The first connection of the Bahà'i Faith with York is through a lady called Eliza P. Kenworthy who lived in York at the turn of the 20th century and who met Abdu'l Bahà in Paris in 1911. Nothing more is known about her.

In the 1920s an American Bahà'i, Mrs Mary Hanford Ford, visited York and spoke about the Faith to interested groups and individuals. Again, no more details are available.

In a short article sent into the Yorkshire Evening Press in 1980, mention is made of the Faith being in York since 1946 but there are no records of this.

The first written records of the Bahà'i Faith in York date from 1961, though there were Bahà'is here in 1960. At first there was a Bahà'i Group formed - less than nine people. In April 1962 the first Local Spiritual Assembly of nine members was elected. Unfortunately, although a photograph was taken of the new Assembly, only one copy was taken and this has since been lost.

In 1978, the number in the community dropped below nine and the Assembly lapsed but the community continued as a Group again. Unfortunately, most of the written records between 1966-1971 and 1977-1980 have been lost.

In 1980 the number had risen to nine, so the Assembly was able to re-form in April of that year and has been in existence ever since.

The number of Bahà'is in the community has varied over the years from nine to twenty five, but is constantly changing as people come to York for a while and then have to leave often because of work availability. Only four or five people in the present community have been here for twenty years or more.

During the early days, in the `60s, many public meetings were held to introduce the people of York to the Faith, the first York-born person to become a Bahà'i being Oswald Greenwood who declared his belief sometime in the late `60s or early `70s.

Several Bahà'i couples have been married in York over the years, and a good few babies born.

Over the years, several exhibitions have been mounted, sometimes for general information, at others to celebrate specific occasions. In 1985, during the International Youth Year, the Bahà'is arranged a one-day conference on the role of youth today, opened by the Lord Mayor of York.

In October 1985, the Universal House of Justice produced a document entitled The Promise of World Peace to coincide with the International Year of Peace. This statement was presented to Heads of State the world over on United Nations Day, 24th October 1985. During the following year the Bahà'is in York presented this statement to many leading figures in the area as well as to many local people. In 1987, the entire statement was printed in the York Evening Press over the course of a week.

In 1991, York Bahà'is were instrumental in inaugurating the York Peace Award to be presented to the individual making the most oustanding contribution to community life in York. This award was presented during the International Meal organised by the Bahà'is as part of One World Week in October.

In 1992, as part of the commemorations to mark 100 years since the passing of Bahà'u'llàh, an art exhibition was held in the Guildhall in York with contributions from Bahà'i artists from this country and abroad.

Also in 1992, several members of York community travelled to New York to attend the week-long Bahà'i World Congress to celebrate the Bahà'i Holy Year.

In 1999, a teaching event was put on in the centre of York which involved an exhibition and a youth dance group called Freedom Express who gave several performances in the street which attracted much attention. All their dance routines were illustrating a particular teaching of the Faith.