Interreligious ceremony of reconciliation to unite Christianity and Family Federation held in South Korea
Rev. Guk Hwangbo 30th August 2024. Photo: Screenshot from live transmission by FFWPU.
Part 1 of report given by Rev. Guk Hwangbo 30th August 2024 in a large meeting in Gapyeong, South Korea for members and leaders of the Family Federation.
In a speech delivered to leaders and members of the Family Federation gathered in Gapyeong, northeast of Seoul, 30th August 2024, Guk Hwangbo (황보국), the president of the South Korean branch, reported about a recent unity ceremony where 40 Christian pastors and 40 Family Federation leaders took part.
Rev. Hwangbo (황보국) began his report by first reading a passage from Father Moon‘s words,
“Christianity is the elder brother that remains with us to the end. That being so, unless we become one with this elder brother, there is no way to avoid death. We are facing that fate.
What is God’s hope? It is that the Unification Church and Christianity will join hands. That is due to the Principle. The Parents can be recognized only when Cain and Abel become one. Through Cain and Abel, the Parents can be reclaimed. Yet because of the separation and conflict between Cain and Abel, the Parents’ way forward was blocked. Only when Cain and Abel unite and form a tribe on the world level will the Parents emerge. When that unity occurs in the democratic world, the groundwork will be laid for a world level victory.” (from a speech given 18th August 1972, quoted from Cheon Seong Gyeong, pp.875-876)
Mother Moon 23rd August 2024. Photo: Screenshot from live transmission by PeaceTV.
Rev. Hwangbo then read a passage from Mother Moon’s words.
“During the 70-year history of the Family Federation, we should have created an environment on Earth where Heavenly Parent could be attended through the True Parents. But because we failed to restore the Christian realm, we feel a profound sense of remorse toward Heaven.
Heaven has invested everything for the sake of the True Parents, but it is a great sorrow that the Family Federation could not begin from a position of embracing the Christian realm.” (from a speech given 18th July 2024)
Hwangbo continued and gave an overview of the week-long series of events held in Gapyeong, South Korea from 20th August to commemorate the 12th anniversary of Father Moon‘s Seonghwa (ascension to the spirit world).
From the unity ceremony of reconciliation between Christianity and the Family Federation, held in Gapyeong, South Korea 23rd August 2024. Photo: Screenshot from live transmission by PeaceTV.
One of those events was a “Pastors Conference for a Heavenly Korea”. The participating pastors took part in a special prayer vigil. During the vigil, there was a unity ceremony between Christian pastors and Family Federation leaders. According to Rev. Hwangbo,
“That occasion became the starting point for awakening the new spirit of a unified Korea centered on our Heavenly Parent, with Christianity and the Family Federation becoming one.”
From the unity ceremony of reconciliation between Christianity and the Family Federation, held in Gapyeong, S Korea 23rd Aug. 2024. Photo: Screenshot from live transmission by PeaceTV.
Guk Hwangbo said,
“At this unity ceremony, I testified to the great lives of righteous Christian people who from the perspective of Heaven’s providence walked the path of noble sacrifice for the independence of our homeland.
I appealed for the Family Federation and Christianity to unite inter-religiously and ignite a new Holy Spirit movement, awakening the spirit of a new era centered on Heavenly Parent’s will.
South and North Korea must reunite centered on God’s will. The movement for the unification of North and South Korea centered on our Heavenly Parent – the heavenly unified Korea movement – is a new ‘independence movement’ and the new zeitgeist.
As they realized how great the contributions of Korean Christianity had been to the nation’s independence, Christian pastors who listened to the lecture were moved to tears.
During the subsequent unity ceremony, Christian and Family Federation pastors exchanged the Bible, which testifies to the only begotten Son Jesus, and the memoirs of True Mother, which testifies to the only begotten Daughter.
This was a precious moment symbolizing the unity of the only begotten Son and the only begotten Daughter after 2000 years.
After the exchange ceremony, the Christian pastors and Family Federation pastors embraced warmly.
This embrace served as a moment to clear away the discomfort of the past when Christianity and the Family Federation could not unite.
All the pastors who attended were deeply moved and pledged to unite with the Family Federation for the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Korea to achieve a heavenly unified Korea.”
According to Hwangbo, one pastor who attended the reconciliation ceremony, “expressed that he could see a vision of unity after 70 years of division in Israel’s history and now 70 years of division on the Korean Peninsula.” He stated that a stage for the harmony of the Family Federation and Christianity has opened up for the unloosing of God’s kingdom.
Another pastor said that about 80 pastors from Christianity and the Family Federation now had taken the first step towards understanding and unity by exchanging the Bible and Mother Moon’s memoirs. He was deeply moved, calling the reconciliation ceremony a great miracle that will go down in history.
A third pastor shared that it was incredibly moving to see Christianity and the Family Federation harmonize and sing the Song of Unity in a peaceful manner. He confessed that the progress towards unity between Christianity and the Family Federation is all due to God’s grace and work.
Featured image above: From the unity ceremony of reconciliation between Christianity and the Family Federation, held in Gapyeong, South Korea 23rd August 2024. Photo: Screenshot from live transmission by PeaceTV.
Front cover page of Mother Moon‘s memoirs. Photo: FFWPU
