Some Background on the History of the Abode of the Message, Inc and the 2023 Stewardship Transfer
Many individuals have inquired as to the nature of the recent arrangement between The Friends of South Family, Inc.(Friends) and the Sufi Order d/b/a Inayatiyya Order(Order). It is somewhat unusual and difficult to understand because of the way the Abode of the Message, Inc.(Abode) was organized in 1975. At that time Pir Vilayat had spearheaded a team which conducted a search of various locations in the United States. When the former Shaker facilities in New Lebanon, N.Y. were chosen as a home for a community which would provide a residential setting for the Message incorporating the teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan and those of Pir Vilayat, it was decided that a corporation separate from that of the Order was appropriate. At the same time, as the new organization was to be closely connected to the Order, those setting up the new corporation decided to provide that the Order would be the “sole member” with power to choose the Board Members for the Abode.
From its founding in 1975 the Abode has always maintained its legal existence separate from the Order. The property purchased in 1975 was financed through the contributions of individuals supporting the new endeavor and through the seller’s taking back a mortgage for most of the purchase price which was paid off over the years by the Abode. The community members in effect paid for the purchase of the Abode through rents and family membership fees. Donations and income from programs also contributed towards the operation of the Abode. The Abode was self-governing until sometime after the Order moved its offices from Seattle to the Abode. Pir Zia then decided to have the Order take over governance and operation of the Abode. As a result the Order Board was responsible for all decisions.
The Abode’s finances remained separate from the Order and there was no transfer of the Abode real estate to the Order.
In 2015 Pir Zia announced that he wanted to move the Order’s offices to an urban location. A decision was made to move to Richmond, Virginia and, when this move was made, the Order, in order to relieve itself of the responsibility for governance and operation of the Abode appointed Board Members of the Abode; and that new Board operated the Abode until May 1, 2022. On that date the Order dismissed the Members who had been responsible for the Abode since 2016 and appointed a new Board consisting entirely of Order Board Members. The Order announced that it wanted to “sell” the Abode.
Friends of South Family was formed in June of 2022 as a charitable corporation by three individuals who had been on the Abode Board which was dismissed on May 1, 2022 and three other individuals with close ties to the community. The announced goal of the Friends was to continue the existence and operation of the Abode in such a way that all its real estate and buildings would be preserved so that the Abode would remain in the form that had been adopted in 1975. Friends proposed that the Order transfer its sole membership to it so that Friends could appoint Board members who would be committed to its goal of continuing existence and operation of the Abode without the sale of any of its real estate.
Negotiations between the Order and FOSF began in September 2022 and resulted in an Agreement in the spring of 2023. This agreement to transfer sole membership in the Abode to Friends was conditioned upon various provisions along with a requirement that the New York State Attorney General approve the transfer. That approval was obtained and the New York Department of State on June 12, 2023 approved a “Restated Certificate” for the Abode of the Message, Inc. in which FoSF, Inc. replaced the Order as the sole member of the Abode. No sale of the Abode real estate was made and FoSF, Inc. does not and will not operate the Abode. The Abode Board Members who were Order Board Members have been replaced by Abode Board Members nominated by FoSF, Inc.
