The elected governing body of the U.S. Baha'i community is the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United State ... s, a nine-member council with headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, near the Baha'i House of Worship in neighboring Wilmette. The National Spiritual Assembly oversees the administrative affairs of the Baha'is of the United States and provides guidance for their spiritual and moral development. The Assembly oversees a publishing trust and several periodicals, including The American Baha’i newspaper; Brilliant Star, a magazine for children; and World Order, a quarterly journal of opinion and ideas. The Assembly also operates retreat and conference centers in California, Michigan, Maine and South Carolina. The National Assembly's Office of External Affairs, located in Washington DC, conducts the diplomatic and public affairs advocacy work of the Baha'i Faith. read more