The Pluralism Project at Harvard UniversityCenter Profile
Baha'i Faith of Topeka (2005)
(Bahá’í)
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Description
The Baha'i Faith in Kansas
Mrs. Barbara Ehrsam helped introduce Baha'i faith and practice to Kansas in 1897. The Topeka Baha'i Community came into being on April 21, 1935, the first day of Ridvan, a Baha’i holy day. Today there are Kansas Baha'i communities in Arkansas City, Bel Aire, Derby, Dodge City, Emporia, Garden City, Hays, Hutchinson, Kansas City, Lawrence, Lenora, Manhattan, Newton, Olathe, Overland Park, Pittsburg, Prairie Village, and Wichita.The Topeka Community
The Topeka Baha'i Community shares its place of worship with the Topeka Friends, a Quaker group. The members also hold meetings in their own homes. Meetings vary from lectures on the great prophets of religion to regular monthly worship. During the four-week-long lecture series on the prophets, the Topeka Baha’is invite members of different faiths to come and teach about prophets from each faith tradition to promote a better understanding of other religions. The Community also sponsors a Baha'i youth workshop, which addresses current social issues through performance and visual arts. The Topeka Baha’is strive to create harmony between religions, races, and sexes. The group meets on the third Saturday of each month for worship. The members participate regularly in interfaith events.Date Center Founded
April 21, 1935
Membership
40+ members in Topeka
Ethnic Composition
Multi-cultural and multi-ethnic