Testimony

Dale Irwin Smith
March 1970

Dale Smith

Dear Family,

As a youngster I was raised in a Protestant family and attended Sunday School regularly. When in high school I was sent by one of my parents to preparatory class to join the church. This was a class of persons of about my age. When the Sunday arrived to join the church I did not. I felt social pressure from the Parents who sent me and social group pressure from the preparatory class to join as a group. I felt this was a serious thing between me and GOD and the others were not considering it seriously (They proved that to me in latter years). I kept going to Sunday School, church and church young adult groups through college.

After graduating from college I began searching for a church that I could walk into, and come out knowing what the message was. I could not find any such church at first so I stayed home on Sundays and read my old Sunday School books. I tried to expand my perspective by studying other American beliefs and latter I joined a Unitarian Fellowship. (Not large enough for a church). I liked the idea of believing in what you want. I discovered latter I needed a more Christian church. This fellowship had no one of my age group nor did they satisfy my moral codes. I joined a mother a Protestant church denomination that had an active Young Adult group. It filled most of my needs and I felt my spiritual growth was making progress but I did not want to glorify Jesus Christ so much.

I moved to another area and my search began again particularly for a church where I found meaning in the service and had a good young adult group. While searching one Sunday in the Summer of 1968, in Washington, D.C. where I lived at the time, I was approached after a Sunday Morning service by a Unified Family member, this member asked me the meaning of a pin I was wearing which had "Expect a Miracle" on it. I explained the meaning to this person (A pin of a Christian Healing group) and other Unified Family members who began gathering around me. I was invited to hear a Unified Family lecture and I walked with them to the center to hear my first lecture.

The expressions on the member's faces were radiant and I had no doubts in. what was being said at the first lecture. I brought friends with me to hear the lectures before I heard the conclusion. After hearing the conclusion I needed time to think it over but I did feel a "glow" about me the day I heard it and felt so good that I got little sleep.

I continued attending protestant churches for a while but the word Unified Family would keep coming to me during the service and I was not getting any meaning in the service.

Later I attended a Unified Family Sunday morning meeting and the message was so good that I had tears in my eyes. I still remember parts of it!

Satan put some doubts in my mind and after clearing them up I joined the Unified Family.

I hope to bring more people to Father.

In the True Parents Name,

Dale Irwin Smith