FEATURED SPEAKER: CHARLES HAYNES

Charles Haynes met Avatar Meher Baba at the age of eight in 1958 at Meher Spiritual Center in Myrtle Beach, SC. In 1962, Charles participated in Meher Baba’s East-West Gathering held at Guruprasad in Poona, India. Charles served for more than twenty years on the Board of Directors of Meher Center. In his professional career, Charles is a Senior Fellow at the Freedom Forum in Washington, D.C. and Founding Director of the Freedom Forum's Religious Freedom Center.

Charles is author or co-author of eleven books, including five about Meher Baba: 

• Meher Baba,The Awakener; 

• The Day Becomes the Answer: Wit and Wisdom of Elizabeth, disciple of Meher Baba; 

• Kissed by God: A Childhood Memoir of Meher Baba; 

• Norina's Gift: Messages from Meher Baba received through Princess Norina Matchabelli (with Christopher Wilson); 

• Her Happiness Was Baba: Countess Nadine Tolstoy, Disciple of Meher Baba (forthcoming, with Christopher Wilson).

 Charles has a B.A. from Emory University, M.T.S. from Harvard Divinity School, and Ph.D. from Emory University.  

Charles has been married for 33 years to Christopher Wilson. Charles and Christopher reside in Alexandria, VA with canine companions Jimmy and Elwood and dusky-headed parrot José.