Neal Chase - Guardianship Claim

Guardianship Claim

Jensen believed that Remey's adopted son Joseph Pepe was the next Guardian after Remey, a title that Pepe steadfastly denied. The Second International Bahá'í Council (sIBC) that Jensen set up in 1991, with Chase as a member, functioned without the involvement of Pepe. After Pepe died in 1994 Jensen began hinting that Chase might be the next Guardian. After Jensen's own death in 1996, the council remained the head of the BUPC, but without a clear candidate for Guardian, and without Jensen, no new members could be appointed to the council.

This long-running dispute culminated in 2001, seven years after Pepe's death, when Chase announced that he was the Guardian. Chase's announcement caused a division among the council members, with the majority opposing Chase. His exercising the removal of funds and material of the council resulted in an unresolved court case in 2002. Chase declared the other dissenting members to be Covenant-breakers, including his ex-wife, Dawn Mullally.