The Words of the Yang Family
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The Words of the Yang Family |
Respected In-jin-nim and Jin-sung-nim, beloved American Leaders,
First, I would like to thank Archbishop Ki Hoon Kim for his hard work as Continental Director during this past year. Father has given Archbishop Kim a new mission to broaden the foundation of Christian ministers in America and in the world, using the model developed by ACLC in Chicago under his leadership. Please give him a warm round of applause to encourage him in his new mission.
In accordance with True Parents' direction, I was given the responsibility of Continental Director for North America, although I had not expected it whatsoever. I offer my sincere gratitude to God and True Parents for this appointment and pledge to fulfill the responsibility given by True Parents, together with all of you. To be honest with you, I declined this direction from True Parents several times, first because I felt I had successfully graduated from nearly ten years experience as Continental Director of North America, but even more so because In-jin-nim and Archbishop Kim have already been doing such a great job.
In particular, the Lovin' Life Ministries, developed centering on In-jin-nim, has demonstrated the amazing possibilities of our movement. The powerful message and beautiful music presented through Lovin' Life has created a new momentum, presenting our church like a high-powered, mainline mega church! I am confident that Lovin' Life will become a powerful light of hope for New Yorkers who are wandering and lost. Please join me in giving a heartfelt round of applause for In-jin-nim's achievement.
During the 20 months since I left America, my most important mission has been to serve as the president of the Korean church and vice president of World Mission Headquarters. In that capacity, I have closely attended True Parents together with Peter Kim. Especially since the beginning of the Las Vegas providence, I have been working even closer to True Parents, and have had the opportunity to receive Father's guidance and teaching clearly and deeply.
I also learned a lot while working closely with Hyung-jin-nim, the International President of our church, and Kook-jin-nim, chairman of the HSA-UWC Foundation in Korea. I was given the order to implement in America the model that we pioneered and developed in Korea based on True Parents' directions and true love, while learning from Hyung-jin-nim and Kook-jin-nim.
The first and most important thing I have learned is to establish absolute faith centered completely on True Parents. True Parents are humanity's Savior, Messiah, True Parents and King of Kings, who have appeared for the first time in human history. Recently, Father started counting down the remaining days until January 13, 2013. Every morning at Hoon Dok Hae, I make sure to calculate the exact number of days left, because I never know when Father will ask. How many days are left from today? 1083 days. You can see my calculations on this paper.
20 months ago, I went to Korea to attend Hyung-jin-nim and Kook-jin-nim, where I supported their efforts to change and develop the church in Korea. As you heard in the reports on Saturday from representatives of the Korean church and the HSA-UWC Foundation in Korea, now the True Children are directly involved in systematizing everything. The catchphrase developed in the Korean church is: "From charismatic leadership to systematized leadership." Both the Church and the Foundation, which were founded through the charismatic leadership of True Parents, are now becoming specialized in each field, and the church is settling into a system.
Therefore, the system of checks and balances and internal controls normally used for business management has been incorporated into ministry. One of those methodologies is to reduce expenses through restructuring, and to give incentives based on performance. Moreover, in order to allocate funds and make important policy decisions, groupware software was introduced, allowing for a thorough Internet control system that empowers our leaders to exercise authority at their particular level of responsibility at the same time. Through these and other efforts, the public perception of our Church and Foundation in Korean society has changed quite a bit.
The second important lesson is to become one with True Family and to attend True Parents well.
I am happy to say that I have had many opportunities to attend True Children closely. In America, I worked closely with Hyo-jin Hyung-nim and Hyun-jin Hyung-nim, and in Korea I worked in attendance of Hyung-jin-nim and Kook-jin-nim. Now, True Parents have appointed the elder sister of all the True Sons on the earth, In-jin-nim, as the president of the American church. Now, you and I have the honor to work in attendance of In-jin-nim. During the leaders' conference, In-jin-nim spoke about true Cain-Abel relationship. She spoke about the ideal relationship between the True Family and Blessed Families.
I can wholeheartedly affirm what she said. All Blessed Families need to attend and respect the True Children in return for the love they have received from True Parents. If we can do that, then the True Children will be free to love our children with the same love that they have for their own children. The True Children are already doing so. I was deeply moved when I heard the report that In-jin-nim visited the 12 church districts around America, meeting individually with every Blessed Child that she could. When Hyun-jin-nim identified Cain-position Blessed Families as extended members of the True Family, he was emphasizing that we all have to attend True Parents together with the True Children. Even now in Korea, Hyung-jin-nim is meeting with one family per week and encouraging our 2nd generation. Kook-jin-nim visits Japan weekly and gives encouragement to Blessed Families there. When I worked in Korea in attendance of these two True Sons, we always had simple, working lunches of sandwiches or pizza.
Attending the True Children does not merely mean to worship them externally. We have to attend our eternal Abels, the True Children, with all our heart, and moreover to bring results so that we can fulfill True Parents' hopes and wishes. That is the true relationship that we should have with True Children. They are absolutely united with True Parents as they guide Blessed Families. In Korea, Hyung-jin-nim and Kook-jin-nim do not do anything without True Parents' prior approval. There have been many times that their monthly reports are longer than 300 pages. Even with relatively small decisions such as changing the person in charge of a company or a regional church leader, nothing is done without True Parents' approval. And once True Father gives a direction, the True Children obey absolutely. True Children are showing the proper example of how to attend True Parents absolutely.
As 2013 approaches, Father is more and more serious. This is especially reflected in the Hoon Dok Hae sessions. There have been many times when Father stays standing and speaks for many hours, from 5 o'clock in the morning. In Las Vegas, Father is even more serious. Hoon Dok Hae does not necessarily start at 5 a.m. Whenever Father calls us is Hoon Dok Hae time. In many cases, Father starts Hoon Dok Hae at 1 or 2 in the morning.
When Father appointed Archbishop Ki Hoon Kim as the continental itinerant worker, he emphasized that Archbishop Kim educate members with the seven texts that Father is currently focusing on. Appointing me as the continental director of America means that Father intends to directly lead the American providence, in order to guide Washington, the UN and the USA.
Beloved leaders,
In-jin-nim is not only a member of the True Family; she is also a successful mother and a great woman leader. Every time I see her give a sermon without any notes, I think, "Wow, she truly is Reverend Moon's daughter!" She totally resembles True Mother's character. In addition, Jin-sung-nim is such a handsome and capable man, isn't he?
What is even more beautiful than seeing this True Couple working together is to see all their children actively participating in Lovin' Life Ministries. I have faced many challenges in encouraging my own children to follow my faith. The successful model shown by In-jin-nim's family is a great example for our entire Unification Family. She has already shown us the standard. I am so proud of her! Thank you, In-jin-nim! Please join me in giving her a warm round of applause!
Finally, I want to encourage each and every one of you to be focused and productive in order to establish Cheon Il Guk. The most important thing in Cheon Il Guk, the one heavenly sovereignty, is the people of Cheon Il Guk. These people are the foundation for the establishment of the Cheon Il Guk sovereignty. The first step is to develop the church by increasing our membership.
We are living in the most precious time in human history. This is an age in which we substantially attend the Savior, the Lord of the Second Advent, the True Parents of Humanity. I heard from many members how moved they are hearing the reports of how well the Korean Church and the Korean Foundation are developing. Korea was completely devastated by the three-year Korean War, which started in 1950. From the end of the war until now, North and South Korea have been divided by the DMZ along the 38th parallel. That conflict is not actually over yet. North and South Korea have signed nothing more than a truce. A peace treaty was never signed.
In that kind of situation South Korea, which is over 70% mountainous, a land in which there is not even one drop of oil, a nation without natural resources, has within a period of 40 years become one of the world's ten leading economic powers. South Korea is the most developed IT power in the world. It is an electronic power, a power in shipbuilding, exporting of nuclear generators, and construction. Now, two True Children, as Harvard graduates, have developed the Church and the Foundation in that nation. Korea has been exemplary in the world Unification Church and has created a standard. Japan has already started incorporating the Korean system established by Hyung-jin-nim and Kook-jin-nim. From this year, the KPI system will be implemented in America and all the continents of the world.
Dear Leaders,
I was surprised when I learned that annual Sunday service attendance and donations in the USA have shown a downward trend since September last year. Let us thoroughly analyze the cause of this and make a great transition. Internally, we should invest all our heart and power to develop the church for the sake of membership growth. Externally, we should steadily develop True Parents' 40-year foundation of external activities, which have blossomed into organizations such as UPF, ACLC and WFWP. Let us work to make America into a country that can welcome True Parents as the Peace King and Queen. Let's develop our foundation to advance Heaven's providence in the UN and the US Capitol.
In a home, the eldest son must be healthy and strong in order for the family to be healthy. As the Elder Son Nation that must inherit True Parents' will, let's invest all our blood, sweat and tears in order to fulfill our mission and responsibility. Just as America is one of the greatest nations in the world, let's make the foundation that will allow our American church to become the strongest in our worldwide Unification Movement. Yesterday, in her sermon, In-jin-nim said that she is a proud America. I want you to know that I, too, have the same color passport as you. When I visited our national Won Jeon in Washington, DC, I looked for the place where I would be buried. Let's attend In-jin-nim together as proud Americans and make America into a central nation of the Unification Movement.
Once again, I thank God and True Parents. I am sincerely grateful to every one of the True Children. Let's create a proud American church with our sincerity, devotion and love. Thank you.