Bahá’ís in Frederick
The Bahá’í community of Frederick, MD strives to put the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith into practice through active community building. It welcomes people of all backgrounds to Sunday morning programs, devotional gatherings, children’s classes, study groups and junior youth empowerment programs. Through these local endeavors, the Frederick Bahá’í community creates environments where diversity is celebrated and young people are inspired to practice virtues and render service to others.
The Bahá’ís of Frederick. have bonds to the wider DMV Bahá’í communities. In 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the Son of Bahá'u'lláh, spoke about interracial harmony at Howard University’s Rankin Chapel, marking one of the earliest racially integrated gatherings in the city. Prominent African-American Bahá’ís spent formative years in D.C., including Alain Locke, “the dean” of the Harlem Renaissance; Louis Gregory, a Howard-educated attorney; Robert Turner, the first African American Bahá’í; and Helen Elsie Austin, a U.S. foreign service officer and the first African American woman to serve as assistant attorney general in Ohio.
Having recently celebrated the 200th Anniversary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh, the Bahá’ís of Frederick, are even more inspired to continue advancing His vision: “The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.”
History of the Bahá’í Faith in Frederick County, Maryland
The earliest known Bahá’ís in Frederick County were Arthur and Margaret Green. Having been the first Bahá’í family in Baltimore, the Greens relocated in the early 1970s to New Market, where Mr. Green crafted lamps by wiring them from antiques and Mrs. Green sold antiques. They were soon joined by other Bahá’ís in that decade. The West family moved to Frederick in 1974 and gathered with the Greens regularly for Bahá’í Feasts and Holy Day celebrations. Usually the Feasts were held in New Market at the Greens’ home.
In 1975, the Frederick Bahá’í community grew when Peter Gorelick moved from Long Island, NY to work at the cancer research center at Ft. Detrick. That same year, Malinda (Derr) Cecil returned home to Frederick County to her family home of Dearbought to finish her degree at Hood College in order to be close to her ailing father, John Derr. Then in 1977, she married William (Bill) Cecil in the first Bahá’í marriage ceremony in Frederick. In 1979, the Sobhani family relocated to Frederick from Pennsylvania and Dr. Nahideh B. Sobhani began practicing pediatrics at a local practice and became affiliated with Frederick Memorial Hospital.
On June 16, 1980, the first Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Frederick was formed. Members included: Margaret Gorelick, Peter Gorelick, Vivian Cook, Dr. Nahid Sobhani, Sabet Sobhani, Fulton Caldwell, Judy Caldwell, Charlene Durairaj, and Agdas Payamipour.
Happily the Bahá’í Faith in Fredrick has grown large enough to encompass two local assemblies of nine members each – the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Frederick City, and the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Frederick County. In all, over 125 Baha’is call Frederick home.
Since the inception of the Bahá’í Faith in Frederick County, the focus has been building the brotherhood of mankind in Frederick. On June 28 and October 18, 1980, members of the Bahá’ís Faith joined with other area religions in interfaith services called Celebration of Brotherhood. Because of the large community response to the June service held at Trinity United Methodist Church, the City Council in Frederick declared the last Sunday in June as Brotherhood Day.
In December 1982 and 1983, the Bahá’ís organized a holiday sharing party for neighborhood children to help children learn that we live in a community where there are people of many diverse faiths. The religions of Judaism, Christianity, and the Bahá’í Faith were represented at the festivities.
In the mid 1980s, the Bahá’ís organized the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Contest for area middle school and high school students. The contest continued for many years until the Board of Education sponsored a similar event. Also in the mid 1980s, the Bahá’ís participated in the Frederick Lay School of Religion, which provided classes dealing with spiritual issues and the interests of many religions. Also for 18 years beginning in 1980, the Bahá’ís hosted a Race Unity Day picnic at Baker Park. Race Unity Day is celebrated by Bahá’ís throughout the United States as a day to focus on what Bahá’ís consider the most challenging issue to Americans today: racial prejudice. Another annual activity was the Bahá’í Clothing Drive to collect clothing for the Wounded Knee Indian Reservation in South Dakota.
In their time in Frederick, the Bahá’ís though small in number, have been working in their neighborhoods and communities to build unity through the diversity of folks around them. In the early 2000s, the Fiorini family moved into Middletown, and has been hosting firesides, study circles, and devotions for many years.
There is an ongoing children’s class in Hillcrest, for example, as well as a group for junior youth (children ages 11-13), in which all learn spiritual qualities and how to serve their communities. The youth group called The Immortals, has been active in studying spiritual qualities, and then decided to perform community service. The youth group animators, Anis Eghterafi, Glenn Hollingsworth, and Naseem Hollingsworth said the group has four aims: enhancing the children’s spiritual and intellectual abilities; their power of expression, and their will to perform community service. One of the children’s suggestions for a project was to plant flowers in the park and to paint the picnic tables.
Bahá’ís hold devotional meetings, where all faith traditions are welcome to share prayers with others, and convene study circles to study the Creative Word of God. During this particular time of social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Baha’is have been hosting devotionals and study circles via virtual gatherings, which of course are welcome to all.
Another children’s activity that has been ongoing for many summers is the August Catoctin Bahá’í Ecology Camp. Teresa Ismach, along with other Baha’is in Frederick and the surrounding areas have served on the planning committee and as counselors and teachers . Two programs run parallel: one for children K-5, and one for junior youth ages 11-15. The youth served as the children’s class teacher and animators; many of them are former students who have attended this camp and are now teachers. The children’s class had rotating activities: study, art, nature, and music. The junior youth also enjoyed hiking and swimming. A service project is always featured in the curriculum and in 2017 it was “God’s Pollinating Creatures – And How We Can Protect Them.” Campers built a native bee hotel and planted wildflowers, and a speaker from the Frederick Bee Association made a presentation with honeybees. Additionally, a Bahá’í scientist discussed problem-solving with ways to help pollinators. In art class, the children constructed a mason bee house out of recycled materials. As a service camp, there was no hired help except for the lifeguards. The campers, teachers, and adults prepared all the food and then worked together cleaning up after the meals.
