Early in the last century (around 1925) the appearance of a group of consecrated servers started to emerge within the human family. Its faint form, then, has now become a worldwide movement in consciousness of like-minded individuals, loosely connected on outer levels, but dedicated to human welfare and planetary transformation. This vibrant group of progressive thinkers has been referred to in spiritual circles as the new group of world servers. Its potency in human affairs is real, palpable, and waxing in prominence. Such is its influence that it has been described as “the Vanguard of the Kingdom of God.”
According to the spiritual sciences, the Kingdom of God has always been present. It is a state of consciousness, not constricted by the limiting boundaries of material life. It is ‘populated’ by those who promote human welfare, who wield goodwill, and who wisely and actively serve the common good. Its ‘citizens’ walk side-by-side with their fellow human beings, but they are motivated by the principles and values not of this world. “The Kingdom of God”, Alice Bailey wrote, “is not something which will descend on earth…. It is something which is functioning efficiently today and demanding recognition.”
Like the mythological Roman god, Janus, this group faces two directions. Its inspiration, whether it is realised or not, emanates from spiritual levels, and it is, as the ageless wisdom describes, “energised into activity by the need of humanity itself.”
A merging is underway, fusing the spiritual and the material, the Kingdom of God and the human kingdom. At the forefront of a planetary awakening stands the new group of world servers, in the shifting alignment of great vortices of energy. Their perspectives differ from mainstream thinking, as they are not completely motivated by selfishness, but by a growing selflessness. Their horizon is deep and wide. They aspire to see the Whole and develop a long-range vision in human planning and reconstruction. Not limited by national identity they transcend petty racial and religious differences. Their mindset resonates with the age of Aquarius.
They are not super-human, but ‘ordinary’ men and women of goodwill, who are rising above the bondage of materialism, and who sense a greater vision. Their feet walk the earth, yet their hearts and minds are touched by a vision of a better world. The forces arrayed against them, those who resist the transformation of society, are deeply embedded and wield considerable power. But, they are determined in their pursuit of a just and compassionate world, in which people can live in dignity.
Nor is this group some super-organisation on the world stage. In fact, physically, there is only a loose connection, limited in scope. There is cooperation and sharing but they work effectively in their own spheres of influence. Emotionally, their ties are more tangible, as they collectively sense the suffering in the world. In thought, there is a greater alignment and rapport, such as the interchange of ideas, techniques, planning, and a broader appreciation of the enormous work ahead. However, on spiritual levels, their connection is strong-a unanimity of purpose, a shared vision, and a mutual responsibility. A subjective relation is developing into an inner integration and activity.
They are learning to live as souls in their daily lives and to work without attachment in the world of form. For the first time in human history, the ageless wisdom points out, that a broad, diverse, and dedicated group of servers exists to find lasting solutions to the vexing problems and crises confronting the human family. This is a remarkable development in the long journey of the race.
Every year, since 1942, their work is celebrated and augmented by the Festival Week of the New Group of World Servers. This festival, a 7-day period, takes place over the Capricorn full moon, between December 21 and December 28. It is, Alice Bailey wrote, “a week of group impact.” Unique and powerful energies are available at this time to bolster its work, and to deepen its subjective rapport. The next festival is due to take place in 2026. No doubt, in due course, preparations will be made around the world to celebrate this festival and strengthen its work.
In 1947 (just after the end of the Second World War), Alice Bailey observed that its ranks ran into many millions. Nearly eighty years later, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to suggest that it now probably runs into many tens of millions. A formidable force of constructive goodwill is active in the world today.
This worldwide group is making a significant impact on human consciousness, to the extent that it is slowly translating into an enlightened public opinion. In time, many of the old ways will fall by the wayside, and they will have run their course. “The new world”, Alice Bailey wrote: “will be built upon the ruins of the old.” The best of the old will be adapted, and fused with the new practices embodying the note of the Aquarian age. But much clutter, religious and political, will need to be discarded to make way for the new.
Everywhere people demand better healthcare, education, housing, opportunities, and provision in retirement. Our current world system creaks under the weight of selfish political and economic ideology, lack of visionary leadership, and indifference to the genuine needs of others. The current global system is failing many. The growing gulf between the rich and the poor, inadequate health care for countless millions, the plight of the refugees, and the degrading living conditions in sprawling city slums, to name but a few of the deep-seated world problems, cast a dark shadow. It is within our power to rise above these grim circumstances in which people eke out a meager existence. Individuals and groups, around the world, work tirelessly to address these woeful inadequacies in society.
Another, and less known, role of the group of world servers is to act as a ‘forerunner’ for the return of the World Teacher, the Christ. They help to prepare the way, to change the atmosphere of the planet, and to create the right conditions for his reappearance. They may or may not believe in his return, or even think about it, but they share the same spirit of goodwill and resonate with the values of the Christ. In doing so, they accelerate his return into the outer world.
There are those in this worldwide group who work more readily with substance than with matter. To many, this may seem an unusual statement. Matter constitutes the prevalent forces embodied in the life of the three lower worlds – mind, emotions, and physical forms. Many in this group attend to the genuine needs of human life in all its many facets – the physical and psychological well-being of humanity. A smaller number work with substance, with those energies that lie outside of strictly human experience and that are indicative of the world of causes, of those ideas that emanate from the Guides and Elders of the race. They can approach the formless worlds, interpret and step down the concepts that define the future progress of the race. It takes time for the impending spiritual pattern to take shape in the world of form, as resistance to change is rife. But, if there is sufficient impetus and public awareness is ready, then change is inevitable.
All the progressive ideas and initiatives in politics, economics, science, and in all spheres of human activity that sway nations and continents, follow a similar journey. In the last 100 years or so, the group of world servers has been instrumental in changing the course of human affairs. Its work has only just begun, but what pinnacles of achievement will unfold in the coming centuries, must be left to our imagination.
The ageless wisdom teaching reveals that the symbol of this group is: “a golden triangle enclosing an even-armed cross with one diamond at the apex of the triangle.” Spiritual symbols are not easy to interpret and require the use of an awakening intuition. But, perhaps, a clue may be found in the group’s esoteric motto: “The Glory of the One.”
It is one group, many initiatives, motivated by goodwill, and in its hands lies the salvation of the world.