The local Baha’i congregation is scheduled to host a memorial gathering in honour of Glenford Mitchell on March 15, 2026.

The venue will be publicised shortly as the Baha’is honour a request from the Universal House of Justice to stage tributes in Baha’i houses of worship on every continent to reflect the deep respect the more than eight million members of the faith globally have for Mitchell, who died on January 28, 2026.

Mitchell was born on March 3, 1935 to Hubert and Mabel Mitchell in the deep rural community of Brighton, St Elizabeth.

A release from the local Baha’i congregation said his paternal uncle, William Mitchell, was the first Jamaican male to accept the Baha’i teachings that Baha’u’llah is the Messenger of God for this time.

Glenford Mitchell attended Baha’i children’s classes along with his brothers and with the sons of Julius Edwards and Randolph Fitz-Henley. Edwards later became the first Baha’i to share the teachings of Baha’u’llah in Ghana, West Africa.

Fitz-Henley was one of the first persons to initiate the development of schools where commercial subjects were taught in Jamaica.

“These young lads all declared their belief in the teachings of Baha’u’llah and became avid teachers of the faith,” the release said.

After completing high school Mitchell — described as “astute, sharp, philosophical, spiritual” — got the opportunity to continue his studies in the United States.

“In 1960 he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Shaw University where he was named to the Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society and was closely involved in the formation of the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee — the major avenue for student engagement in the Civil Rights Movement. He was also recognised in Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges,” the release said.

“He went on to receive a Master’s degree in Journalism from Colombia University in 1962. In recognition of his contributions to Literature and human service, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters from the National College of Illinois in 1980,” the release added.

“His professional career was defined by a superb literary talent and editorial precision. He served as the assistant editorial director of Maryknoll Publications and as assistant editor of the prestigious
Africa Report. He also served as an instructor in English and journalism at Howard University,” the news release stated.

Mitchell served the American Baha’i community with distinction in a number of capacities, first as director of college and youth activities at the Baha’i National Centre, then as secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is, a position he held from 1969 to 1982.

In 1982 he was elected by Baha’i World to be a member of the Universal House of Justice, the governing body of the international Baha’i community. He served on this body until 2008 overseeing the growth of a global community spanning more then 100,000 localities.

Today the more than eight million Baha’is globally reside in 259 sovereign states and territories.