Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute

The Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute is a training and retreat center owned by the Bahá’ís of the United States and managed by the Regional Bahá’í Council for the Southeastern States. Located in Hemingway, South Carolina, the Institute has served for more than 50 years as a place where people from diverse backgrounds can come together to learn, reflect, build friendships, and engage in service.

The Louis G. Gregory Institute was founded in 1972 and was named in honor of Louis George Gregory, a native of Charleston, South Carolina, who became one of the early followers of the Bahá’í Faith in the United States. Gregory devoted much of his life to promoting racial unity and friendship at a time when racial divisions were deeply entrenched throughout American society. He traveled extensively, sharing the Bahá’í teachings about the oneness of humanity and encouraging people of different racial backgrounds to overcome prejudice and work together.

The Institute was established as a place for learning, fellowship, and service in the American South. Since its founding, it has welcomed people from many different backgrounds and walks of life. Participants have gathered there to study the Bahá’í teachings, develop their capacities for service, deepen their understanding of spiritual principles, and reflect on how they can contribute to the betterment of their communities.

Over the decades, the Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute has become much more than a physical gathering place. It has provided a setting where relationships can develop across differences of race, age, culture, and background. Through study, conversation, service, and shared experiences, people are encouraged to recognize their common humanity and to work together toward a more unified and just society.

The spirit and example of Louis G. Gregory continue to inspire the Institute’s work. His lifelong commitment to racial harmony and the oneness of humanity remains closely connected to the purpose of the Institute and to the experiences of those who visit.

For more than half a century, the Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute has been a place of learning, fellowship, reflection, and service. Its enduring purpose is rooted in the belief that humanity is one and that people from every background can contribute to the building of stronger, more united communities.