Dr. Chang Shik Yang’s Message to District Pastors in Las Vegas

March 27 2013

(The following notes of the meeting in Las Vegas on March 13-14, 2013 were made available to Familyfed.org by Rev. Michael Lamson.)

Dr. Chang Shik Yang, the International Vice-President of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU), spoke at length to District Pastors and church departmental leaders about the significance of Foundation Day and the objectives of the seven-year campaign called Vision 2020. The Tribal Messiah mission will be the central focus driving the new providence, according to Dr. Chang Shik Yang.

Dr. Yang told the leaders: “My mind is still in Las Vegas. I spent four years working side by side with True Parents in Las Vegas. Weon Kun Park initiated Father’s Autobiography distribution in Korea, and he was then asked to do the same thing in Las Vegas. Now more than 130,000 autobiographies have been given out in Las Vegas.”

Summary report of Foundation Day

Dr. Yang shared his opinion that there is crisis and opportunity after True Father’s ascension. “In the process we are paying a price as we transition,” Dr. Yang said. He continued: “I would put more focus on opportunity. Many religions, after the Founder dies grow faster, become more mainline and prosper. Father’s ascension also creates a good deal of suffering in house, (within our movement) and we need collective wisdom to pass through these difficult challenges. We can and we will overcome and move forward.”

The following are the meanings of Foundation Day:

1. It is the grand conclusion of the restoration era;

2. It is a new age marking the launching of True Mother’s mission. True Mother is the Chief Operating Officer (CEO) of our movement;

3. It is the starting point of Cheon Il Guk (CIG) that is, the beginning of establishing God’s land;

4. The Tribal Messiah mission will be the central focus driving the new providence.

There were 25 different events during Foundation Day, Dr. Yang reported, including the following:

• A rally for the Re-Unification of Korea, which was aimed at 25,000 refugees from North Korea. “We are educating them to prepare for Re-Unification,” Dr. Yang said.

• He added, “We invited 100 couples and gave them the Blessing;”

• There was True Mother’s Midnight Prayer;

• There was a Holy Wine ceremony, and Final Grace from True Parents;

• We had a CIG-matching of 142 couples in which True Mother very carefully listened and respected each person’s feelings and opinions;

• There was a UPF Conference and International Leaders Meeting;

• We staged a Little Angels performance;

• We saw a Universal Ballet performance.

Every year there will be a CIG Standard Matching and Blessing around Foundation Day, and every two years we will organize a World Summit for world leaders, according to Dr. Yang.

A Change of Heart about the Cheong Pyeong Facility

He shared that he had struggled in the past with the leadership of Mrs. Hyo Nam Kim, often referred to as “Dae Mo Nim,” and many of her decisions. He confessed that he had not understood why she had to build a top-level stadium or a hospital on top of a mountain. He said he had often criticized her decisions, but now, after Father’s passing, Dr. Yang says he sees and values how much Dae Mo Nim and Heung Jin Nim [ascended in 1983] are attending from spirit world. He shared how he always feels like he is entering spirit world when he visits the palace now. In 1978 Father called all the leaders to Cheong Pyeong Lake and walked with them up the mountain where the palace now stands. He asked them to clear the trees and prepare a place for 2,000 people to gather. At this gathering Father explained his vision and said that one day a temple would be built on this spot. No one at that time could imagine this would take place, but Dae Mo Nim had made this dream a reality, Dr. Yang reported.

The FFWPU church in Korea is recognized as the most culturally diverse church in Korea with the most interracial couples. There are more than 10,000 international, interracial couples in Korea and [we] created an organization for them.

Mother called all National Messiahs and Senior couples to come back home [to Korea] and join with her for the 2020 project.

Mother approved scholarships for 750 students and donated 4 million dollars into a scholarship fund for second generation.

On July 17, 2011 Father launched the Won Mo Pyung Ae Foundation following the Carnegie model. Mother announced a special Peace Prize called the Sun Hak Prize from Father and Mother.

True Mother was personally very involved in developing the Foundation Day Stage. The Rose is a symbol of Father and the Lily of Mother. Foundation Day was an extraordinary launching that required the constant effort of 17 people working 28 hours without rest. The theme of the stage was “The Garden of Heaven, Spring Garden of Heaven.” The floral exhibit included a small pond with 30 goldfish on each side surrounded by cherry blossoms. True Mother picked the back drop. Hyung Jin Nim and Kwon Jin Nim presented Heavenly Parents’ seal and True Parents’ seal. The Scepter was presented by Hyo Jin nim’s eldest son. The Crown and Robe represented the authority of Heavenly Parent.

True Parents prepared 3,600 CIG Awards. This year 1,200 awards were given out to mostly elder members and members who have accomplished a great deal. Next year during the Foundation Day anniversary another 1,200 awards will be given based solely on bringing results, according to Dr. Yang.

True Mother has been invited by many Heads of State to visit their countries. She gave the direction that Father’s plane should be returned so that she can use it to travel to the different countries.

Regarding the Vision 2020 project, Dr. Yang reported the following:

• In 2020 Mother will be 77, and Father will be 100 years old.

• Special instructions were given that every nation should make a seven- year plan. True Mother will receive reports directly every six months and evaluate;

• True Mother will directly lead this providence;

• True Mother will directly lead Korea, America and Japan.

For True Mother’s daily schedule she begins with Hoon Dok Hwe, followed by a 6:30 a.m. visit to Father’s burial place. She then holds a 7 a.m. meeting with leaders for two hours. True Mother wants to hear reports from around the world and know how we are doing, according to Dr. Yang.

Things before Foundation Day will be done completely differently after Foundation Day. Everything will now be driven by Tribal Messiahship. The Home Church Providence started in America, but Father’s expectations were not met. “Why did we fail? We need to understand.” Dr. Yang said.

In Korea 50 percent of the regional leaders have been changed, and the best potential leaders were chosen. There are now four second-generation Regional Directors. New leaders around the world are younger, and well trained. We need to restructure and reorganize so that our movement can work well in this new providence, if we want to grow our movement and become mainstream in America, Dr. Yang reported.

In the last UPF conference almost no leaders received honorariums. The UPF foundation with world leaders is bringing fruit. Rev. Hong worked under Dr. Walsh to reach out to Heads of State, and many responded. Building a Foundation is very important. Our American movement needs to be more serious.

Dr. Lek, the President of FFWPU Thailand, blessed 650 couples. In Thailand he could do this, and he has helped other couples complete the 430 couples for Tribal Messiahship. The Philippines just held a 13,000 couple blessing. Recently, 50,000 couples in Philippines were blessed. They will achieve a one million member church in one year. This is different than before. Spirit world is open and working hard to support.

Vision 2020

Each nation should develop a plan for 2020 based on goals set for years 2013-2015-2017-2019.

In 392 C.E., Christianity became the national religion of the Roman Empire with a predominant majority of the population becoming Christians. Our movement in Korea needs to have 3.5 million members (7 percent of the population) to be able to shape and change the nation. When Christianity reached 7 percent, it became an influential religion in Korea. If we could build our Korean church to 3.5 million we could influence the entire nation. “Many people say we are heretics. I emphasized we are a religion of life, Dr. Yang said.

After Father’s Seong Hwa many people in Korea were asking and looking to see what [we] would do. When we organized the blessing and all the related events, reporters came from everywhere. There were many positive reports in the media. That shows how much Asia is changing.

“True Mother’s leadership is amazing. I was a close disciple for many years due to my missions. Now, Mother has a different spirit. When Mother is asked if an idea is good, she says ‘Wait one day for my answer, so I can discuss it with Father.’ She always seeks Father’s agreement first. Mother has been clear that her idea is Father’s, and that Father’s idea is hers, that they are one,” Dr. Yang said.

The changes Mother is making are a natural process, he explained. Many recommended that the word, “God” not be changed in the Family Pledge, but Mother explained that the Family Pledge is our credo and our prayer. She shared that in this new era we need to understand that God is the God of Parents – father and mother. That’s why we call God now “Heavenly Parent.”

True Mother has asked that each of our churches be called “The Family Church” and work under the FFWPU umbrella. She discussed this with Father and decided that “Family” is the best name to reach out to the world.

A change has also been made about how our children will end their prayers. We are waiting for more information on this.

The Cheong Seong Gyeong (CSG), one of the eight textbooks, is being updated to add the last 12 years of Father’s words (365 Speeches) and to eliminate duplication. The updated CSG will end with Father’s final prayer.

Father is the “architect,” and Mother is the “builder,” it was explained. Mother is the builder of CIG in a practical way – guiding and instructing us to be more practical. [We] have to restore things by 2020.

Dr. Yang continued:

“I accompanied Hyung Jin Nim and Kook Jin Nim, and they never missed an opportunity to proclaim Father as the Messiah. For a son it is not easy to proclaim his father as the Messiah but they did this, and it was powerful. We have to embrace all the children to fulfill the will of God. We have to respect what children established, but True Parents, represented by True Mother, are the leaders of our movement. True Mother is the final and sole decision maker of our movement.

“Progress comes with pain. True Mother wants to train Kwon Jin Nim as a spiritual leader. Without pain you cannot build your body. He understands the value of pain. I mention this, because America is going through growing pains. America has great hope. Without America there is no hope. As leaders and elder members you must pass the torch to the next generation. Organizations and businesses that cannot become self-sustaining will be closed, and the resources will be used to grow churches and help the second generation. Mother wants to use resources to fix churches in America.”

“Even in Las Vegas, where is there a church?” Dr. Yang asked. “Father during one trip to Las Vegas stopped all the cars and said ‘Let’s go to the church!’ “” The church was falling apart. Father was not happy about that, as the church was an old house. Father gave his house, to be used as a church center. We have no church building in Vegas. The Peace Center will be completed in a few years, but still is no church. Somehow we have to build real church foundation.”

A new level of Home Church and Tribal Messiahship will be launched.

The 2020 project will be led directly by True Parents represented by True Mother. Japan, Korea and America will be responsible for the 20 core nations, and the additional 20 nations added recently. Japan, Korea and America will organize 1,600 members each to support these nations along with the support of all church-related businesses.

“As long as we are aligned with True Parents, many good things will happen, and each of you will receive good guidance from Heaven. I expect to get good news from each of your regions,” Dr. Yang said.

“You are the founding members of this nation together with True Parents. Consider how to change and contribute to 2020. Establishing our church foundation is primary. Let us report good news to Mother and give her hope. Let us see the potential for revolutionary change in this year and America can become a leading nation.”

Each of the District Pastors then shared three things that have been working in their districts, and they shared three things that are challenges, and one thing that they want accomplished before the meeting ended.

Rev. Michael Lamson and edited by Douglas Burton.