Friday, September 21, 2012

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In absolute unity with True Mother’s direction, International President Rev. Hyung Jin Moon and his wife arrived in America on Wednesday, September 19. True Mother’s heart is desperate for America’s healing. She does not want to allow the shocking news about In Jin Nim to shake the faith of the American families. She does not want to lose a single precious person.

In Jin Nim took responsibility for her actions and resigned, completely removing herself from any public position or role. True Mother acted swiftly, appointing Hyung Jin Nim as President of the American Church and sending him immediately to America, knowing that there is a great deal of pain, anger and disappointment among our families who trusted In Jin Nim and the church leadership.

Hyung Jin Nim’s first official act as President was to meet with all the Headquarters staff on Thursday, September 20 in the New Yorker Hotel. He spent nearly three hours listening to and answering everyone’s questions and comments regarding In Jin Nim. He responded with honesty, compassion and love, saying that, “we hate the sin but love the sinner.” He asked us to begin a condition of repentance and gratitude to True Parents in order to make a new start at Headquarters.

The International President will tour all 12 districts in America, starting in Washington, D.C. this evening. In each city, he will begin with a town hall style meeting where he will take questions from our families and respond, as he did with the Headquarters staff. Then he will give a message about the experience of being with True Father over the course of the last 40 days. He will conclude with a time of prayer and meditation. He and his wife sincerely hope to be able to meet and share with all of our families over the next couple of weeks. Hyung Jin Nim is sincerely inviting everyone who has questions and concerns to come and discuss the future of our movement together.

I would like to briefly address the issue of the core staff who were working with In Jin Nim, as I know there are many who believe there was some kind of cover up. In Jin Nim did not confide in us about the relationship she was having, nor did she reveal to us that she was pregnant. We had no idea that she had given birth to a child. This all came as a complete shock to us, as it did to you.

Yet, each of the core staff members, beginning with me, takes full responsibility that this happened on our watch. I have offered my resignation as Vice President to Hyung Jin Nim, through the Continental Director, Dr. Yang. Retaining this position is not important to me. I do not want to be a hindrance to the healing process that needs to take place in America. This is the sincere heart of all of the core staff. We are deeply repentful before God, True Parents and all of you and I ask for your forgiveness.

Dr. Chang Shik Yang, our Continental Director, has faithfully served our True Parents here in America for the last fifteen years. For the last four years, he has been totally focused on attending True Parents as part of their core staff in Las Vegas, in Korea and on their worldwide tours.

Although Dr. Yang has not been involved in the day-to-day operations of our Headquarters in New York during this time, he still feels fully responsible for America. After first hearing the news about In Jin Nim in Korea, Dr. Yang felt deeply repentful. He subsequently offered his resignation to the International President as well.

Hyung Jin Nim expressed his gratitude in receiving these resignations but he has decided not to act upon them until he has had a chance to complete the tour of 12 districts. He has asked Dr. Yang and I to support him on this tour, which we have agreed to do. Upon completion of the tour, Hyung Jin Nim intends to look at the overall situation and make decisions about the leadership of our church and the restructuring of our ministry as we move forward.

We trust the International President’s leadership and have faith that God and True Parents are working through him to bring resolution. I encourage you as mature sons and daughters of our True Parents and owners of the American movement to attend Hyung Jin Nim’s tour and honestly express your heart to him, and step forward to help heal our church with repentance. If we are able to come together as a community of faith, centering on God and True Parents, there can be a national healing and we will emerge with greater unity, compassion and strength to do God’s will.

Thank you and God bless you.

[signed]
Rev. Joshua Cotter