Bahá'ís Under the Provisions of the Covenant

The Bahá'ís Under the Provisions of the Covenant (BUPC) is a division of the Bahá'í Faith founded originally by Dr. Leland Jensen. It is currently under the leadership of the Second International Bahá'í Council with Neal Chase as it's president, who now claims to be the fourth Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith. The group formed as a result of a dispute over the proper succession of leadership following the death of Mason Remey, who himself separated from the mainstream Bahá'í group in 1960.

The Bahá'ís Under the Provisions of the Covenant follow the 12 Principles of the Bahá'í Faith and the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh. They have the adamant belief that the Guardianship could never end for it is through them that Bahá'u'lláh's Throne from King David was to be "established forever" (Psalm 89:4). They believe that the Guardians must be descendants from the Davidic line of Kings seated on the Throne of David of which Bahá'u'lláh was a direct descendant (see genealogy), through the Exilarch Bostanai.

Basic Beliefs

Bahá'u'lláh, founder of the Bahá'í Faith, stated in His proclamation on page 89 that, "The Ancient Root ruleth upon the Throne of David". The BUPC accept Bahá'u'lláh as the second coming of Christ (Messiah), seated upon the Throne of David. They accept that Christ is Greek for the Hebrew title Messiah, short for Messiah Ben David. They believe that the Bible paints a picture for two different Messiahs from the House of David coming in two separate pesonages, not one Messiah appearing twice. They believe Jesus was the first, being descended from the House through His father Joseph, as the "Suffering Messiah" described in Isaiah Chapter 53. They believe Bahá'u'lláh is the the Reigning Messiah, literally seated on the Throne of David, fulfilling the prophet Isaiah's visions of this great leader in Chapters 2, 9, and 11. It was explicitly confirmed by the Guardian of the Faith, Shoghi Effendi in God Passes By pg. 94.

Although ridiculed for this belief, both the genealogy of Bahá'u'lláh published by Dr. Grover Gonzales and the genealogy of Bahá'u'lláh published by the Bahá'ís Under the Provisions of the Covenant agree on this point that Bahá'u'lláh is a direct descendant of the Line of David seated on the Throne of David. In His "Kitab-i-Ahd", or Book of the Covenant, He names His son, `Abdu'l-Bahá to be the Most Great Branch and Center of the Covenant, appointing him as His successor in the line of David, and Interpreter of the Covenant. `Abdu'l-Bahá's explanations and commentaries are considered equivolent in Authority to Bahá'u'lláh's Writings. Together with the Book of the Covenant, `Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament comprise the Authoratative Text which Explicitly explain the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh.

Mason Remey, who served as a Hand of the Cause under Shoghi Effendi, claimed to be the adopted and only son of `Abdu'l-Bahá. According to the Bahá'ís Under the Provisions of the Covenant, he was appointed by Shoghi Effendi in 1951 to be the president and executive of the first International Bahá'í Council therefore fulfilling the requirements to be the next Guardian. The Bahá'ís Under the Provision of the Covenant regard the adopted relationship from `Abdu'l-Bahá, to Mason Remey, to Pepe Remey, to Neal Chase as fullfilling the requirements of the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá that the Guardians must be "Aghsan", or "Branches", from the family line of Bahá'u'lláh.

Although the majority of Bahá'ís do not accept that Shoghi Effendi appointed any successor, the Bahá'ís Under the Provisions of the Covenant maintain that the Guardianship is an essential feature of the Administration, and that it is in fact confirmed by Shoghi Effendi's writings that the Faith must have a Guardian:

"Divorced from the institution of the Guardianship the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh would be mutilated and permanently deprived of that hereditary principle which, as `Abdu'l-Bahá has written, has been invariably upheld by the Law of God." (Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 148)

History

It is necessary to distinguish between the Bahá'ís Under the Provision of the Covenant and what is commonly considered the Bahá'í Faith in general. The discrepancy between the two lies in a disagreement about administrative structure and succession of leadership. According to the Bahá'ís Under the Provisions of the Covenant the majority of Bahá'ís broke the Covenant in 1957 when they disbanded Shoghi Effendi's first International Bahá'í Council, declared "Bada" (that God had broken the Covenant), and by-passed Shoghi Effendi's (see article)Four Stage Plan moving straight to elections of the Universal House of Justice.

The Bahá'ís Under the Provision of the Covenant believe that Shoghi Effendi, the first Guardian of the Faith, had instated the First International Bahá'í Council to be the first of a Four Stage Plan culminating with the Universal House of Justice. His directions were that the supreme authoratative Body of the Faith was to "efflouresce" from the First International Bahá'í Council into a World Court, then have an elected Supreme Tribunal, and finally when all nations had Bahá'í National Spriritual Assemblies they would universally elect the Universal House of Justice, with the Guardian as it's President. These "Twin Pillars of the Faith" as he called them, the House of Justice and the Guardianship, would be the Legislative and Executive Branches of the Faith.

In 1991 Dr. Leland Jensen, who is considered by the Bahá'ís Under the Provision of the Covenant to be the greatest teacher of the faith, announced the formation of the second International Bahá'í Council (sIBC). They believe that the mainstream Bahá'ís Administration is operating outside of the Covenant because the Hands of the Cause disbanded Shoghi Effendi's first International Bahá'í Council (IBC) and set up an election which they (the BUPC) deemed premature for the Universal House of Justice. They further believe that the Universal House of Justice of the mainstream Bahá'ís is lacking any authority as it was established with no seat for the Guardian of the Faith whereas the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá explicitly states on pg. 14 that "the guardian of the Cause of God is its sacred head and distinguished member for life of that body [the UHJ]." For these reasons the Bahá'ís Under the Provisions of the Covenant claim that the Four Stage Plan of Shoghi Effendi had to be re-established to conform with the Covenant.

According to the Bahá'ís Under the Provision of the Covenant, Dr. Leland Jensen's authority to re-establish Shoghi Effendi's Administrative System stems from what they believe is his fulfillment of prophesy. Jensen is seen by them as the "Establisher" of the Bahá'í Faith, much like Aaron was the establisher of Moses' Revelation, and Paul for Jesus'.

Leadership

Today Neal Chase claims to be the adopted son and appointed successor to Joseph Pepe Remey as the current Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, and the one seated on the Davidic throne as the current Guardian and President of the Second International Bahá'í Council.

The Bahá'ís Under the Provisions of the Covenant believe that the Guardians of the Faith must be Aghsan, or Branches of the descendants of Bahá'u'lláh. They believe that since `Abdu'l-Bahá had no biological sons, he adopted a son to succeed him on the Throne of David. They claim that according to the British Mandate governing Palestine during the lifetime of `Abdu'l-Bahá, his public and written declarations to Charles Mason Remey of "my dear son" and "my son" constituted a legal adoption between the two and is in complete accord with the laws and traditions governing the country of residence at the time of the adoption.

They point to the "Hair and Blood of Bahá'u'lláh" token given to Remey from Shoghi Effendi upon the passing of `Abdu'l-Bahá as a reiteration and confirmation of the adoption. On the front of the packette Shoghi Effendi wrote:

“Coagulated drops of Bahá'u'lláh’s all-Sacred Blood and Ringlets of His Most Blessed Locks Presented as my most precious possession to `Abdu'l-Bahá's ‘dear son’ Mr. Charles Mason Remey,(signed)Shoghi March 1922”

When Shoghi Effendi set up his International Bahá'í Council he appointed `Abdu'l-Bahá's son (Aghsan) Mason Remey as it's President. The Bahá'ís Under the Provisions of the Covenant believe that this adoption and appointment made Mason Remey the Guardian upon the passing of the first Guardian Shoghi Effendi.

This lineage continued through adoption from Mason Remey to his adopted son Joseph Pepe. Pepe was given Power of Attorney over Remey's affairs, and is believed to be his appointed successor.

Neal Chase claims a relationship developed over the course of many years through written correspondence with Pepe Remey, which eventually led Pepe Remey to adopt and appoint Chase as his successor. Chase points to a series of letters where Pepe refers to Chase as "my dear boy" and "my son" as evidence that Pepe adopted him in the same manner that `Abdu'l-Bahá adopted his father Mason Remey. In one such letter Pepe asked: "shall I adopt you?". Chase further asserts his claim of appointment with the fact that the Executor of Pepe's estate was enjoined by Pepe's Will to bestow certain artifacts from Pepe's estate in person to Chase, including the "Blood and Hair Locks of Bahá'u'lláh" that `Abdu'l-Bahá had left for Mason Remey upon his death. This artifact was an inheritence from Mason Remey to his son Pepe, along with a Lapus Lazuli ring that Mason had comissioned were bequeathed to Chase in Pepe's Will.

Chase claims that Pepe Remey openly denied being the Third Guardian, but in private letters to Chase and others admitted that he was. As one example of this Chase cites a letter dated 5/9/92 where Pepe writes:

"If I were convinced that coming forth and taking a definite stand as Mason Remey's successor would result in peace among the Bahá'ís, I should not hesitate for one minute to do so. Instead I am convinced that such a statement from me would further fuel the fires of strife and contention, and I do not want that on my concience...Should the time come when those masses should to turn to me I could not refuse the role for not to do so would be a violation of the faith and trust that Mason Remey placed in me."

See also

Second International Bahá'í Council

Leland Jensen

Neal Chase

External Links

Bahá'ís Under the Provisions of the Covenant - Official website