NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY

In Memory of John Wade

The National Spiritual Assembly is deeply saddened to inform the Friends of the passing of the devoted servant of Baha'u'llah, Mr John Wade on 26th November. The following message was received from the Universal House of Justice:

HEARTS FILLED GRIEF NEWS PASSING HIGHLY ADMIRED, STAUNCH PROMOTER CAUSE JOHN WADE. HIS INDOMITABLE FAITH, HIS WISDOM, HIS LOVING SPIRIT AND TIRELESS SERVICES CAUSE SPANNING OVER FOUR DECADES WERE MOTIVATED PASSIONATE DEVOTION BAHa'u'llah. RECALL WITH DEEP APPRECIATION HIS SACRIFICIAL LABOURS TENDING RESTING PLACE BELOVED GUARDIAN, HIS DEVOTED SERVICES NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY BRITISH ISLES, HIS MERITORIOUS EFFORTS TEACHING AND YEARS DEDICATED SERVICES BAHa'i WORLD CENTRE. PRAYING HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HIS NOBLE SOUL ABHa KINGDOM. CONVEY LOVING SYMPATHY HIS DEAR WIFE AND MEMBERS FAMILY.

THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

John Wade 20th April 1910 - 26th November 1998

"The epitome of an English gentleman. Always courteous, always kind." "He gave so much of himself to everyone." "A soldier of Baha'u'llah much loved by all of us." "A true gentleman with a delightful sense of humour." Just a few of the many recollections of John Wade from his friends around the world.

John was born in Barnet, Hertfordshire. His long life was filled with services to God and humanity even before he heard of the Baha'i Faith in 1955. By profession an engineer, John served as a local councillor, putting into action his deep concern for the welfare of others. An oft-heard remark about John is how much he helped others, how kind he was, how thoughtful.

A Baha'i of the time describes the "wonderment and enthusiasm" which John's reading of the Kitab-i-Iqan for the first time enkindled in him. Indeed, this enthusiasm for the writings of Baha'u'llah, for the precious Word of God, stayed with him his whole life. Wherever you were, at a conference, in his home, John would look you in the eye with that sparkle in his and, pointing to some passage from the writings, say, "Have you read this? Isn't that marvellous? Do you see the implications? Now, what do you think of that?" His enthusiasm for the writings, even over the phone, would have you rushing off to look up the very passage yourself, and you forever changed because of it.

John became a Baha'i along with his wife Rose on 12th December 1955 and soon afterwards his services to the Faith began in earnest. This was a period of great change in the Faith - the passing of Shoghi Effendi in 1957, the challenges of completing the Ten Year Crusade, the ministry of the Hands of the Cause, the election of the International Baha'i Council and then the election of the Universal House of Justice, followed by the first World Congress in London - all in less than a decade. All Baha'is were called to tremendous service at this time and John responded like the soldier of the Faith he was.

Soon after he became a Baha'i he was elected to the London Spiritual Assembly and by 1958 was serving as its secretary. He served on various committees including the National Teaching Committee and the National Pioneering Committee. Perhaps his greatest joy was his service with those Baha'is who planned the 1963 World Congress. His organisational skills were stretched to the very limit - the coordination of the 6000 or so Baha'is from all corners of the globe who came to London was no mean feat.

In 1961 John was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles. Soon after, in April 1963, he, along with members of National Spiritual Assemblies around the world travelled to the Holy Land to participate in the first election of the Universal House of Justice. It was perhaps this event that confirmed John even more deeply in his love of the institutions of the Faith. He never made the mistake of confusing the members of the divine institutions with the institutions themselves - he was absolutely clear about the difference - and it meant that he was able to obey the institutions of the Faith immediately and without a second thought.

Thus when the Universal House of Justice announced plans for the development of the Baha'i World Centre and asked John to serve there as Secretary General of the Baha'i International Community - an office which he filled with such distinction - he was instantly ready. His fifteen years of service in Haifa saw the growth of the World Centre staff from a handful of helpers to an efficient and effective organisation. His work included organising and running the international conventions of 1968, 1973 and 1978, each convention larger and more complex than the last.

A highlight of John's service at the World Centre was his work with the first youth volunteers who came to Haifa in the summer of 1968 to assist with the commemoration of the hundredth anniversary of Baha'u'llah's arrival in the Holy Land. This occasion was the first time large numbers of Baha'is - about 2,000 - were admitted into the Holy Land at one time. Coordination was a potential nightmare but John made it seem all so easy. His instructions to the newly-arrived youth were clear and precise; his enthusiasm, energy and love were infectious - all the youth loved him. His photograph of the youth taken under the arches at Bahji was among the most precious things he owned.

John's return to England in 1981 proved to be the "opening of a whole new field of service" to the Faith in the United Kingdom. He served on the Committee for the Resting Place of Shoghi Effendi and, together with his second wife Carolyn, took on the editorship of the Baha'i Journal. When the time came to form the current team, he became the Editor Emeritus, his eye for detail and for the dignity of the Faith he loved helping to make Baha'i Journal UK one of the finest Baha'i newsletters in the world.

Never one to shirk from new challenges, John in his later years took up the latest technology with his usual enthusiasm: soon he was writing out his talks on the Faith on his laptop, making coloured transparencies for the overhead projector to illustrate them, and sending e-mails here, there and everywhere, usually pointing out - I am sure with that same sparkle in his eye - a particular fascinating verse from the writings. He was a great enthusiast and supporter of Baha'i scholarship and scholars and called himself a "non- academic" scholar of the Faith.

How to sum up such a man, such a life? May these few words from one with whom he served at the World Centre suffice: "poise and dignity , impeccable integrity , vigour, thoroughness and purity of heart , the spirit of sincerity which characterised all his activities in the Cause."

Wendi Momen

This letter was written by John to the National Spiritual Assembly just six days before he passed away

20th November 1998

My Dearly loved National Spiritual Assembly,

I feel compelled to express to you my heartfelt thanks for the loving care and attention this institution gives to its community, of which I am one.

I became a Baha'i in this community, was nurtured by it, and I hope I helped nurture it too. Whatever Baha'i qualities have been expressed by me are largely due to the love of the community for its members.

It is a conviction of mine that the true effectiveness of the relationship between the Institutions and the community is expressed spiritually. I can sense a growing spiritual awareness of this relationship and am sure it will instil in the community a deep love of the Institutions. It has done so for me.

The outer means for the expression of this spirituality are the actions taken on behalf of the community by the Institutions and the community's response is manifested in love. This love of the total community for Baha'u'llah and therefore for each other must grow. It is the power of that love growing that will make our community flourish.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your efforts in the service of Baha'u'llah and for helping me to be a part of a flourishing community.

Sincerely,

John Wade

The National Spiritual Assembly's reply

Our dear John,

The National Spiritual Assembly was deeply moved to read your loving message yesterday. We felt honoured by the sentiments you expressed and will strive in all we do to be worthy of the responsibilities to which Baha'u'llah has called us.

The National Spiritual Assembly is committed to fanning the flames of love between the believers and the divinely ordained Institutions and of the believers for each other.

John, we salute you as a devoted follower of Baha'u'llah, whose decades of service to His Cause at all levels and in so many different ways are both a source of inspiration to us and a shining example for generations of Baha'is to come. We pray that we may be worthy to follow in the footsteps of the believers of your generation who did so much to shape the Baha'i community towards those world embracing, world directing, world shaking Institutions foretold by the beloved Guardian.

Even after your "retirement" you have continued to serve the Cause selflessly through your support for Carolyn in her work as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly and its Treasurer. Without such support she would not have been able to give the wonderful degree of service which she has. We have always regarded you both as a team.

You and Carolyn are in our thoughts and prayers at all times. You will both be especially remembered in our prayers at the Resting Place of the beloved Guardian tomorrow morning.

With our deepest love,

National Spiritual Assembly

Important notice - the new National Assembly e-mail list

The National Spiritual Assembly has registered a Baha'i domain name and is setting up its own e-mail network. Part of this will be a National Assembly e-mail list, which will be used for the spread of information and for urgent communications. We urge all Baha'is in the United Kingdom to subscribe to this list, provisionally entitled news@bahai.org.uk It will be a one-way list, used only for announcements from the National Assembly and its agencies and will carry no discussions or other extraneous items.

The new list will operate from 1st February 1999. From that date the National Assembly and its offices (such as the Baha'i Information Office) will stop using other e-mailing lists.

If you wish to continue to receive urgent communications from the National Spiritual Assembly or from the Universal House of Justice (via the National Assembly), official Iran news updates, BIO press leads and similar resources, updates on ongoing projects such as the Early Day Motion, and such like, you MUST be subscribed to the new list. National and regional administrative bodies such as committees, councils, and training institutes will also be offered the use of the list for their announcements and information.

Mr Paul Booth will act as listmaster. Please send your subscription details (name, postal address, Baha'i ID number and e-mail address) to him at: news@nur.win-uk.net Friends outside the United Kingdom who have found the material offered by e-mail of help and who wish to continue receiving it are also welcome to subscribe.

The development by the National Spiritual Assembly of its own e-mail network for communication mirrors what is happening in a number of countries and is an example of the way that new technology can serve the Faith. As time goes on more and more information will be shared in this way although traditional "hard copy" mailings will also have to continue for the foreseeable future.

The use of the new list means that the National Assembly's previous use of Bahai-eXchange-UK and UK-Announce are no longer necessary, nor is its active encouragement to the Friends to subscribe. Baha'is are free to join and participate in these and other Baha'i e-mail lists as they wish.

Review procedure

Friends are reminded that they should follow the appropriate level of review procedure for any new material they produce about the Faith. This is to ensure that the teachings of the Faith are accurately reflected. The booklet Guidance for Local Spiritual Assemblies supplied by the National Spiritual Assembly should be used for reference.