A former pioneer reflects on the spirit of that service
When Greg Kintz hears of the immediate need for Baha’is and friends to move where they can help build community within the United States, a quotation from Baha’u’llah, Prophet-Founder of the Faith, leaps to his mind:
“To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine; well is it with him that adorneth himself with My virtues.”
“Giving of yourself to go homefront pioneering,” as Baha’is term that service, “is part of fulfilling that spirit of generosity that Baha’u’llah talks about,” Kintz says.
Living in Conway, South Carolina, Kintz is general manager of WLGI Radio Baha’i in nearby Hemingway. For many years in the past, he had lived in other countries as a pioneer for the Faith.
Kintz says relocating for that kind of service is a process that can be transformative for a person. “Giving up everything that you hold dear to go someplace else, and … just relying on Baha’u’llah, is really indescribable,” he reflects.
“You’re there to be of service to Baha’u’llah. Your purpose for being there is Him. So every day you’re reminded that you’re here to serve.”
It’s an opportunity, says Kintz, to “break loose” from being “caught up in the material aspects of life.”
In that spirit, homefront pioneering represents “a tremendous opportunity to really connect with who you truly are. It’s a whole other level of service.”