arrived at the school, there was a wonderful spirit amongst the friends, but the school was freezing cold, with one exception: the lounge room was warm, but no classes were held there! Also to add to this exciting experience, after the first day or so, over half of those attending had a cold or flu. I am remembering more details… A local Bahá’í, Harry, allowed my sister and me to stay with him, which I thought was very kind. However, the flat was also freezing cold and there was only enough hot water for one person to get a shower in the mornings and, you guessed it, I was not that one person. Oh! and I slept on a lumpy sofa. 

On the third day, I was sitting in the school lounge getting warm, and in came Mary Hardy who was a member of the NSA of the UK at that time. I had no idea who she was, but she sat next to me and started chatting with me. She was kind and encouraging and very direct. After about twenty minutes, she said to me, “What are you waiting for? You are a Bahá’í! Sign this declaration card and get on with it.” So, what did I do? I signed it and got on with it. 

Back in my home community of Doncaster as a registered Bahá’í, I was quickly – within a few months – elected onto the local LSA (Local Spiritual Assembly) and I became the treasurer. My mother, Mrs Gladys Fleming, was very anxious about my declaration and my election onto the LSA. God bless her, she frequently challenged me, which was difficult but understandable. However, in what seemed like just a few weeks, she also accepted the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh and became a registered Bahá’í. What a blessing!  I learnt a lot from my mother and gained experience of consulting while serving on the LSA and from my weekly Firesides and fortnightly deepening classes. I began to offer to speak at regional Bahá’í meetings and at a summer school in Nottingham. 

Next I travelled with three other Bahá’í friends (Yvonne Parker, Shameem & Shohreh Khorassani) to a Youth Gathering in Fiesch, Switzerland. Mr Taherzadeh was one of the speakers and he called for action by way of pledges. So, what did I do? I pledged to pioneer overseas within three months. When I returned to my local community, I made plans to pioneer. I opened a bank account to save for my pioneering adventure. I gained experience with various teaching events. I also offered to pioneer locally to a goal town called Worksop. This was rejected by my LSA and I was advised to focus on my pledge to pioneer overseas. Shortly afterwards I was approached by the Pioneer Committee and asked to consider going to the Faroe Islands for six months as a short-term pioneer.

I immediately agreed and started to make plans. I resigned from my job and applied for a full passport in March 1981. At this time the Passport Office was closed, due to a strike. Passports were not being issued or renewed and the Passport Office seemed to be unreachable. It would have been easy and understandable for me to say, “Well I tried, but I just can’t get a passport.” However, I managed to get an emergency phone number for the Passport Office and, despite being advised by everyone, including friends and Bahá’ís, that I was wasting my time, I prayed about it and made the call. On the fifth ring, someone called James answered my call. I explained I needed my passport to go to support the Faroese Bahá’í Community, and that it was really important. James said, reassuringly, that he would do what he could to process my application and he hung up. Remember that the Passport Office was still on strike. When I told my friends what had happened, they all continued to be sceptical. But, just four days later, I received a small package from the Passport Office and, yes, it was my passport! Thank you, Bahá’u’lláh. 

Shortly afterwards, I travelled to the Faroe Islands by ferry from Thurso in Scotland. On the way, I had the opportunity to share the Faith with two or three people. I still remember the feeling when the ferry approached the Faroe Islands. I was filled with awe, humility, determination and a touch of apprehension. This was to be my home for at least the next six months. 

I quickly discovered that Faroese people were friendly but, at that time, suspicious of foreigners. The first language was Faroese and the second Danish. If anyone spoke English, it was a very basic broken English. After three weeks, I thought that if this was a business trip, I’d pack my bags and go home back to England. However, I knew in my heart that Bahá’u’lláh had brought me here for a reason. So what did I do? I spent lots of time praying and meditating and was inspired by the following thoughts: one, I must have regular contact with a local person in order to connect with them; two, I must be as firm in the Covenant as possible so that I would attract more divine confirmations; three, I must consult with the LSA.  

So I consulted with the LSA and the members seemed to understand my thought process and, no doubt, supported me with prayers and fellowship. A day or two afterwards, I contacted the local newspaper and asked to place an advert which stated that I needed a tutor to teach me Faroese. To my surprise, only one man (let’s call him Ivan) responded, and he came to where I was living to discuss details. We agreed a fee and the next week, we got started. Two things became obvious very quickly. Firstly, Ivan’s main goal was to practise his English conversation; and secondly, he quickly realised that my language learning skills were… not great! So we abandoned the Faroese classes and became good friends instead. He became a regular visitor and we would speak in English for hours and hours. 

During one of our conversations, I discovered that he was a linguist and he spoke many languages so I asked him if he would translate a number of adverts and articles, collected by a local Bahá’í called Roy Philbrow, that had appeared in the local newspaper. At that time, we had only one very small booklet that was in the Faroese language and Ivan told me that if he was a Bahá’í, he would be embarrassed by this booklet as the translation was so bad. Ivan agreed to start working on this as a favour to me. The translations were finished within a few months and they were laid out in booklet format. I still remember Roy’s face when the box of printed booklets was delivered. His face was radiant!  We were all very very happy.  

Moving on, Ivan later agreed, as a professional translator, to translate The Bahá’í Faith by Gloria Faizi. For weeks he talked to me about this and asked me lots of questions about the Bahá’í Faith. I remember him saying, “I need to think like you so that I can understand the Bahá’í Faith. Then I can translate this book accurately and convey the meanings as well as the text.” 

I almost forgot to mention that I spent many beautiful hours with Knight of Bahá’u’lláh, Eskil Ljungberg. I loved to listen to him, while we drank tea and ate toast, recounting his early experiences in the Faroe Islands. He arose during the Ten Year Crusade at around the age of 67, and he passed away at 98. God bless his soul. His favourite prayer was Create in me a pure heart… which he said at every Bahá’í gathering.  

The six months passed very quickly and it became time for me to leave and to go back to the UK. I had only a six-month visa. Before I left, I introduced Ivan to the local Bahá’ís and left him in their care.  

The first day I was back in the UK, I fell down the stairs at home and sprained my ankle very badly. For two or three weeks I was house bound while my ankle turned many different colours from yellow to dark blue. For some time, I felt a bit lost and didn’t know what to do next. Then, while I was attending a local fireside again in Doncaster, I received a phone call from the secretary of the Pioneer Committee, Christine Beer, who asked me to go to Sierra Leone, again as a short term pioneer. Without hesitation and without knowing anything about this country, I said “Yes, why not!” Now this was in the early 1980s when there were no mobile phones or the internet as we now know it. All I knew was that Sierra Leone was in West Africa, the people were predominantly black and the weather was really hot. So off I went to this unknown destination…

I flew with Aeroflot, a Russian airline, as they offered a very low fee for my open ticket which meant that I could return to the UK whenever I wanted within a period of one year. To travel from the airport to the city centre of Freetown, I had to get a ferry. I had two big heavy suitcases with me, so this was not easy. Anyway, when I managed to struggle on board the ferry with my cases, a German businessman took pity on me struggling along with my very heavy cases. He began asking me a few questions like, “Why are you here?” “Is anyone meeting you?” “How will you get from the landing port to the address in Freetown?” and all my answers left him with an expression of dismay. God bless this angel, no doubt sent by Bahá’u’lláh, who took pity on me and locked my cases in his large pick-up truck where he said they would be safe. He then offered me a ride from the port to the city centre. I thought this was very kind, but cheekily asked if he would get his driver to take me to the Bahá’í Centre on Signal Hill Road. God bless him, he agreed! You see how Bahá’u’lláh takes care of us.  

I arrived and knocked on the door, but no one answered. So I opened the door and walked in. Fortunately, someone was home. A Bahá’í called Roy greeted me and showed me to a spare room which had a bed with a straw mattress, one chair and a small set of drawers. Oh! and a straw mat and bars on the windows. This was the beginning of my next experience in West Africa. 

There are too many experiences to mention them all, but there are one or two that you will find interesting. Part-way into my six months, in consultation with a teaching team, we decided that I should travel around some of the small villages. This was a great idea, but I couldn’t speak the language. Note that in Sierra Leone there are twenty-three spoken languages. However, they all speak Krio – a sort of pidgin English. For example, “Ow de body?” is a greeting, and literally means, “How is the body?” and the response is usually, “De body fine.” Now one of the many miracles that I witnessed while living in Sierra Leone was this: shortly after this consultation, a local Bahá’í and teacher called Alusine lost his job – he was fired! He was devastated, but I was very happy because now I had a translator to accompany me on this teaching trip. Alusine and I travelled around many villages teaching wherever we had an opportunity, including once on a bus with a busload of people, and returned to Freetown one week later following a very successful trip. And can you believe it? Alusine was offered his job back just one day later. Thank you again, Bahá’u’lláh. Oh! and while I was away, someone stole almost all of my belongings, except for a blue necktie which was proudly hanging from a coat hanger. My reaction was to laugh out load and to say, “Well, at least they left me with a tie!”

If I am going to be honest about it, Sierra Leone was a great test for me in so many ways. It is the first time I had wanted to give up and run away back to the UK. In my mind, I had a simple plan. I would consult with the NSA and get them to approve of my returning to the UK early – before the completion of six months. However, the NSA lovingly rejected my plan. I was reminded that I had promised to stay for six months, and that I was doing well and should complete my term of service. So I resigned myself to my service and engaged in teaching whenever there were opportunities. A huge thank you to Nasrin and Darioush Akbari who were pioneers there and who encouraged me and made sure that I ate a good meal from time to time. Nasrin even tricked me once into eating brain by hiding it in a tasty omelette. God bless them both. 

Here comes another miracle. When it was time to leave, I needed to get a taxi to the port to catch a ferry to Lungi International Airport. I left plenty of time and instructed the driver to go straight to the port and not to pick up other passengers as was the practice there. However, the driver couldn’t resist stopping for other passengers which made us ten minutes late for the ferry. Note that these ferries operated at roughly hourly intervals. If I had missed this ferry, no doubt I would have missed my flight with Aeroflot; and Aeroflot flights to the UK were only once every month. When we arrived late at the ferry, to my great surprise it was still there, which was a great but welcome mystery. That is, a mystery until I overheard a man say to his friend, “I was really surprised with the ferry leaving late this morning. These guys are so experienced at loading and unloading the ferry with cars and trucks etc., that they could do it blindfolded. But this morning, they made such a hash of it that they had to unload everything and reload the ferry.” Little did he know that this was Bahá’u’lláh at work. He ensured that I would catch the ferry in time to get my flight back to the UK.

Now, this is not the end of this story. At this point I didn’t know that I was really sick with jaundice, a swollen spleen and malaria, and I was weak and undernourished; and that the day after I returned home, I would be rushed to hospital and would be in a coma for four days. I was kept in hospital for a fortnight and my complete recovery took several months. Now, if I had missed my ferry, I would have missed my flight, and the next flight was in one month’s time. I am sure that this would have meant that I would have been buried in Sierra Leone in my early twenties. Again, thank you, Bahá’u’lláh. 

Back in the UK I felt a bit lost for a while, but felt that I needed to be married if I was to pioneer again. Bahá’u’lláh heard my prayers and I married Hazel Baller and we moved to Taunton in Somerset. At that time, there was only one Bahá’í living in Taunton. Hazel and I lived there for three or four years and then we made a life-changing decision: to offer our services to the Bahá’í World Centre (BWC). We also decided and agreed that if we were invited to serve at the BWC, no further consultation would be necessary and we would move as soon as we were needed. I think one of us thought that we would never be invited, but to our great surprise, within about three months, Mr Guido Collard of the Administrative Development Department contacted us by phone and invited us to go for a visit and interview.  I was unable to go due to work commitments but my wife went and, to cut a long story short, we received an official invitation to serve at the BWC on an indefinite term (five years plus).

We arrived on the 30th April 1987 on an indefinite term of service. And so began our exciting, inspiring and challenging term of service to the Universal House of Justice, the Centre of the Covenant. Our 8+ years ended 13th August 1995. 

There were so many wonderful and challenging experiences that I would have to write a book to cover them all. So I will limit my recollections to some of the more amazing ones. First of all, as a staff member on an indefinite term, we had the privilege of meeting with the Universal House of Justice in the Council Chamber. I remember being greeted by the secretary and invited to sit and wait. After a few minutes – it seemed like a lifetime – her phone rang and she was asked to usher my wife and me into the Council Chamber. The door to the chamber opened and one of the members, Mr Glenford Mitchell, greeted us warmly and invited us to sit at the table where all the members of the Universal House of Justice were sitting – there were two empty chairs for us. As we nervously approached, all the members stood up and greeted us. Then we all sat down and Mr Mitchell started speaking as I believe he was the chairman for that session. All I remember is that he poured out so much praise and encouragement and, on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, he thanked us for agreeing to serve at the BWC. He outlined, briefly, the structure of the BWC and then added, “But if you need us, we are here.” This really touched my heart. The meeting ended and then Mr Hofman escorted us to the door. What a humbling and inspiring experience; one I will never forget. So this was the beginning of another  journey. 

There were so many wonderful and challenging experiences in Haifa. For example, during the war with Iraq in 1991 when Saddam Hussain fired many scud missiles at Israel – and always in the middle of the night when we were sleeping. Hearing the siren screaming out which shocked us and caused us to jump out of bed, to phone our designated team members, put on our gas masks and dash to our ‘safe room’ (taped up windows and wet towels at the bottom of doors); and wait to hear from the BWC security office that it was safe to leave our safe rooms. What a scary experience this was night after night after night. In contrast, having open access to the Shrine of the Bab in the evenings. And often finding myself alone in the Shrine. What a blessing! 

1992 was a very special year. On 21^st April the Universal House of Justice made a historic satellite broadcast to the Bahá’í world. This broadcast marked the launch of the Holy Year, commemorating the Centenary of the Passing of Bahá’u’lláh. This was such an exciting time. As a part of the commemorations, the House of Justice made a life-size portrait of Bahá’u’lláh available. As I recall, we were ushered into the seat of the Universal House of Justice where we eagerly yet patiently waited our turn to enter a dignified booth about two metres or so in size, where a portrait of Bahá’u’lláh was projected for about ten seconds. What an awe-inspiring moment that was, and how blessed we all felt.  

Also, I remember a talk of Mr Ali Nahkjavani about Obligatory Prayers. It was so inspiring, and at the end, during the Q&A, Mr David Hofman raised his hand to ask a question. He said, “During our ablutions, when we wash our face, is a quick rinse acceptable or do you need a good scrub?” Mr Nahkjavani replied with a cheeky smile, “Well it depends on how dirty you think you are.” And they both laughed along with everyone else. These members of the Universal House of Justice were very special and unique souls, who were so dedicated and hard working, yet always had time for us; and each one had a sense of humour.  

Over a period of eight years, as you can imagine, I had many experiences. Too many to mention here. However, I would like to share another miracle which demonstrates how Bahá’u’lláh is with us and is guiding and protecting us. Prior to leaving the UK in 1987, we sold many items of furniture and other household items that we didn’t want to ship to Haifa. One of these was an electrical timer switch which I sold for just £5, but a day or so later, the lady who bought this timer switch returned it as she said there were no instructions on how to connect it. I refunded her and we added this switch to our shipment. This timer switch would later save my life. My wife and I lived in an apartment on Hillel Street in Haifa. The gas boiler was efficient, but had a serious problem. The flue (vent) was positioned in a wall which caught the wind. Consequently, all the fumes from the gas boiler were blown back into the apartment. As everyone knows, carbon monoxide has no odour, but its effect is usually fatal. Over a period of a week when it was particularly windy, my wife and I began to experience very bad headaches. Then one evening, my wife told me she was feeling terrible and asked me to call the nurse and she went to lie down in the bedroom. I lifted the phone and began to dial the number 3,4,8… then everything went blurry and I collapsed. After what seemed like an hour or so later, I regained consciousness. To cut a long story short, I was only able to regain consciousness because a week earlier I had connected the timer switch to the gas boiler which shut off the boiler at 10pm. This prevented any further carbon monoxide from circulating in the apartment and, eventually, the air cleared. Now, remember that I had previously sold this timer switch and it was returned to me. I took it to Haifa and it was this £5 switch that saved my life. Thank you again, Bahá’u’lláh, for Your blessings and Your protection.  

In 1987 and 1993 we were blessed to participate in the election of the Universal House of Justice in various capacities. It was so inspiring and humbling to witness the election of so august and blessed, and divinely ordained, a supreme body – the Centre of the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh. 

I have many memories of Hand of the Cause of God Mr ʻAlí-Akbar Furútan and his regular presence outside the Pilgrim House in Haifa. He was always very smartly dressed in a suit and always expressed kindness and encouragement to the pilgrims and to the staff of the Bahá’í World Centre. I remember sitting with him on numerous occasions and feeling an outpouring of love from him. To be honest, I don’t remember what he said to me, but I do remember how he made me feel: loved. He made everyone feel loved and, no doubt, Bahá’u’lláh surrounded him with His love when he arrived in the spiritual world. God bless his soul.  

I also remember a special celebration held in the House of ‘Abdu’lláh Páshá. Those present included Hands of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum and Mr ʻAlí-Akbar Furútan, and members of the Universal House of Justice and of the International Teaching Centre. The main hall was beautifully arranged with many tables and filled with flowers. As I had been ushering the friends to their seats, just before the official programme began, I looked for an empty chair. I was taken by complete surprise when I realised that the only seat available was on a table where the two Hands were sitting with members of the Universal House of Justice. So, hesitantly, I sat down at this table. Of course these beautiful souls were very welcoming and quickly put me at ease. During refreshments, I tried to engage Mr David Hofman in conversation. I asked him a question about Mason Remey, but before he could answer, Rúhíyyih Khánum said to me, “Why are you asking David about Mason Remey? He didn’t know him well. You should ask me.” And so I directed my question to her. When I think about events where I was blessed to be in the presence of Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum, I feel humbled and grateful. She was such a tower of strength and a shield for our beloved Guardian of the Cause, Shoghi Effendi. God bless her radiant soul and for her exemplary services.  

This takes my recollections to 1995 when, with the permission and blessings of the Universal House of Justice, we left Haifa and returned to the UK, to Taunton in Somerset. The experience of serving in the BWC was a blessing beyond measure. Our connection with and love for the Universal House of Justice increased tenfold. We were so grateful for being given this opportunity and, God willing, it helped to prepare us for further service to His Cause in the future. 

In 2001 I remarried to a beautiful Persian lady called Shohreh Khorassani. We moved to the town of Newbury in Berkshire. This was the beginning of yet another chapter in my life. In June 2026 we will have been married for 25 years! Thank you, Bahá’u’lláh, for bringing us back together.  

A couple of recollections from this period include a Bahá’í Pilgrimage to Haifa shortly after Shohreh and I married, when, as pilgrims, we had the blessing of meeting with the Universal House of Justice. I must say that it was like meeting old friends (after living in Haifa for eight years), and one of them asked if he could give me a hug. Now, I bet you can’t guess who that was?… Well, it was Mr Grossman! What a wonderful gentleman.  

And more recently, in 2025, after over 40 years, I returned to visit the Faroe Islands and spent much quality time with the Philbrow family. What dedicated souls Roy and Sue are spending most of their lives on these islands and raising three children there. I also had the bounty of visiting the graveside of Eskil Ljungberg, the Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. God bless his beautiful soul. 

Currently, we are a part of the Bahá’í Community of Newbury, Berkshire. Our community – a small but active group – is engaged in regular teaching and social activities and we have a wide circle of good friends. We have a goal of forming, with the blessings of Bahá’u’lláh, the first Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Newbury. Why not join us?

Now, this is a good place to end my informal ramblings and recollections before this becomes a book!

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Anthony (Tony) Fleming

February 2026

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