In the terminology of the Holy Books, the church is a symbol of the Covenant, in other words it is a gathering place for different peoples and races so that it may become a sign and token of the true Temple and the Divine Law. (
- 'Abdu'l-Baha (Utterances of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, Church of Ascension, June 2, 1912, New York; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)