- 1932-03-21 —
The first Local Spiritual Assembly of Tokyo, consisting of journalists and other professional people, was formed.
- Owing to the situation in Japan, it was disbanded two years later.
[In memoriam Barbara Sims
by Universal House of Justice, Sheridan Sims, and Sandra S. Fotos]
- 1947-04-21 — The Tokyo Spiritual Assembly, suspended during the war, was re-established.
- 1953-12-04 — The arrival of Barbara Sims and her family, husband Sandy and daughter Sandra in Tokyo.
[Barbara Sims' Contribution to Bahá'í Scholarship in Asia Pacific
by Sandra S. Fotos; In memoriam Barbara Sims
by Universal House of Justice, Sheridan Sims, and Sandra S. Fotos]
- 1957-04-21 —
The Regional Spiritual Assembly of North East Asia was formed with its seat in Tokyo, Japan. [BW13:304]
- Its area of jurisdiction was Japan, Korea, Formosa, Macau, Hong Kong, Hainan Island and Sakhalin Island.
- 1964-04-21 — The National Spiritual Assembly of North East Asia was re-formed with its seat in Tokyo comprising Japan, Formosa, Hong Kong
and Macao. [BW14p102]
- 1974-04-21 — The National Spiritual Assembly of Japan was formed with its seat in Tokyo. [BW16:233]
- 2002-04-24 —
The passing of Barbara Helen Rutledge Sims (b. 17 April, 1918 in San Francisco) in Tokyo. She was a "third generation Bahá'í whose grandmother had been guided to the Faith by John Henry Hyde Dunn and Clara Dunn when they lived in California. [BW02-03p274-275]
- When the Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, issued his call for believers to serve in the first Global Crusade (1953-1963) she and her husband Charles A. "Sandy" Sims (who was not a Bahá'í but had been born and raised in Japan), and her daughter Sandra. (A son, Sheridan, was born a few years later.)
- She was elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Tokyo in 1954 and served for many years on that body. In 1957 she was elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly of North East Asia, and in 1974 she was elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly of Japan, serving until 1993. She was secretary for many years on those Assemblies. She also served on a number of national committees, developed the National Archives, volunteered in the national office and on the staff of the Publishing Trust, went on teaching trips around Japan and to other Asian countries, and wrote Bahá'í histories of Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Macau and Tokyo, and her memoirs.
[Barbara Sims' Contribution to Bahá'í Scholarship in Asia Pacific
by Sandra S. Fotos; In memoriam Barbara Sims
by Universal House of Justice, Sheridan Sims, and Sandra S. Fotos]
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