dian ... concerning the fact that
believers can serve both as teachers and administrators. Shoghi Effendi
would approve your Assembly making this fact known to all the friends. For
although it is essential for the believers to maintain always a clear
distinction between teaching and administrative duties and functions, yet
they should be careful not to be led to think that these two types of
Baha'i activity are mutually exclusive in their nature and as such cannot
be exercised by one and the same person. As a matter of fact, the friends
should be encouraged to serve in both the teaching and the administrative
fields of Baha'i service. But as there are always some who are more
specially gifted along one of these two lines of activity it would seem
more desirable that they should concentrate their efforts in acquiring the
full training for that type of work for which they are best suited by
nature. Such a specialization has the advantage of saving time and of
leading to greater efficiency, particularly at this early stage of our
development. The great danger, however, lies in that by so doing the
friends may tend to develop a sort of class consciousness which is
fundamentally contrary to both the spirit and actual teachings of the
Faith.

"It is precisely in order to overcome such a danger that the Guardian
thinks it advisable that the friends should be encouraged to serve from
time to time in both the teaching and the administrative spheres of Baha'i
work, but only whenever they feel fit to do so."

188: TEACHERS, BAHA'I (A PRINCIPLE)

"Regarding the principle that the Cause must not be allowed to center
around any Baha'i personality, the Guardian wishes to make it clear that
it was never intended that well qualified individual teachers should not
receive from local Assemblies every encouragement and facilities to
address the public. What the Guardian meant was that the personality and
popularity of such a speaker should never be allowed to eclipse the
authority or detract from the influence of the body of the elected
representatives in every local community. Such an individual should not
only seek the approval, advice and assistance of the body that represents
the Cause in his locality, but should strive to attribute any credit he
may obtain, to the collective wisdom and capacity of the Assembly under
whose jurisdiction he performs his services. Assemblies and not
individuals constitute the bedrock on which