The Unification Theological Seminary:

(DRAFT: please send additions/corrections)

The Unification Theological Seminary has played a major role in God’s providential work in America and worldwide. We can relate this role to solving the "three headaches of God." As we ponder the future development of our alma mater, we should maintain a clear grasp of this historical foundation, our heritage at the dawn of the new millennium.

True Father created UTS as a Mecca for inter-religious dialogue. The original faculty, with one exception, hailed from faiths and denominations other than his own Unification Church. The faculty that was assembled in the school’s first three years included members of the Dutch Reformed Church, the Church of Christ, Methodism, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church (3), Judaism and Confucianism.

UTS also hosted speakers and lecturers from many more faiths, including Evangelical Christians, Latter Day Saints, Charismatic Christians, Muslims, indigenous African Christians, Tibetan Buddhists, and many more. Through these encounters, these religious groups and individual scholars gained exposure to the Unificationist culture and heart and, to some extent, teachings.

In the spring of 1977, UTS initiated a series of theologians’ conferences. The network of invited scholars began with Dr. Warren Lewis, his doctoral professor Dr. Herbert Richardson, and several other of Dr. Richardson’s doctoral students and colleagues, including M. Darrol Bryant, Richard Quebedeaux, Frank Flinn, Rod Sawatsky, James Cone (?), Mary Carmen Rose and Durwood Foster.

Dr. Quebedeaux brought numerous evangelical leaders, including Virgil Cruz, Don Deffner, Paul Eshleman (Campus Crusade for Christ), Irving Hexham, Pete Sommer (Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship), and Don Dayton. In addition, Dr. Constantine Tsirpanlis brought a number of Orthodox scholars to UTS.

These weekend dialogues brought these scholars and leaders together with UTS students in open theological and confessional dialogue, and were profoundly moving for all involved. Leadership devolved from Thomas Selover (’77) to Anthony Guerra (’78) and from there to a permanent UTS staff member, head librarian John Maniatis. Mr. Maniatis, Dr. Bryant and Dr. Quebedeaux guided the formalization of the conferences into the "New Ecumenical Research Association" (New ERA). With funding support from the Founder, New ERA c ontinued the weekend conferences and at the same time launched major meetings involving hundreds of American Christian scholars on various topics of Unification Theology. UTS alumni organized and helped teach these conferences, including Herb Mayr (’79), Jeff Gledhill (’79), Jaime Maniatis (’77), Lloyd Eby (’77), Jonathan Wells (’78), Anthony Guerra (’78), Dagfinn Aslid (’78), William McClellan (’79) and others.

In 1980, Father Moon called New ERA to expand beyond American scholars and beyond Christianity. This was achieved through the inaugural Conference on God: The Contemporary Discussion ("The God Conference"). Four annual God Conferences were held. In this setting, the participants shared their worship with each other each day. The organizers strove to go beyond intellectual dialogue to shared religious experience and friendship across religious barriers. UTS graduates were among the paper presenters as well as organizers at these conferences, including Frank Kaufmann (’79), Gordon Anderson (’78), Thomas Walsh (’79), Theodore Shimmyo (’77), Tyler Hendricks (’78), Patricia Zulkovsky (’79), Janine Sawada (’78), Jack and June Kiburz (’80 and ’81), Jolanda Smalls (’79) and others in addition to those named above.

New ERA at this time formalized as the International Religious Foundation, Inc. Its leaders, with the Founder’s enthusiastic support, launched the Youth Seminary on World Religions (YSWR). God Conference participants were invited to recommend youth from their faiths to join others in a global pilgrimage to the eminent religious sites of the world’s religions. 200 young people traveled from Barrytown, where they enjoyed presentations from Huston Smith, to Italy, Israel, Egypt, India, China and Japan. The YSWR was organized by Jim Stephens (’77), Nancy Yamamoto (‘’84), Joe Stein (’78), Herb Mayr (’79) and Mel Haft (’79), together with New ERA consultants Gene and Nona James, Fr. Joseph Fichter and David Kalupahana. UTS students also served as participant-staff.

At the same time, IRF invited American Christian ministers to "Interdenominational Conferences for Clergy" (ICC) on Unification theology, first on a national level in the Bahamas, then on regional and local levels. This evolved into the Common Suffering Fellowship and then the Advanced ICCs in Japan and Korea, for 7,000 ministers. Leaders and presenters in these activities included Jim Stephens (’77), Kathy Winings (’87) and Tyler Hendricks (’78).

During 1984 at UTS, Dr. Frank Kaufmann launched the Council for the World’s Religions (CWR), an important foundation for the IRFWP. Under its auspices, in the early 1990s, Andrew Wilson (’78) and Yoshihiko Masuda (’77) edited the World Scripture, which plays an increasingly important role in the unification of world religions.

The final IRF activity initiated out of the UTS environs was the first Assembly of the World’s Religions (AWR). This event brought together 1,000 leaders from across the globe for a week of presentations, small group discussions, shared worship, song and dance, art and music. The UTS-based staff included many alumni. In addition, the entire student body participated in a course on inter-religious dialogue and then served as staff for the conference.

One month after the AWR, the IRF was moved to New York City. Nonetheless, UTS alumni continued to play the major roles in its development, in particular Dr. Jonathan Wells (’78), Dr. Tyler Hendricks, Dr. Frank Kaufmann, Dr. Thomas Walsh, Mr. John Gehring (’79), Mr. Frank LaGrotteria (’94) and Mr. Tag Hamad (’86).

Parallel to these developments, Seminary president Dr. David S. C. Kim launched the Global Congress of World Religions (GCWR), an organization that brought more scholars and religious leaders into the providential orbit. Thus we can see that UTS played the major role in solving God’s headache of the disunity of Christianity and the world’s religions.

Headache #2: The Scourge of Communism Extra-Strength Tylenol: CAUSA, ACC, CARP, the ILS and the blood of a martyr

As a theological institution, UTS is positioned to work directly with the religious world. It is not suited for direct action in relation to political issues. Nonetheless, UTS graduates played major roles in our movement’s work to overcome the scourge of communism, chiefly through education.

Paramount among those graduates is Dr. Thomas Ward (’81). Under the leadership of Dr. Bo Hi Pak, he guided the formation of the CAUSA Worldview. Fredrick Swarts (’82), Bill Selig (’81), Caleb Thompson (’86), Cesar Regalado (’81), William Connery (’81), Tom Bowers (’81), Jean Rondon (’82) and Roger Johnstone (’81) also played central roles in this effort, beginning with the CAUSA conferences in South America, the CAUSA Ministerial Alliance in the United States and finally the American Leadership Conferences.

Central also to this work was the American Constitution Committee, among whose leadership were UTS graduates George Allen (’82), Bruce Biggin (’80), Eric Bobrycki (’84), Terry Blount (’81), Kim and Mary Bratti (’82, ‘84), Gary Chidester (’86), Alex Colvin (’86), Chris Corcoran (’86), Tom Cutts (’83), Craig Dahl (’84), Clopha Deshotel ("85), Michael Dickerson (’85), John Dickson (’83), Dan Fefferman (’86), James Flynn (’83), Jack Harford (’79), Michael Hentrich (’79), Alan Inman (’84), Michael Jenkins (’77), Bento Leal (’77), Don Marsolek (’77), Robert Mason (’83), Richard Oben (’79), Berlin Oliver (’79), Richard Panzer (’79), Don Sardella (’80), Henri Schauffler (’85), Ritsuko Soto (‘88), Robert Spitz (’86), Bruce Sutchar (’85), Carl Swearson (’81), Ed Taub (’82), David Tebo (’83), Pamela Valente (’82), Paul Yasutake (’77), Stephen Goldberg (’80) and Barbara Beard (’80),

The Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP) carried on the ideological war to overcome communism on American campuses through out the 80s. Among CARP leadership in that era we find numerous UTS graduates, including Howard and Chieko Self (’78, ’81), Jim Garland (’87), Jack Ashworth (’82), Steve Osmond (‘82), Michael Balcomb, Tyler Hendricks, Jim Anderson (’82), Staffan and Jane Berg (’85, ’83), Fritz and Holly Buningh (’83, ’82), Daryl Clarke (’82), Esteban Galvin (’79), Timothy Henning (’88), William Hilbert (’88), Mike Jaroszko (’82), Jeffrey Kingsley (’90), Robert Kittel (’93), Larry Krishnek (’93), Frederick Lacroix (’94), Sung Am Moon (’93), Anne Nilson (’81), James Osborn (’82), Jim Ramunni (‘87), Brian Sabourin (’90), Gerry Servito (’82), Linda Shapiro (’79), Myra Stanecki (’89), Kasia Stevens (’82), June Saunders (’83), Charles Hoover (’80), Tom and Christine Froelich (’83, ’80), Werner Fehlberg (’90, German CARP), Herbert Eisenbart (’88), Herman Drost (’83), Steve Copeland (’88), and Michael and Ann Bolton (’88, ’87).

Unsurpassed among the offerings of UTS alumni in the fight to overcome communism was that made by Lee Shapiro (’78). Lee was a filmmaker who dedicated his life to the cause of telling the truth to the American people. He spent months in the jungles of Nicaragua with the Miskito Indians. His camera revealed how the communist Sandinista government was systematically destroying this indigenous people. The film he made, "Nicaragua Was Our Home," was aired by the Public Broadcasting System and in the White House. His work helped the American Congress and people recognize the threat to freedom throughout the hemisphere posed by the Sandinistas.

Mr. Shapiro’s next project was to film Soviet atrocities in Afghanistan. On the border of Pakistan he made friends with the Mujahadeen fighters. With them he entered Afghanistan to film their battles with the Soviet army. As his fame spread, the Soviets came to know what he was doing, and in a helicopter gunship attack they killed Lee Shapiro. He was awarded posthumously a Congressional Medal of Freedom. It is our conviction that his sacrifice, representing True Parents, our church and our seminary, contributed with blood to the ouster of the Soviet Union from Afghanistan and the eventual crumbling of the Soviet Empire. His widow, Linda Shapiro (‘79), carries Lee Shapiro’s memory and work forward.

When the Iron Curtain fell, UTS graduates were among the core leadership and ground troops for our educational mission into the former Soviet Union. Dr. Richard Arthur visited our graduates there and he testifies that they were very effective. They created ministries in the former atheist society that, in his words, "could have not have been done by anyone else." He marvels at how much they gave up to go there. Among the Seminary graduates to work there are Bob and Karen Beebe (’84, ‘83), Barry Mahler (’82), Gerald Lux (’87), Myra Stanecki (’89), Christopher Le Bas (’91), Sharon Pace (’83), Tom Phillips (’92), David Stewart (’85), Eric Sylte (’92), Janine Takahashi (’92), Clifford Yank (’89), Jonathan Myung (’92), Jin Ho Moon (’92), Atsushi Murakami (’92), Misa Muratake (’92), Junko Nakajima (’92), Gregg Noll (’92), Cabot Peterson (’92), Paul Saver (’92), Sandra Stott (’87), Barbara Zingg (’93), Pietro Marchitelli (’92), Ikuji Kobayashi (’91), Robert Kittel (’93), Shoichi Kimura (’92), Nicholas Kernan (’92), Nobuyuki Iioka (’92), Lawrence Haft (’92), William Haines (’92), Shinji Gyoten (’92), Sabry Gheberial (’92), Eog Cheong Choe (’91), Stephen Child (’89), Jerome and Jeanne Carroll (’87, ’87), Makoto Atarashi (’92), Rumiko Arahira (’92), Ikutaro Asakura (’92) and Marilyn Angelucci (’89). Many of these people are still carrying on the work there.

Numerous Seminary alumni, in particular those who were involved in Ph.D. studies, were concerned with President Carter’s ineffectiveness at dealing with the threat of communism. Inspired by the potential of Ronald Reagan to reverse this trend, a number of UTS alumni, including Jonathan Wells (’78), Lloyd Eby (77), Anthony Guerra (’78), Andrew Wilson (’78), Tyler Hendricks (’78), Frank Kaufmann (’78) and Tom Walsh (’78), became Reagan activists during his 1980 campaign. The Harvard group’s "Don’t Sell Principles for Peanuts" banner made the front page of the Boston Globe, New York Times and Washington Post. UTS alumnus became the managers of the New York campaign office, and played significant roles in Massachusetts and Tennessee. Reagan had been predicted to lose all of these states, but ended up winning them by small margins. The Tennessee Republican Party leader privately credited the victory in that state to the efforts of the three UTS alumni. In this way, UTS contributed indirectly to the fall of communism.

The Struggle against Deprogramming: The foundation of New ERA conferences with sociologists of religion such as Joseph Fichter, Anson Shupe, David Bromley, Brain Wilson, Eileen Barker, Jim Lewis and Gordon Melton, produced a phalanx of scholars who stood up against the practice of deprogramming and for religious freedom. Dr. Herbert Richardson published two books against deprogramming (Documenting the Issues, and New Religions and Mental Health). He also published the documentary book, Constitutional Issues in the Case Against Reverend Moon. UTS thereby contributed to the sustenance of religious liberty not just for their own faith but for all faiths. This work continues today with Dan Fefferman (’86) at the helm of the International Coalition for Religious Freedom.

UTS graduates Jonathan Wells (’78), Andrew Wilson (’78), Anthony Guerra (’78), James Baughman (’78) and Mark Wilenchik (’79) were on the frontline defending the church in various court cases, including the New York City Tax Case, the Danbury trial, and the charities case of the English church.

Headache #3: The Decline of Youth and Family Morality Tylenol for Children: IEF, PLA, Free Teens, The True Family Values Ministry

UTS alumni are on the frontline for the relief of God’s third headache, the decline of youth morality and the family. Richard Panzer (’79) established Free Teens, an educational organization dedicated to enlightening teenagers about the dangers of pre-marital sex, in particular the danger of sexually transmitted diseases. His books include Condom Nation and Daddy, Where to Babies Come From? Condom Nation received praise on national radio from Dr. Laura Schlesinger. Free Teens curricula are highly ranked nationally among abstinence-based sex education programs and are in use in high schools from New Jersey to Nagoya Japan.

Dr. Chang Shik Yang (’96) did his doctoral work in AIDS and has established an association for educating church leaders on how to do AIDS ministry.

Mr. Jin Hun Park Moon (’93) launched the Pure Love Alliance (PLA) with seminary grads Robert Kittel (’93) and Michael Balcomb (’93). The PLA has had great success teaching in high schools in Chicago, Miami and elsewhere. PLA’s summer publicity tours of teenagers marching for sexual purity have garnered public attention and clergy support throughout America, Japan, Korea and Europe. Currently, Howard Self (’78) is heading up American CARP and Robert Kittel maintains leadership of PLA.

Under the guidance of Dr. Joon Ho Seuk, former UTS faculty member, Tony Devine (’99), John Williams (‘90), June Saunders (‘83) and Andrew Wilson (’78) took leadership in creating a curriculum for character education under the banner of the International Educational Foundation (IEF). This curriculum has had great success in Russia and other states of the CIS, in mainland China and now in the United States. Mr. Devine is a sought-after speaker at the major national conferences on character education in America.

Finally, Tyler Hendricks (’78) and Andrew Wilson (’78) worked under Rev. Joong Hyun Pak to create the True Family Values Ministry. They designed this ministry to reach Christianity and made a special curriculum for Islam, directly from the Koran and Hadiths. In 1996 they led seminars through which almost 5,000 ministers and Christian leaders came to understand the biblical basis for the true parents and true family. In Chicago, Rev. Ki Hoon Kim (’96) and Rev. Michael Jenkins (’77) applied True Family Values consistently over several years to assist them in building up a tremendous coalition of churches and eventually open up the schools to the PLA curriculum.

In Conclusion We can see that UTS and its students, faculty and graduates have made significant contributions to the Unification work for God and True Parents in America and worldwide. In particular, our contribution has been great in relieving God’s three headaches. It goes without mention that in addition to this heavenly pain relief, UTS graduates have served in other areas including Ocean Church, the Washington Times and its affiliated publications, and church leadership on the local, national and international levels. The president of the church in Korea, Rev. Sun Jo Hwang, in Japan, Mr. Katsumi Otsuka, and in America, Rev. Michael Jenkins, is a UTS alumni. The Continental Directors of North America, Dr. Chang Shik Yang, the Northeast, Dr. Joon Ho Seuk, and Asia, Rev. Byung Wooh Kim are UTS graduates. The leadership of the New Yorker Hotel and Manhattan Center, Rev. Peter Kim and Mr. Mark Wilenchik, are UTS graduates. Rev. Peter Kim also serves as the director of KEA America. A UTS graduate, Dr. Anthony Guerra, played a major role in the acquisition of the University of Bridgeport. Another graduate, Dr. Yoshihiko Masuda, is Dean of the School of Theology at Sun Myung Moon University. Dr. Gordon Anderson (’78) is Director of PWPA. Damian Anderson (’84) is a pioneer of Unificationism on the internet. Greg Breland (’84) is director of ICUS and of the World University Federation. Graduates Michael Mickler (’77), David Carlson (’79), Andrew Wilson (’78) and Kathy Winings (’87), Dietrich Seidel (’77) and others are the major professors at UTS. Timothy Elder (’77) heads up the world newspaper project. This list could go on and on

This work of UTS has developed over the decades. The work for religious unity took center stage in the 70s and early 80s. Through the 80s and into the early 90s, communism was the major issue. From the mid-90s, the decline of youth and the family was the pressing concern. What is the issue for the first decade of the new millennium? At the top of the list are the United Federation of Family Churches, which means church health and growth for our church and for all churches, and the development of the United Nations into an organization that can truly build world peace.

UTS will build upon its heritage to offer more today and tomorrow.

 Download entire page and pages related to it in ZIP format
Table of Contents
Copyright Information
Tparents Home