William Anthony Smith

William Anthony Smith was born in Washington, Georgia on March 23, 2958. He came to be known as a good solid athlete around Wilkes County even earning a scholarship to play basketball at a small college. However, his real education and career began when he came to know the name Jehovah, the sacred name of his grand creator based on Psalms 83:18. Oh, and how his career and education soared! (more later).

William met Renea Lance, also of Washington, Georgia. They moved to Athens and became lifelong partners in marriage. Their spiritual education grew rapidly as they enrolled in the Theocratic Ministry School of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The curriculum included such courses as: ‘Take Delight in God’s Word’; “Pay Attention to How You Listen’; ‘How to do Research’; ‘Program for Developing Ability as a Speaker and a Teacher’; and ‘The Message We Must Proclaim’. These and many other courses were covered.

William was moved by what he learned. He took the lead and together with his wife put that knowledge to work. Realizing the meaning of James 2:24, 26 – that faith is not enough because “faith without works is dead” they set out to qualify as full-time ministers, or ‘Pioneers’, where they have served to a greater capacity in preaching and teaching the Good News of God’s Kingdom for the past 30+ years.

William also served as a congregation elder, ‘shepherding the congregation of God’ for decades. He used his talents and youthful vigor to build and renovate Kingdom Halls all over Georgia. One of his prized experiences in life was when he was invited to work temporarily during the construction of World Headquarters in New York. William became very skillful in public speaking, delivering up-building spiritual talks throughout North and Central Georgia as well at large assemblies of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

One of the work assignments that brought him the greatest joy was being appointed as a Congregation Service Overseer and taking the lead in seeing that all assigned territory was fully covered by the local publishers and that the Good News was preached to every household. Another one of his greatest joys was securing permits for the new cart witnessing program in downtown Athens and for arranging the training classes for this new program from publishers from surrounding counties. His zeal and tireless work habits have been passed on to the younger ones he has helped train and also by his fine example spiritually and physically.

William remained active as a Pioneer Minister fulfilling several scriptures: Matthew 28:19, 20 – “Go, therefore, and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you. And look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.” Matthew 24:14 – “And this good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Mark 13:10 – “Also, in all the nations, the good news has to be preached first.”

He continued his ministry in this way until falling asleep in death June 11th, 2026.