The Words of the Hendricks Family
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The Words of the Hendricks Family |
Dr. Joon Ho Seuk, representing the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification International (FFWPUI) headquarters office in Seoul, visited the Unification Theological Seminary (UTS) Barrytown campus on December 5, 2008.
In an address to students at lunchtime, Dr. Seuk shared about the ministry of Dr. Hyung Jin Moon, the new International President of the FFWPUI. He discussed in detail Dr. Moon’s daily schedule of devotions, rising at 2 a.m., offering kyung baes (prostrations), pledging and meditating for a period of time, then carrying out a prayer walk to the site at which a world temple will be built, the Myung Dong Roman Catholic Church and other churches and temples in Seoul. Dr. Moon prays for victory, illumination and peace upon the peoples of all religions and no religion. Dr. Seuk extolled the seminarians and staff to establish such conditions in their daily lives. He then explained about the vision for the world temple as a house of prayer for people of all nations and religions.
The vision for this temple dovetails with that of UTS as an interfaith seminary, as Dr. Seuk explained it. Dr. Moon will create worship modules expressing Reverend Sun Myung Moon’s ideal through the liturgical and worship traditions of the world’s great faiths. The goal is to gather 210,000 people for worship in numerous such services each week. Dr. Moon is being assisted in the practical implementation of this vision through his older brother, Mr. Kook Jin Justin Moon, who is heading a philanthropic foundation. The South Korean media has reported actively and positively about the ministry ventures being launched by Dr. Moon and Mr. Moon.
After his address, Dr. Seuk took a tour of the facility and met with core staff personnel to discuss future plans for UTS in its important development as an interfaith seminary, a partner to the interfaith vision being articulated by Dr. Moon.
Dr. Seuk served a mission with UTS as the assistant to the first president, Dr. David S. C. Kim, during the late 1970s and early 1980s, prior to becoming the National Director for the American branch of the Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP). In that capacity Dr. Seuk eventually served as a Unification movement leader in the former Soviet Union 1989-92, bringing thousands of young Russians, Latvians, Estonians and Lithuanians to Divine Principle workshops in New York, and coordinating mission work of hundreds of American Unificationists, including the graduates of two seminary classes and professors as well.
Subsequently, he was named Continental Director for the Northeast (now Eurasia) Continent, consisting of Russia, China and Mongolia. In 2008, he was appointed to the headquarters leadership of the FFWPUI in Korea.
Written by UTS President Dr. Tyler Owen Hendricks
UTS is an international and interdenominational graduate level Seminary. At UTS, students can earn degrees which will serve as a foundation for ministerial work and leadership in a variety of settings. UTS is an interfaith seminary with both faculty and students representing a wide range of religious traditions. The curricula at UTS are likewise interfaith in nature and include courses on Christianity, Islam and Buddhism among others. Established in 1975, by the founder, Rev. Sun Myung Moon, UTS celebrates more than 30 Years of educating international leaders in a wide variety of missions worldwide.