Shining Lamp: Amoz Gibson (1918-1982)
When Amoz Gibson was growing up in Washington, D.C., he often walked to Bahá’í meetings with his dad. Amoz held his hand and listened to him talk about the Universal House of Justice, the council of nine people that would one day be elected to guide the Bahá’í community. He used such glowing words that Amoz never imagined the Universal House of Justice would exist in his lifetime. He certainly didn’t know that one day he would serve on it himself.
Born in 1918, Amoz had a diverse heritage, including Creek Indian, African American, and Scotch-Irish family members. His father, William Gibson, was a minister who studied various religions. After he attended a Bahá’í meeting in 1912, William and his wife, Deborah, immediately became Bahá’ís.
Amoz attended Bahá’í children’s classes as a kid. He lived during an incredible time of growth for the Bahá’í community. When he was young, the Faith was only in about 35 countries. By the time he was 40 years old, it had reached over 200 countries and territories.
In 1950, Amoz and his wife, Mary, moved to Mexico with their children. They enjoyed getting to know people and sharing the Faith while Amoz earned his master’s degree in geography.
Pioneers to Navajo Land
In 1953, the leader and Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, Shoghi Effendi, encouraged Bahá’ís to move to new places to share the Faith with others. Amoz and Mary decided to move to the Navajo reservation in Arizona and New Mexico. Amoz asked friends to, “Please pray for us that we may become God’s instruments in Navajo land for His purposes.”
He and Mary taught at a school in the middle of the reservation, 150 miles from the nearest town. The roads were unpaved and often dangerous. They spoke a different language than some students. Still, Amoz and Mary were happy and began making friends.
Amoz visited and encouraged people all over the reservation. He asked Bahá’ís to help friends become “‘shining stars’ through love and encouragement and praise ...” In 1957, a woman named Sadye Joe became the first Navajo to join the Faith. Amoz was filled with joy as the Bahá’í community began to grow.
One of the First Nine
Amoz was elected to the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly, which guides the American Bahá’í community. In 1963, all National Spiritual Assemblies gathered in Haifa, Israel, to elect the first Universal House of Justice. Imagine Amoz’s surprise when he was elected to serve as one of the nine members!
He and his family moved to Israel. He loved caring for Bahá’í buildings and holy places, inspecting every corner and making sure they would last for years to come. He always continued to share the Faith, writing to his friends on the Navajo reservation and traveling around the world.
After dancing at a powwow attended by hundreds of indigenous Bahá’ís, Amoz urged them to meet difficulties by remembering “all of the beautiful faces beaming with the light enkindled in our hearts by the special favor of the bounty of God ... the Most Great Spirit who watches over all.”
In 1980, Amoz was diagnosed with cancer. When he passed away in 1982 at age 63, the Universal House of Justice praised Amoz’s “CONSTANT SERVICE FOUNDED ON ROCKLIKE STAUNCHNESS ...”
Photo: National Bahá’í Archives
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