Leslie Wilder grew up in El Paso as a Presbyterian. Then one day, at age 15, she went to a used book store and purchased some literature about Bahá’í — one of the world’s newest independent religions, as well as one of the fastest growing. (Learn more about this religion through the words of its followers)

Bahá’í’s teachings made sense to Wilder. It wasn’t until years later, though, when she went to college that she met someone who shared her faith.

“When I first told my family about it, I do think it came as a big surprise to them,” said Wilder, who now lives in Harlingen.

“But as time went on and I went ahead and became a Bahá’í, then they started learning about it, too.”

Wilder is one of an estimated 7.7 million people worldwide who practice Bahá’í, a faith rooted in the acceptance of all the major religions’ prophets and a belief in the need for worldwide unity and peace.

According to the country’s Bahá’í leadership, there are about 157,000 Bahá’ís living in America and 11,000 in Texas.

Locally, there are about 30 in Brownsville, 25 in McAllen and 22 in Harlingen.

“It is a much more loving and friendly environment because we’re a closer-knit community and we’re smaller,” said Joe Cain, a Bahá’í from McAllen.

“Bahá’ís relate to each other wherever they are in the world. Whenever I meet a Bahá’í from anywhere else in the world, we’re comfortable.”

The religion was founded in Iran in the mid-19th century by Bahá’u’lláh, who Bahá’ís believe is a prophet and manifestation of God.

The religion underwent rapid growth in the 1960s.

While other religions have withstood the test of time, there is an advantage to having a faith that is only around 150 years old, Wilder said.

“I think the Bahá’í faith is so much more suited for today’s world,” she said, adding that Bahá’í texts address contemporary issues such as global relations, science and economics.

The Bahá’í religion doesn’t have churches, isn’t led by clergy and avoids ritual.

Though that’s different from many other major religions, those who follow Bahá’í say it works for them.

“I can read. I can write. I can think,” said Ned Sinclair, another local Bahá’í.

“I didn’t like the idea of someone telling people to believe and what not to believe.”

Since Bahá’ís emphasize their acceptance of all religions’ prophets, Cain — a believer since 1983 — still considers himself a Christian, as well as a Buddhist and Muslim.

“I believe in all (the) manifestations of God equally,” he said.

Trish Blain, a Bahá’í from McAllen, said, “All basic religions have came from God when you boil it down … the differences are manmade.”

Bahá’í originated from an Islamic sect, but when Islamic fundamentalists came to power following the country’s revolution in 1979, the country’s 300,000 Bahá’ís there were persecuted and many fled.

Though Bahá’í was once primarily an Iranian religion with a small Western following, today Bahá’ís hail from diverse backgrounds, and most followers are not of Iranian descent.

Of the eight Bahá’ís who showed up to a prayer meeting in McAllen on Friday night, several said they came from Catholic backgrounds.

Cain said despite the religion’s roots in Iran, where women aren’t valued the same as men, men in the Bahá’í religion do not dominate women in any way.

Growth is important to Bahá’ís, and Cain said one of the reasons he moved to McAllen was because he felt it had a need for a growing Bahá’í population.

But, he added, Bahá’ís aren’t pushy about conversion.

“We don’t go door to door. We don’t proselytize,” Cain said. “As our friends and neighbors ask questions we’re more than happy to talk about it.”

People in large cities, where Bahá’ís practice in larger numbers, might be more familiar with the religion than those in the Rio Grande Valley.

“Some people (here) are still just learning what a Jew is,” she said.

But none of the Bahá’ís interviewed said they’ve encountered animosity because of their faith.

Though Bahá’ís don’t go to church, they do have prayer gatherings.

In McAllen, they take turns meeting at each other’s homes on the first night of each of the 19 months in their calendar.

“The heart of religion is not the building,” said Robert Ramirez, a former Valley resident who attended the gathering Friday.

“It’s the sprit of unity that exists among the people.”

———

Ryan Holeywell covers PSJA and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-5135. For this and more local stories, visit www.themonitor.com.