The Words of Hyung Jin Moon
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The Words of Hyung Jin Moon |
Good afternoon! It is a great pleasure to see you all again after so long. As you may be aware, you can see many changes and developments taking place in the Unification Movement through the Korean church. Many unprecedented changes are already taking place in the Unification Family. The church system nationwide has been restructured and reorganized in preparation for 2013.
A few days ago, inaugural ceremonies for newly appointed church leaders were held across the nation. In the process, for the first time in the history of the Unification Church, with True Parents' blessing, retirement pay has been prepared for retiring church leaders. They have worked until now to open the way and pave the road for their successors and for the future of the Unification Family.
I firmly believe that the missions True Parents gave to the elder church leaders are not yet completed. Senior church leaders who have walked the path of the providence in attendance to True Parents will not completely graduate from their pastoral duties, but will continue to work as elder church leaders through the hoondok churches, and guide the younger leaders.
To bring about the further development of the Korean church, a restructuring of the nationwide church system will be carried out; a system of regional and sub-regional directors centering on Rev. Yang Chang-shik will be implemented. We will establish goals toward which our church will newly strive, and thus we will lay a substantial foundation for the settlement of Cheon Il Guk by 2013.
Until now, we dispersed the power of our church in different ways in the effort to expand its foundation. The church was run with the mind-set and attitude that each individual was working as a seed, a pioneer. Now our Unification Church has passed through the time of being structured as if for battle and is headed toward an era of settlement and development. I believe our church should be restructured in keeping with the demands of the age and of the providence.
Our framework has been too small to restore our massive society. Our system has been inadequate to convey to everyone the truth they have craved. It is time to pool all our dispersed efforts and meet society's advances head-on, in order to satisfy the demands of society and of the providence.
We can do many things when our church grows larger. We will be able to provide more benefits to our members, and we will be able to do out volunteer work for the benefit of society. These are absolutely necessary factors for the restoration of the nation. Through transparency; fairness and thorough management of the church organization, we will prevent the ill effects that can arise from church growth.
A question may arise: How are we to make a very large church? This is pertinent, especially when we consider that it has been difficult to successfully witness to even one person per year. This question is easily answered; the answer lies with our members. Through them, our church can either grow or regress. Of course, True Parents' message is forever, but their fruits, that is, their result, are the members and people make ready judgments looking only at the result. In other words, True Parents' teachings are the ideology, and the members are the results of that. When exemplary results are multiplied everywhere, True Parents' message will be verified by the world as the truth.
Though we have published hundreds of books and held tens of thousands of rallies, our church has failed to grow. This is clear proof that we have not conveyed the word properly to the rest of the world. To state it plainly; though countless seeds of the word have been scattered far and wide, they failed to take root and be resurrected as beings with life. It is time for us to check our methods of sowing and managing. I intend to find solutions to such problems by looking within True Parents' teachings.
True Parents have said that we should value our members, and from a very long time ago True Parents implemented a small-group movement, which is currently being practiced in other churches as the most important means to bringing about church growth, in the form of a movement reaching out to the local neighborhood.
We will first evaluate why we are having problems when other churches have grown huge based on the two factors mentioned above, and then on the foundation of True Parents' teachings, we will put all our efforts into making everyone connected to our organizations into members.
We will recognize the value of the members as "the fruits of history the fruits of the present age and the fruits of the future" -- as True Parents have called them -- and treasure them accordingly. Centering on the fruits of True Parents' word, we will work in the neighborhoods and communities (based on small groups) and thus realize True Parents' goals within society.
I believe that witnessing to others will not be a problem for our members when their value is recognized and they are armed with True Parents' message. On top of that, we will organize and manage small groups. When the entire organization is run in a transparent and just way, our path as we head toward 2013 will be a bright one. This is what is taking place in the father nation as we speak. We are making preparations and effort so that we can succeed.
A few days ago, Father appointed In-Jin nim as the overall chairperson of the American movement. I believe there will be a great revival in the U.S. as well.
I would like to thank all the regional presidents for coming such a long distance for today's event? The Chil Pal Teo, celebration was a truly inspiring one. I feel that when we consider the results and accomplishments in each region, the number of people mobilized or taught is not the final result. That is only a part of the process, not the ultimate goal True Parents aspire for us to achieve. The final result is when all people are connected to us and become members, and when they attend and support True Parents as the True Parents.
Thank you very much.