Charles Dunning

From Bahaikipedia

Charles William Dunning (March 27, 1885 - December 25, 1967) was a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh, named for pioneering to the Orkney Islands.

Charles Dunning was born, it would seem, to uphold the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh at the inception of its second century, to serve as a soldier of courage and fortitude in the greatest spiritual crusade of mankind's history, and thus to win a hero's accolade from the one he loved most dearly, Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Cause of God.

The first sixty-three years of Charles' life ripened his native qualities and tempered his strength and will for all he would encounter and endure in the last nineteen years as a Bahá'í pioneer. For Charles, though short in stature, was physically strong and stalwart in character and optimistic faith. He came into this world a child of the British working class and was ever true to his birthright, conscious and proud of the special inheritance of his upbringing. He had the inquiring, attentive mind of a student, but his education came from the mind of the sea. He observed his fellow men with acumen and love, pondered on all that he heard and read, and carried into every experience of life his "torch of sincerity", not only as a guide to his own path, but as a light and stimulus to those about him.

By 1948 Charles was a storekeeper with metropolitan Vickers in Manchester. His war experiences had disturbed him greatly and he began to seek "mental reassurance" in various churches and religious groups. Thus he came to the Manchester Bahá'í Centre where, from the moment he read the Bahá'í principles framed on the wall, his life attained its destiny. Under the guidance for six months of Alfred Sugar and John Craven, and through meeting on holiday in Edinburgh Isobel Locke (Sabri) and John Marshall, Charles recognized his faith and declared it. Within a fortnight he arose at a conference in Manchester to offer himself as a pioneer to Belfast, most intractable goal of the British Six Year Plan.

Charles has said that he knew instantly the truth of Bahá'u'lláh's teachings of the oneness of mankind because he had witnessed that oneness in mass graves in France. Bahá'í principles spoke to Charles' heart and mind because his whole life had led him to them. They were, henceforward, his constant motivation.

His pioneer road opened in March 1948 when, after Committee consultation in Birmingham and a brief period of training in Cardiff, he departed by boat from Liverpool for Belfast. There he found, after weary search, a room with the Copley family, who aided his teaching, and whose daughter Claire, then but twelve, later became a Bahá'í. Moving amongst the people of Belfast, Charles soon met its difficulties, "the suspicion and mistrust" - "there is a terrifying bitterness here" - the religious antagonism which greatly puzzled him. "for how can we say we love God, whom we have never seen, if we do not love all those around us, whom we can see?" Nevertheless, he perceived that Belfast would "make great strides" should it come to understand the Bahá'í teachings. Within ten weeks he was arranging the first public meetings, to which George Townshend and his son Brian came from Dublin to speak.

The shining event in Charles' life, his "greatest moment", was his pilgrimage to Haifa in January 1957. Quite simply, Charles loved Shoghi Effendi both as a man and Guardian. And the Guardian loved Charles, was cheered by his Yorkshire humor and touched by his pure-hearted sincerity. He expressed a wish that Charles might visit Bahá'í communities in Britain before returning to Orkney and this was arranged. On hearing the news Shoghi Effendi cabled: "Delighted. Assure Charles loving prayers accompanying him."

Charles passed quietly in his sleep on Christmas day 1967 after having never fully recovered from a bad fall earlier in the year. Yet he was as ardent in faith in his last months as he had ever been, and nine days before his death he arose and went out to attend the wedding of a youthful Bahá'í friends.

“

I did at least go and I can assure whoever goes will have rebuffs. But remember this, no one can remove the footprints you made, or the echo of your voice, or the smiles you gave and those you got in return, and as you go around in your travels, you will see beauty spots, all belonging to God.

”

Charles Dunning

[edit] References

• The Universal House of Justice [1974]. The Bahá'í World - An International Record Vol XIV. Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England: Broadwater Press Limited.