2009 In Review

Doug Burton
December 31, 2009

It was the year of the book, the ballroom, and the Marriage Blessing. Seeds of change sown by new appointments in 2008 bore good fruit in 2009 as the True Children stepped up to leadership challenges in Korea and the United States.

As True Father himself announced again and again the year was significant for being the year of the coronation ceremony for the liberated authority of God as the King of Kings, the publication of True Father’s autobiography, and True Parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. It was also the year that weighty leadership responsibilities were carried by Rev. In Jin Moon in the United States, Kook Jin Moon in Korea and Japan, and Rev. Hyung Jin Moon in Korea and around the world, who collectively took the movement into a new era of professionalism, pride and transparency.

True Father’s autobiography, As a Peace-Loving Global Citizen, was a bestseller in Korea for months, and surfaced in an English translation in Washington with much fanfare on October 1.

It was a year of marriage blessings. While the January 31 and November 16 blessings were mostly for young members, the October 14th Universal Blessing Ceremony was a special event attended by all Blessed Families around the world. Respectful media coverage of the January blessing by newspapers in Denver and Baltimore raised eyebrows. Mainstream media woke up to the succession issue at the time of the October Blessing in Korea and produced scores of stories on wire services and in daily newspapers around the world.

In Korea Rev. Hyung Jin Moon raised the banner of the “Unification Church” on the headquarters building and personally led a grassroots witnessing campaign. In his four-city speaking tour in the United States, he asked for Unificationists to fully support True Parents’ efforts and to pray for those who had forgotten who True Parents are.

In the United States, Rev. In Jin Moon launched Lovin’ Life Ministries, anchored by a national worship service in Manhattan that combined Unification theology, the Bible, personal anecdotes and the insights of world religions topped off with the production value of a rock concert. Her handpicked band was professional from its first performance on April 12, and its vintage traveled well to Las Vegas in September and to Chicago in December. Church members got onto their feet and learned to dance under the hands-on instruction from Arianna Moon, Rev. In Jin Moon’s daughter. Rev. In Jin Moon refocused the American Clergy Leadership Conference and the Women’s Federation for World Peace on her vision of a rising generation of peace with good effect.

Under Rev. In Jin Moon’s administration, the www.familyfed.org website got a facelift and a new emphasis on professional reporting. In August the website opened a members’ login feature that limited access to internal church communications to those with eyes to see and ears to hear. Witnessing Summits of 2008 blossomed into new brands of workshops in 2009 that emphasized dialogue, experience and self-discovery.

In Japan, Kook Jin Moon, guided the Japanese church to renew its fight against religious persecution by launching an unprecedented public awareness campaign aimed at the problem of kidnapping and forced confinement of members. Mr. Toru Goto, Japan’s celebrated victor over confinement, made three speaking tours in the United States and was introduced to large audiences by Rev. In Jin Moon. During the year, evangelical outreach in Japan proudly proclaimed the Founder’s name. Fundraising offices were reformed to comply with best-practices standards.

Time will tell, but there is plenty of evidence that the year of 2009 was a stepping-stone to greater things in 2010.