Unification News for May 2001

April 4 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The "We Will Stand" event in Wisconsin was held at the Hilton Hotel Downtown Milwaukee on a Wednesday evening and was the 38th state to be visited. The program was well attended and very well advertised due to extensive coverage by the press, partly in response to aggressive denouncement by the local radio station WVCY.

"The issue is not numbers, not a coalition response, not simply a massing of people," said Reverend Vic Eliason, vice president and general manager of the corporation that owns and operates the Christian radio station WVCY-FM (107.7) in Milwaukee. "Christianity is not democratic. Christianity is a doctrine that is handed to us from God, and when someone else steps into God's place and claims to be the Messiah, that's blasphemy " was his statement to the press.

"The key thing that is causing a lot of discussion in Christian radio right now is the fact that there are a lot of mainline pastors and Evangelical pastors who are very, very much convinced that the anointing of Jesus Christ is on Father Moon," said the Reverend Michael Jenkins, North American president and spokesman for the Family Federation. "And that's got people really discussing things. We are happy that these discussions are going on. We love and appreciate our Christian brothers and sisters.

"We just want to point out there was similar misunderstanding at the time of Jesus. When Jesus cast out demons, in the book of Matthew, they said it was by the power of Beelzebub that he did such work, and they also called him a blasphemer."

With notice of the event being given in February, Wisconsin was originally scheduled for April 15, changed to April 9, then finally settled on April 4. Once the date was secured, the veritable battle for a location began. Various churches were approached but it was Bethel Baptist that agreed to host the event. Yet, with the flurry of outreach activity and some consequent negative media attention, Bethel Baptist was unable to stand and the event was moved to the Hilton Downtown just five days before the scheduled date.

Several of the American Clergy Leadership Conference founding members went all out. Meetings were held where they would come as a guest speaker. Pastor Barrett, Maxine Walker, and Dr. Storne reached out to Milwaukee area pastors with calls that testified to the goodness of this holy crusade.

The local Nation of Islam mosque offered unqualified support assisting with leafleting, phone calls and the press conference.

The event itself was exciting, with attendees having to brave the picket lines of some 20 agitators and all manner of active involvement from security and the city police. Some guests were confused by the sight of the picketers while others forged ahead cheerfully.

Reverend Lawrence was working as a Christian minister when he joined the Family Federation Movement. His old pastor was invited by Reverend LeRoy Elliott and he arrived in blue jeans, full of skepticism. However, when Reverend Michael Jenkins recognized him from the podium, he went home and returned suitably dressed; staying until the end of the program.

Brother Feifer came with his interdenominational choir. Time did not permit their performance, however, he and the choir remained for the entire program and treasured the message.

Father Moon spoke from his heart, reading only the first and last paragraph of the prepared speech at the close of his address. He preached about the importance of love, life, and most especially lineage with all the vigor and enthusiasm that he has displayed throughout his 50 year ministry.

A meeting is scheduled with the campus pastors at UW Milwaukee in May. The outreach to the political realm and to the media was done by Mr. Bruce Smith, working closely with Mr. Richard Lemont for the press conferences in the final days before the event.

Regional report

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