Seventh American Christian Ministers' Conference on Unificationism

Leslie Holliday
October 17, 1986

ICC Director Jim Stephens shows the guests around the historic Kyung Bok Palace in Seoul

Once again, and now for the seventh time, a large and most diverse group of ministers and religious leaders journeyed to Japan and Korea for the American Christian Ministers' Conference on Unificationism. Held October 8-17, this was the seventh in an ongoing series sponsored by ICC and entitled "Rev. Moon and Korea in the Providence of God" Slowly, surely, as each new wave of pilgrims shuttles back and forth between the West and the Holy Land of the new age, bonds of heart are being forged, and the bridge between doubt and new hope is becoming broader and more secure.

The hardworking staff of the 7th conference.

The 140 participants came from almost every conceivable Protestant denomination as well as from an array of Catholic traditions; there were also representatives of Judaism, the Native American Movement, and Emissaries of Divine Light. The convener for this conference was Rev. Don E. Olson, a Lutheran pastor from Miami Beach who is involved in many important social service pro- grams, as well as "Shared Action' a project of ICUSA.

Russell Means, head of the Native American Movement, with Dr. Bo Hi Pak after the performance at the Little Angels School. Mr. Means' son is being embraced by one of the Little Angels.

This group of participants demonstrated a high level of seriousness, thoughtfulness, and broad-mindedness. It was quite clear to them that they were not being asked to convert from or abandon their own beliefs -- but simply to evaluate the Principle with an open heart. Judging from the responses proffered in the discussion groups, most received the message quite well. Many became inwardly hopeful and jubilant that now indeed was the time of the Second Coming. Others, while they may have rejected the possibility of Rev. Moon's messiahship at that moment, expressed tolerance and acceptance of our position. Most importantly however, these conferences have caught them in a net of heart and mutual understanding which will ultimately yield great benefits for the "healing of the body of Christ.

The Most Rev. Roberto Toca, archbishop of the Orthodox Catholic Church for all Hispanics in the Americas and Spain, speaks at the New Chung Pa Dong Church in Seoul.