- 1940-09-00 — William Sears, Hand of the Cause of God, became a Bahá'í in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- 1953-00-00 — With the announcement of the Ten-Year Crusade, the third phase of the development of the Faith in South Africa began. By the end of 1953, no less than 13 Bahá'ís had left their homes in the United States and settled in South Africa. William and Marguerite Sears and son Michael, Harry and Margaret Ford as well as Robert and Helen Miller (with their three young children) all settled in Johannesburg. Ruth and Bishop Brown, who were Margaret Ford's mother and step-father settled in Durban. Lowell and Edith Johnson settled in Cape Town whilst Eleanor and Lyall Hadden settled in Pretoria.
During the course of the Ten-Year Crusade, 65 other pioneers from the United States, Canada, Germany, New Zealand and England came with some settling permanently.
Following the instructions of the Guardian during this phase, the pioneers concentrated their teaching work on the black and colored people of South Africa. "Coloured" in South Africa indicates people of mixed heritage as distinct from native black Africans. During these 10 years a few others declared their faith in Bahá'u'lláh, i.e. descendants of Malays who were imported as slaves over 300 years ago by the Dutch settlers, Indians and a few whites. The first black African to become a Bahá'í was Klaas Mtsweni, a Zulu in Pretoria in 1954.
By April 1956 the Bahá'í Faith had spread thinly over 15 countries of Southern Africa including the islands of the Indian Ocean and St. Helena, and a regional governing body, the Regional Spiritual Assembly of South and West Africa was formed with its seat in Johannesburg. The National Convention was held at the farm owned by the Sears family.
Because of the system of apartheid practiced and legislated in South Africa, the Bahá'í Faith, the principles of which include the Oneness of Mankind, was taught for 32 years on a one-to-one basis mainly without publicity. Local Spiritual Assemblies were formed by plurality vote in all localities where there were 9 or more believers aged 21 years and over. These Assemblies were charged with making their own teaching plans and living a life based on the moral principles outlined by Bahá'u'lláh.
During this period of gestation, the Bahá'í Faith was being watched continually by the security police. Both the individual Bahá'ís and the administrative bodies were under police investigation and surveillance. However, although the believers never compromised the principles of the Faith and gradually developed racially integrated Bahá'í communities, the numbers were too small and peaceful to be considered a threat to the apartheid regime. By 1985 the marriage laws were relaxed. In 1990 a series of steps began that led to the repeal of apartheid legislation on the 17th of June 1991 and a democratic government was elected in 1994.
[Progress of the Bahá'í Faith in South Africa since 1911] - 1957-10-00 —
The third contingent of Hands of the Cause of God was appointed: Enoch Olinga, William Sears, John Robarts, Hasan Balyuzi, John Ferraby, Collis Featherstone, Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir and Abu'l-Qásim Faizí. [GBF111; MBW127; PP254, 442; SS47]
- See TG160 for the story of how Enoch Olinga reacted to the news of being appointed a Hand of the Cause of God.
- 1960-05-31 —
In a letter addressed to all National Assemblies in the Western Hemisphere and to the Auxiliary Boards, the Hands of the Faith Corrine True, Hermann Grossmann, and William Sears provided an update on the activities of Charles Mason Remey. Some salient points were:
- Of all the National Spiritual Assemblies only France failed to reject Remey's claims. Hand of the Cause Faizi made a visit to investigate and, with the co-operation of the European Hands, arranged for a new election.
- Remey had sent two letters calling for support and in the second he deemed the remaining twenty-six Hands of the Cause "violators".
- It was made known that for the previous two years Remey had been trying to convince his fellow Hands to appoint a Guardian. Until the previous Ridván he hadn't disclosed that it was he, himself, that he had in mind. Remey was aware and had been shown a letter from the Guardian clearly stating that the Hands did not have the authority to appoint a Guardian, only to ratify the choice. He had made his claim notwithstanding the vow that he had taken along with the other Hands in November, 1957 at Bahjí, and re-affirmed in 1958 with their signatures, to complete the Plan and elect the Universal House of Justice at Ridván, 1963. The question of the Guardianship would be referred to the Universal House of Justice.
- The Hands had spent two years trying to convince Remey of the impossibility of appointing a Guardian. Up to this point they had taken no action other than to warn the friends of his intentions and to ask them to refrain from associating with him.
- They urged the friends to concentrate their full energies on completing the Plan. [Statement on Mason Remey from the Western Hands of the Faith] iiiii
- 1961-04-21 — The National Spiritual Assembly of Guatemala was formed with Hand of the Cause William Sears in attendance. Prior they had been part of Regional Spiritual Assembly of Mexico and the Republics of Central America. [BW13:258]
Upon forming the Assembly was made responsible for administrating the Bahá'í community of British Honduras although there were no Bahá'ís in British Honduras at the time. British Honduras remained under its jurisdiction until forming its own National Spiritual Assembly in 1967. [BN No364 July 1961 p2] - 1992-03-25 —
William Benard Sears, (b.28 Mar 1911), Hand of the Cause of God, passed away in Tucson, Arizona. He was buried in East Lawn Palms Cemetery and Mortuary Tucson, Arizona. [BINS267; VV124]
- Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the third contingent on the 2nd of October, 1957. [MoCxxiii]
- Find a grave.
- See LoFp496-506 for a short biography.
- He was the author of several books:
- All Flags Flying, The NSA of South and West Africa, (1958)
- A Cry from the Heart: The Bahá'ís of Iran, George Ronald, (1982)
- God Love Laughter, George Ronald, (1960 and multiple re-prints)
- The Prisoner and the Kings, General Publishing Company, (1971)
- Release the Sun, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, (1957)
- Thief in the Night or The Strange Case of the Missing Millennium, Talisman Books, (1961 and multiple re-prints
- The Wine of Astonishment, George Ronald, (1963 and multiple re-prints)
- The Flame; The Story of Lua, (with Robert Quigley), George Ronald, (1972) [Collins7.2354-79]
- God Loves Laughter - Autobiography of Hand of the Cause William Sears
- Bill: a Biography of Hand of the Cause of God William Sears by Marguerite Reimer Sears was published by Desert Rose Publishing.
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