The Words of the Bamfo Family

New England ACLC Monthly Interfaith Prayer Breakfast

Bismarck Bamfo
September 10, 2007

September 10, 2007, will be remembered in the history of ACLC activities in New England District as the day of total victory for God, True Parents, our entire leadership and all members. Our host Pastor, Rev. Ellis, and members worked around the clock inviting ministers, Ambassadors for Peace, friends from the government, sent emails and invitation cards out, and prepared the hall and the…

The event marked the beginning of our Prayer Breakfasts instead of the Dinner Banquets of the past Representatives of the three Abrahamic faiths gathered together and prayed for the family, community and the nation. Further more it was the day Democrats and Republicans as well as religious and political leaders came together under one umbrella, ACLC, to discuss and work for peace. Moreover, it marked the day when an important religious leader, well known civil right activist, and renowned political leader Rev. Dr. Walter Fauntroy testified publicly about the works and deeds of ACLC and its founder, Rev. Sun Myung Moon.

Being that the event was on a busy Monday morning, we needed a magnetic speaker whose presence would captivate and attract participants despite the hustles and bustles of first day of the week. It was brilliant insight on the part of our District Director, Rev. Buessing, when he proposed to invite Rev. Dr. Fauntroy as our guest speaker. Indeed, people responded to our invitation. We had a minimum of sixty guests and seventeen members in attendance. Representatives of the Jewish community, Muslim (including Nation of Islam) community and Christian community, the president of the Massachusetts Family Institute and the Black Ministerial Alliance, and many others came together. They went beyond the wall of separation, broke bread and learned to work with each other.

Apart from a few changes at the beginning of the program, everything went on smoothly with the first lady and the host pastor of Boston Church on the Hill, offering prayers and welcoming remarks and a short history of their church respectively. After a devotional song, representatives of the three Abrahamic faiths prayed for the family, community and the nation. The goals and objectives of ACLC were presented and participants were encouraged to join.

Our honorable guest speaker, Dr. Fauntroy, was introduced by Imam Seifullah. Dr. Fauntroy spoke for about one and half hours instead of 30 -- 40minutes. Although his speech was long, participants enjoyed it with constant applause. He testified about his role and mission with ACLC and the activities of the Unification movement.

He emphasized his involvement with our movement as a group of people who have heaven on their view. Rev. Moon and his movement are people who talk the talk and walk the walk. He compared Rev. Moon to Daddy Grace, who was criticized for feeding and providing housing for the needy, and Father Divine, for providing breakfast, lunch, diner and hotel accommodation for five cents. He said, "Martin Luther King said, ‘We had better learn to live together as one or we will die together as fools.’ What these people have in common is that, they all emphasized the need to live for the sake of one another. We all know that the mission is big and it is not an easy task to accomplish. Therefore Jesus commanded all of us as religious leaders to do greater works. Rev. Moon and ACLC are doing greater work, in the family, breaking the walls between religions, and resolving the conflict in the Middle East."

He also spoke about the role of spiritual leaders as people appointed and anointed by God to be the head, not the tail, to be headlights to lead the way and thermostats to set the temperature. For all people to live well, they need the means to generate income to support themselves and their families; education to generate income; health care; housing and justice to live in peace and happiness. From his point of view, political as well as religious leaders have failed to provide the circumstances and the environment for people to meet these basic necessities. It is therefore our mission and responsibility to stand up as leaders to right the wrongs, to rebuild the family, restore the community and bring peace to the world.

The program ended with the blessing ceremony and closing prayer. Although we ended late, participants expressed their appreciation and continued to fellowship with one another for 20 to 30minutes after the event. We are extremely thankful to our District Director Rev. & Mrs. Buessing, our District ACLC Committee leaders, State Leaders Rev. Edgerly (Massachusetts), Rev. Hempwich (Connecticut), Rev. Nimic (Vermont), our outreach members Rev. Ono, Sister Hiroko, Sister Machado, Sister DaSilva; Sister Ferabolli and many others and above all to our hosts, Pastor Rev. Ellis and the Church on the Hill Family.

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