Ancestor of Witnessing
Rev. Yo Han Lee Visits UTS
At a time when the Seminary community is reaching out to Christian ministers, it was very
appropriate that on Wednesday, February 19, UTS received a visit by the first Christian
minister to join the Unification Church. Reverend Yo Han Lee first met Reverend Moon in
1952 and, as Dr. Mickler pointed out in his introduction, Rev. Lee has known True
Parents for 44 years, twice as long as the entire history of UTS! Dr. Mickler also
referred to An Account of Fathers Life by Martin Porter, in which the
introduction of Reverend Lee to the Divine Principle is recorded in the testimony of a Mr.
Yoo. The next year, Minister Lee came in, the first male member in the South. Before
he came into the Principle, Minister Lee was a special man. Many people around him were
thinking that he might be Jesus and he received many messages from God. These two members,
Mrs. Kang Hyun Sil and Minister Lee, are ancestors of witnessing.
During a lunch-time conversation and an afternoon address, Reverend Lee spoke about his
early years leading up to his meeting with Reverend Moon. He was born in September 1916 to
a Christian family and while attending elementary school in Japanese-occupied Korea, his
Christian faith caused him to refuse to worship at a Shinto shrine established by the
Japanese. The teacher took our class to this shrine but I prayed, asking If
Jesus Christ was in my position, would he do this? Then my body couldnt go
forward to the shrine.
Rev. Lees family later moved to China. He wanted to work in the embassy there but to
do this he would need to learn Japanese so he moved to Japan where he studied at Tohoku
Theological Seminary. He stayed there for one year before the question of worshipping at a
Shinto shrine rose again. This was the period of the Second World War, a time when Koreans
in Japan were given the choice of continuing to study or working in the military industry.
He therefore chose to work in a factory but kept his faith and still observed Sunday
service. He was still viewed with suspicion by the Japanese government, especially when
the US Air Force began to bomb the factory with great accuracy. I was suspected as a
spy, he said. At the end of the war, everyone around me was sad but I was very
happy but I had to hide it.
When he returned to Korea after the war, Rev. Lee found a society filled with eager
anticipation. In 1946, the Korean churches believed that the Lord of the Second
Advent would come at any moment. The New Testament era was over. It would still be
several years, however, before he would meet Reverend Moon. During the Korean War, I
went to Pusan and the following year, Father came there also. On December 1, 1952,
Rev. Lee entered the small hut where Father was living. I found a young man sitting
there and he said This is a very special day. He already knew everything about
me and I immediately felt a sense of closeness with him. When he explained why God did not
intervene in the Fall, I was so surprised - I had not even asked myself that
question! Reverend Lee brought several other people to listen to this young man.
The services were very tearful, he said. We knew that he had some
special mission.
Reverend Lee urged the UTS students to take advantage of their time in Barrytown by
developing their love and care for others. Love means having someone who respects
you and always wants to be with you. Can you cry for someone elses sin? Are you
sharing your neighbors difficulties? This is the place to build a foundation to fly
based on true love, he said.
Reverend and Mrs. Lee were among the 36 couples blessed in May 1961 and they have two sons
and a daughter. Reverend Lee was recently appointed as National Messiah of Sweden.