As a teenager, Richard Abercrombie was the worrisome “bad boy” of a large and conservative African-American family. As he describes, “I was headed to jail or to an early grave” when, to his and everyone’s surprise, he experienced a transformation that not only saved his life but also radically changed and enriched the lives of all of his family members. As an adult, he has traveled in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East in the pursuit of knowledge as well as in service to the Bahá’í Faith, and he has served in a number of elected and appointed positions in the Bahá’í community. Richard currently resides in South Carolina where delights everyone with his down-home humour.