IOverview
Bahá'ís Under the Provisions of the Covenant, or BUPC, is a small group founded by Leland Jensen in Montana. It believes in a line of Guardians descending from Mason Remey, who in 1960 declared himself Guardian in succession to Shoghi Effendi.
The main Bahá'í community does not recognise the group. This page sets out both views descriptively and takes no position on which is right. Scholars know the group mainly for its prophecy of a nuclear catastrophe on 29 April 1980, which did not happen.
IIHistory
Leland Jensen was born in 1914 into a family that had been Bahá'í for three generations and worked as a chiropractor. In 1960 he followed Mason Remey and was declared a Covenant-breaker by the main community. By 1964 he had left Remey's group over internal disputes and moved to Missoula, Montana. After leaving Montana State Prison in 1973, he founded the BUPC, claiming a special role in restoring the Faith after a coming catastrophe.
- 1960Follows Mason RemeyJensen is declared a Covenant-breaker by the main community.
- 1964Leaves Remey's groupMoves to Missoula, Montana.
- 1973BUPC foundedThe group forms around Jensen in Montana.
- 29 April 1980The predicted dateMembers build fallout shelters and hand out thousands of leaflets. No catastrophe occurs.
- 1987Halley's Comet predictionA second prediction also fails.
- 1996Jensen diesOn 6 August.
- 2001 to 2005Succession disputeNeal Chase claims the Guardianship, leading to a lawsuit that further splits the group.
IIITwo Views
The group's view. The group holds that the Guardianship must pass down in a line, from Shoghi Effendi through Mason Remey to the successors it recognises. According to Wikipedia, Jensen regarded Mason Remey's adopted son, Joseph Pepe Remey, as the third Guardian. The group's name expresses its belief that it is the one living under the provisions of the Covenant.
The main community's view. The main Bahá'í community does not recognise the group, for the same reason it rejects Remey's claim: 'Abdu'l-Bahá's will requires the Guardian to be a male descendant of Bahá'u'lláh appointed by his predecessor, and Shoghi Effendi appointed no one. On that understanding, every line of Guardians through Remey lacks a basis, and the Universal House of Justice, elected since 1963, is the sole authority.
IVThe 1980 Prophecy
Jensen predicted a nuclear war on 29 April 1980. Members built fallout shelters and distributed thousands of leaflets. When the day passed, the group did not dissolve but reinterpreted the prophecy. According to Wikipedia, the case became a textbook example in research on cognitive dissonance, the study of how a community keeps its faith when a prediction fails. Jensen later predicted that Halley's Comet would strike the Earth on 29 April 1987, which also did not happen.
VOrganisation and Size
According to the World Religions and Spirituality Project, the group peaked at about 150 to 200 people around 1980 and then declined sharply. According to Wikipedia, it had fewer than 100 members by 1990, and in 1994 there were 66 in Missoula and fewer than 20 in other states. After Jensen died in 1996, Neal Chase claimed in 2001 to be the heir of Pepe Remey and the Guardian. The legal dispute that followed, from 2001 to 2005, split the remaining members further. The library has found no reliable figures for recent years.
VIIn Vietnam
No source has been found for any presence of this group in Vietnam. The Bahá'í Community of Vietnam, recognised by the state in 2008, belongs to the main Bahá'í community and has no connection with the BUPC.
VIISymbol of the Branch
No symbol of its own is recorded with a source for this branch, so the library uses the common symbol of the path.
VIIIOther Branches of the Bahá'í Faith
The Worldwide Bahá'í Communityجامعهٔ بهائیThe Bahá'í Faith has no denominations.Bahá'í Community of VietnamCộng đồng tôn giáo Baha'i Việt NamNot a separate branch but the national community of the same Faith under the Universal House of Justice.Uses the common symbol of the pathOrthodox Bahá'í FaithOrthodox Bahá'í FaithFollowers of Mason Remey, who in 1960 claimed to be the Guardian after Shoghi Effendi, later led by Joel Marangella.Uses the common symbol of the pathBahá'ís Under the Provisions of the CovenantBahá'ís Under the Provisions of the Covenant (BUPC)Founded by Leland Jensen in Montana in the 1960s and 1970s, also claiming a line of Guardians via Mason Remey.Uses the common symbol of the pathAzali Bábísازلی AzalīNot Bahá'ís.Uses the common symbol of the pathIXSources
The library cross-checks the sources below. Where they disagree, the page gives both.
?Quick Questions
What is the BUPC
Bahá'ís Under the Provisions of the Covenant, a group founded by Leland Jensen in Montana that believes in a line of Guardians through Mason Remey. It is very small, peaking at about 150 to 200 people around 1980.
Why does the main Bahá'í community not recognise the BUPC
Because under 'Abdu'l-Bahá's will the Guardian must be a male descendant of Bahá'u'lláh appointed by his predecessor. Shoghi Effendi appointed no one, so in the main community's view every line of Guardians through Mason Remey lacks a basis.
What was the BUPC's 1980 prophecy
Leland Jensen predicted a nuclear war on 29 April 1980. Members built shelters, but no catastrophe came. The case became a well-known example in research on cognitive dissonance.