Ten Year Crusade

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The Ten Year World Crusade (1953-1963) was launched by Shoghi Effendi in an effort to facilitate an organized expansion of the Bahá'í Faith.

Among the goals of the plan, the Bahá'ís began an enormous effort of teaching and consolidating their Faith, and in 1963 the plan culminated with the first election of the Universal House of Justice, which today remains as the highest elected body of the Bahá'í Faith.

The four primary goals [1] of the Ten Year Crusade were outlined as follows:

• a) the development of institutions at the World Centre;
• b) consolidation of the twelve countries where the Faith was well established;
• c) consolidation of all other territories already open; and
• d) the opening of the remaining "chief virgin territories" around the globe.

A further list of goals for the Ten Year Crusade by Shoghi Effendi can be found in his Messages to the Bahá'í World.

To those Bahá'ís who arose to open new territories to the Faith during the Ten Year Crusade, the title 'Knight of Bahá'u'lláh' was given.

Before the plan was completed, Shoghi Effendi died in 1957 and the Hands of the Cause continued the Ten Year Crusade following Shoghi Effendi's instructions until the formation of the Universal House of Justice in 1963.

After its election, the House of Justice wrote:

"The rightness of the time was further confirmed by references in Shoghi Effendi's letters to the Ten Year Crusade's being followed by other plans under the direction of the Universal House of Justice. ..."

(Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986, p. 50)