The Words of Hyung Jin Moon
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The Words of Hyung Jin Moon |
World CARP leaders, students and other members who have come here today! I thank you with all my heart. It seems as if there have been events almost every day for the past two weeks. I'm sure among those who are here today some of you have already participated in previous events. It's my pleasure to see you again.
Today I am taking office as the international president of World CARP. I was appointed as the person responsible not only for World CARP but also for our church internationally and the Korean church. Up until now we have been involved in many providential undertakings in attendance of True Parents. We have carried out many educational activities and carried out many campaigns within society. Yet, the most important mission for me is the development of the church.
This is the mission True Parents personally gave me. True Father specifically used the expression "transform people into family members" when explaining this new mission to me. In this new era, finding many members for the Unification Church is the new providential mission. True Parents gave me the mission of creating a church where members increase in number, rather than just a church that holds providential events and provides education.
All providential organizations should work together for this mission. It is not a question of whether we want to do this work or not; True Parents have given us this mission, so we must carry it out.
I will continue to serve as the pastor of the Headquarters Church as I have been doing. This is the fourth time I have come to the FFWPU Headquarters Building. I am responsible for the Korean Church Headquarters, but I will focus on ministerial activities at the Headquarters Church rather than work from this building! Unless someone is working it the field, doing pastoral work, he won't know what to do to help the church develop.
We have done much work while covering over the fact that we are the Unification Church. I'm tired of hiding. We should harvest the fruits that allow us to proudly say, in society, that we are members of the Unification Church. Our church culture and our capability should cause people of society to look at us and exclaim, "Unification Church members are really amazing!"
I'm not saying we should walk around in T-shirts with "I am a member of the Unification Church" printed in big letters to boast of the fact that we are members. But we must show the world our success and achievements. Yet, if we can remain honest and humble, the world will come to respect us. If we can have the heart to elevate people who are greater than we are, I am sure people will want to come and help us.
I have done many interviews recently. Whenever I do an interview, I try to express humility. I treat the journalists as if they are members. Although I am the president of the Family Federation for World Peace, I do not tell the journalists how I'm going to create world peace. I honestly tell them I am still a young man who is short on experience and has a lot to learn. I tell them I would like to grow while constantly making effort with a humble heart.
After beginning my ministry and visiting some of our members' homes, I realized there is a lot to be done. Whether meeting members in Japan or in Korea, I found our members are all worn out. They have no power. They seem to have doubts about being in the church and think, "What kind of person am I? What's the purpose of the work I have been doing in the church?"
A shortcoming of our church culture exists in the care of our members and in having genuine concern for them. Our church leaders should genuinely lead honest lives in front of other members. The time where leaders could say "Listen to me, because I wield power in the church" has passed. If you can truly live and work for the sake of the members in your charge, you will be respected as a leader.
True Parents assigned special responsibilities to me, but I'm not doing this on my own. We will create a good system in each field of responsibility. We will create a decision-making process that will facilitate wise decision-making. I will not be the one giving instructions; rather, I will listen to and take into account many people's opinions and move forward with them. The members of the True Family in particular will be united in the decisions we make. If anyone were to move alone, he or she would be extremely lonely. What True Father desires is that we all move together. We are one family.
Brothers and sisters! If people ask what religion you belong to, what will say? When you fill out a family survey sent from your child's school, what will you write in the space for "religion"? Do you write "Unification Church"? If a young Korean man enlisting in the Korean Army writes "Unification Church" as the religion he is affiliated with, it is said he is marked as someone needing "special attention." I have heard people have been ostracized at school once it became known they are members of the Unification Church. That is the reality we face today.
We say we are members of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification or World CARP members. Fundamentally, though, we are Unification Church members. If as Unification Church members we do not know the Divine Principle, how can we testify about True Parents? To be incapable of testifying about True Parents means we are losing our identity. We are losing that which is everything to us. In everything we do, we must go forth centered on True Parents.
I have met many members who are like saints. They have offered everything they have for True Parents. These people are truly leading sacrificial lives. I would like to offer a sincere bow to such members. In particular, I respect our Japanese members.
Our church really needs to become transparent. Being transparent will allow us to know who truly lives for the sake of others. Bad things do not spontaneously emerge from pristine water. In order for our church to become transparent in its operations, I will work with my brother, Kook-jin hyung-nim. This applies also to World CARP.
Transparency will be our strength. We will disclose all aspects of the church, in other words, everything from our ministry to our finances. We will create a mature church and church culture.
Hyo-jin hyung-nim, [Park] Jin-hun and Hyun-jin hyung nim have done important things to bring World CARP to where it is today. They sincerely worked hard for the sake of the leaders and students. On their foundation, I am now to take the position of World CARP president, which is really an honor.
My greatest responsibility is church development. In order to bring success to the providence led by True Parents, we should first move to revive our faith. When True Father gave me this mission he used the expression transforming people into family members. In order to increase our membership, we must first create an atmosphere in our church conducive to welcoming the people of the world. We must develop the church in a transparent way.
When we hold educational or social activities under a name other than the Unification Church, the people who take part in these activities will not attend True Parents unless they are transformed into family members. It is a painful reality that we have been unable to bear substantial fruit, results, from the undertakings we invested in. Yet, as Kook-jin hyung said, we must face this reality.
As you all know, the results from the recent elections did not reach our expectations. We were involved in numerous activities, but the results were not good. Yet, we learned an important lesson. That is, people will not genuinely support True Parents unless they become members.
The Japanese members would be familiar with this; there is a large religious organization in Japan called Soka Gakkai. They currently have about six million followers. On the foundation of their religion, their members ran for election and had good results. Their political influence in turn played a positive role in expanding their religious foundation.
We need to bring in members who can enter into the realm of True Parents love. In order to do this, primarily, we must transform our church culture.
Currently, our church has an "in-group mentality." It is as if we are holding hands in a circle but with everyone facing inside the circle. If you have an in-group mentality, you end up creating an in-grown culture, which limits a group's growth.
We must have an outward-looking mentality. We should hold hands but face outward. We should prepare our hearts to welcome anybody. Without this mentality our membership will not increase. We will be unable to fulfill True Parents' dream. I know you have been working so hard, but we must work even harder now. We must show evident results to society rather than just words.
We are working toward a common goal. We are working for True Parents. I get strength from the dedicated members who are working hard. I will work diligently until the day our members can genuinely feel they are in an era of liberation and complete freedom.
I will work to create a fair and transparent church, a church that puts what True Parents say into practice. We shall succeed. Yet, we will always have humility in our hearts. I will work harmoniously with others. We sincerely need devoted children, loyal servants, saints and divine children who can project True Parents' brilliance.
You have all been working hard for God's providence. Yet, it seems that our personal faith, which in a sense is most fundamental to us, has declined. Still, I am not worried because a faith-revival is happening at the Headquarters Church. Whenever I go to the Headquarters Church, I feel I am really alive. My heart is elated whenever I work with the members. I've discovered True Parents' love and their way of life within the members. We must make these members, who are dear to us, into people who can shine.
Before my inauguration, True Father told me that the person at the top must go to the lowest position. Leaders must live with a humble heart. They should make effort to be genuinely humble when loving the members.
After I took office as the [FFWPU] international president, I had the room that was reserved for me at the Headquarters Church made into a prayer room, and I moved my office to a small room in the house adjacent to the church. I will try to be more humble. I am determined not to become arrogant. True Father has talked about "servant leadership." He has talked about the position of the servant of servants.
After I was inaugurated as the FFWPU International president, somebody told me I was the fourth Adam. Brothers and sisters! There will not be a new Messiah, a new True Parent or a new center. I am not a new center. I am not a new Adam.
Brothers and sisters! Has True Father failed? No. He is victorious.
If leaders in public missions tell members "I represent True Parents. You have to attend me as if attending True Parents," things will become difficult in the church from that day on. That leader will fail. A leader must become a bridge allowing members to advance toward God and True Parents. They must love and guide the members with a humble heart.
True Parents have always guided us in this way. Though they are in the highest and most exalted position, they always come down to the lowest position to serve. We must inherit that precious tradition from True Parents.
All the organizations must sincerely engage in discussions with one another. We must not think about what we should do for ourselves but for the sake of God's kingdom. We must think about what we have to do to expand True Parents' realm of love.
From now on, no decisions will be made centering on a leader's ego; all decisions will be made centering on the organization's mission. This is so that we can safely carry out our mission even when the leader of a church or providential organizations is changed.
In an interview, I told a journalist, "I am now the international president of the Unification Church and the leader of the Korean Unification Church. Yet, I will reduce my power." It is easy to become a tyrant if one seeks power. When you are in a position of power, you can accurately see yourself only when you let go of your authority. Then you can truly work for the sake of the members. if you seek to obtain power, you will end up focusing your thinking on yourself.
Brothers and sisters! Have you seen the movie "Lord of the Rings"? I think I am in a position similar to that of little Frodo, a character in the movie. We must destroy that ring that wields absolute power and authority. No single person should ever wear that ring. Absolute power should not be given to a single individual.
In that sense, the organization must stand strong and upright. That is why True Father instructed Kook-jin hyung to make the organization stronger. Kook-jin hyung is born with a gift in terms of organization management. He turned the Foundation, which only three years ago was losing a W100 billion each year, into a profit-making organization.
Our Japanese members have made too many sacrifices to support the operations of the Foundation, which was struggling in the red. Whenever I go to Japan and meet the members, it pains my heart. I do not want our Japanese members to continuously suffer. The Japanese members should be the first to enjoy the era of liberation and complete freedom. In order to facilitate that, we will move to make all the providential organizations financially independent in their operations. It is time for the organizations to grow up. The entire church must grow up and become mature.
Church growth is our collective responsibility. Let us create a strong church, a culturally mature church, a church to which we can invite and welcome the people of the world. Of course, this is something that cannot be done by one person. The True Family will move together. True Parents are the only ones who can give directions. Within the True Family, we will first have discussions and dialogue before we do anything. It will be the same in the organizations.
Church development and faith revival are the areas that all churches and providential organizations should concentrate on. We must go forward as a church that sincerely attends True Parents and as members of the Unification Church that can further illuminate True Parents' names.
When I heard of the accidental oil-spill off the Tae-an Peninsula, I took our Headquarters Church pastors and staff to take part in the volunteer activities [cleaning up the oil-spill]. If we had gone there representing the World Wildlife Fund, our activities would not have anything to do with the church. I went and took part in the volunteer activities on the Tae-an Peninsula as a member of the Unification Church. If we can do such good works in this world under the banner of the Unification Church, the perception the people of the world have of our church will change. They will come to say, "Wow, the Unification Church is doing these things." However, if we go under a different banner, we will not be able to change the social perception of our church.
When Kook-jin hyung and I went to Harvard University, we made it clear that we were members of the Unification Church. When we introduced ourselves in class, one of the first things we said was that we are sons of Rev. Sun Myung Moon. I hope you too can have that kind of courage.
Any of us could say, I'm a member of FFWPU. I'm a member of World CARP. I belong to this providential organization. I'm an ambassador for peace. However, the fundamental aspect of our identity is that we are Unification Church members. We are members of the Unification Church who received the blessing from True Parents and inherited their tradition of faith.
I majored in the Comparative Study of Religion. Our movement has all the elements of a religion. The Unification Church has its doctrine (the word), religious rituals, liturgy and other qualities that clearly make us a religious organization. Everybody views us as religious people. Do not hide the fact that you are a member of the Unification Church. As a member of the Unification Church each of us represents True Father.
Brothers and sisters!
Please take pride in being a member of the Unification Church. No other religious organization in the history of religions has grown as much as we have in the lifetime of its founder. The Unification Church is the most successful religion in history.
Our responsibility is to expand the number of people who can experience True Parents' realm of love. We must practice a genuine and pure leadership style. We must live honestly. When people who are in a public mission live for the sake of the members and to illuminate God's kingdom, they will be respected. No longer will people find success by lining-up behind a particular person. We will be impartial when reporting to True Father.
From now on, words will not be enough. We must put what we say into practice. We must show the world in a transparent way what we are doing. We must work not for the sake of one person but for the good of the whole. We must return the glory to True Parents. We must fulfill the mission of transforming people into family members. We must continue with this faith-revival movement.
Please help us. All the organizations should cooperate, work and move together with the church. We must move forward together with one heart, mind and spirit. Many of our providential organizations should move centering on the church. The church and these organizations have the same mission.
Let us create a church where people can experience more of True Parents' love. Our church leaders and those in a public mission should go to the lowest position in serving other members.
Let us work together. Let us create a church that we can be proud of; let us make the Unification Church one that, from everyone's perspective, shines out. Let us make a church where our children can be proud that they are members, at any time and wherever they live. I truly hope that day will come soon.
Thank you very much.
Beloved Heavenly Father! The eternal True Parent of the cosmos, of heaven, earth and humankind!
Today we have received yet another important mission. We know very well that the path we should take from now is one that does not solely belong to us. We will live for the sake of our church and its members. As leaders, we will help our members shine out even more. We will make sure the members become people who can truly love True Parents and who can truly attend True Parents with greater devotion.
We are not proud of any position or proud of power. As the persons given this responsibility, we will go down to the lowest position. We will follow the leadership-style exemplified by True Parents and initiate servant-leadership in front of all humanity.
We will march forward for God and True Parents, and we will succeed. We will be victorious. Yet, none of our victories is ours to keep. The victories that we gain are not for the sake of elevating ourselves. Rather they are for us to return the glory to God and True Parents from a humble position. Please guide us so that we may cultivate that kind of universal heart.
We are convinced that a revival of faith will begin from our church and from our blessed families.
Heavenly Father! I truly thank you for this day. We have come to realize anew how precious are our blessed families, the second-generation members and the members in all the nations. Guide us so we may understand the true value and identity that has been bestowed on us, that we may be victorious for God and True Parents and that we may return glory to them.
True Father gave us the mission of reviving our faith and the mission to transform people into family members. We are now taking the first steps in fulfilling that. We will give everything to create a church that serves the members. We will make sure that an increasing number of the world's people experience True Parents' love through the Unification Church.
Please guide all our members so that they may become true, devoted sons or devoted daughters, loyal patriots, saints and divine sons or daughters who can work for the will of God and True Parents and return glory to them.
All this I pray, on behalf of all the blessed families worldwide, in the name of Hyung-jin Moon, a member of a blessed, central family. Aju!