True Father returned to Seoul on September 17, 1953. In Seoul, he prepared to establish his church more officially. Father also visited the churches in Daegu and Busan to guide and encourage the members working in those pioneer missions.
He offered many sincere conditions to establish the foundation of faith for a new beginning. The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSA-UWC) was founded on May 1, 1954, at the small “3 Gate House” in Bukhak-dong, Seongdong-gu, in northern Seoul. In this installment, Father explains some deep spiritual background.
Although the Unification faith began in 1954, we know it originally began immediately after Korea’s liberation and, going back beyond that, it originated soon after the Fall.
Unificationism has its origin at the beginning of history. Its beginning coincides with God’s launch of the providence of restoration.
Whether I stayed under the eaves of some house or in a shanty, my thought was, “I have to attend to God here and offer greater devotion.” My belief was, “According to the Principle of Restoration, the leader who can offer sincere devotion for the world should be able to do it even in the tiniest house.”
This was my way of thinking. Then I would say, “Now that I have offered sincere devotion in this tiny house, I should be able to offer it in a bigger house befitting a world leader.” The Unification Church began in this place.
The Unification Church has grown to this size, starting from this tiny Bukhak-dong house with its three gates.
This is the main philosophy of the Unification Church. Although there have been many rumors about us, so much so that all the world has heard about us, no has one criticized the Unification Church for its small size. What was most important was what we did in that place.
The Unification Church is a church, but I don’t like the word “church.” I had no choice but to put up a sign with “church” on it. When I established the church, I did not think, “Heavenly Father, I have made the Unification Church.
I am so proud.” I put up the sign, but I have always wondered when I will be able to take it down again. The sign was for the sake of the country. To recover the country, I am also willing to remove the Unification Church sign.
To enable the country to live, I can take the Unification Church sign down. Who would be against that? Who would be against exchanging it for something bigger and better?
At that time, I didn’t have any money at all. If I lay down in the room, my feet touched the walls. That house was rented. At the time, I didn’t even have barley rice to eat, which even in those days a beggar wouldn’t receive, thankfully.
If you gave barley rice to a beggar, he would throw it in the garbage. Seen in this light, I endured all types of things, saying to myself, “The day will come when we must widen this path.
According to the way of heavenly fortune, you will advance to higher dimensions, progressing from you as an individual to the family, society, nation, and world. That day will surely come.”
At that time, I was in a desolate state. I wore an old jacket and army work jeans with most of the color faded, and rubber shoes. Who could say who the leader was, or who was a follower in the Unification Church? Going in and out of the house, we all looked the same.
It wouldn’t have been so bad if more people had visited the church, but this same situation went on month after month for a whole year with just the church sign hanging on the door of the house.
Sometimes men with a topknot [of hair] and a get-up visited the church. At that time, who could believe that the Unification Church would develop into a global movement?
Be that as it may, it doesn’t mean that I was a poor, unworthy leader. Day or night, I would go up into the mountains to pray. At that time, I felt that if I were to put my hands around Satan’s neck, his head would come off in my hands.
If I were to hold on to heaven, I would bring it down to where I was. If I were to hit the Earth, I could drive a hole through it. I felt so confident and courageous. I said to the world and Heaven, “Wait and see!”
The providential background to the founding of HSA-UWC
If Christianity had become one with me in 1945, I wouldn’t have had to suffer so much in walking this path. However, when Christianity opposed me, I had to endure extreme suffering and overcome it all by myself.
I had to set up the Unification Church in place of Christianity and establish the foundation to restore the world through indemnity. The Unification Church was established in the seventh year, counting from 1948; that period had the significance of indemnifying the Old Testament Age.
So, on the foundation of these seven years, humankind could enter the New Testament Age for the first time. That’s why I established the Unification Church on this new foundation before 1960. The period until 1960 indemnified the failure of Christianity.
You have to know that I had to go through courses representative of all the suffering courses in God’s will in the Old and the New Testaments because of this.
I had to lay the foundation, indemnifying not only everything the Israelites had failed to do and everything the Christians had failed to do, but also everything that Jesus had been unable to do.
Who stood up for God’s will?
It was not the spiritual Christian organizations. It was I who stood in front of God. It was from that time that I began to receive opposition, and so I stood alone.
It was from this point that I laid the foundation for the Unification Church.
Following the laying of the foundation for the Unification Church, the form of the new [Korean] government became settled. That is from the viewpoint of the providence.
I established our church in 1954 and expanded upon this new foundation within the chaos of the time. The Unification Church developed in confrontation with the government and the established Christian churches.
The drive behind the establishment of the church
I put up the sign for the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity. I am saying that it is the association by which the Divine Spirit can unite Christianity.
Some may think that it is simply an association of Unification Church members, but it is an association led by the Divine Spirit of God to unite Christianity.
I didn’t start the Unification Church based on human thinking. Heaven motivated starting it. If I had established the Unification Church only according to human will, I wouldn’t be able to contribute to the flow of history or to building the coming new world. Therefore, I founded a new religion grounded in God’s will.
I did not act on my whim or do as I pleased. The Unification movement has deeply spiritual origins. It was formed based on God’s instructions, and it appeared in this special age. I am constantly receiving God’s guidance.
Many people think I do things my way, but that’s not true. From its beginnings, the Unification Church has taken the path it has not for the sake of particular individuals but only for the sake of will. Because my original motivation was caught up with God, the church took the path it has for God’s sake.
If the Unification Church began on God’s account, it would not deviate. From one starting point, it must follow one path. Its final destination, absolutely, undoubtedly, is God; because the starting point was God, we cannot take it in another direction based on our ideas.
We can therefore say that Unificationism has the longest history of any religion. What does having the longest history mean? It means we have uncovered the history of God’s love, the world that no one has known. The world of love transcends time and space.
On January 17, 1955, the church moved from its original (founding) location to 241-44, Heungin-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, and on April 27, to a two-story building with a garden at 37, Jangchung-dong 1- ga, Jung-gu, Seoul.
On October 7, 1955, after True Father was released from Seodaemun Prison, he moved again, this time to 71-3, Cheongpadong 1-ga, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. This is the address that the church used on May 31, 1963, when it registered with the government as Civil Society Organization No. 261.
This is the building that is preserved as the Old Headquarters Church in Seoul and where so many providential events took place (see later installments).
The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSA-UWC) was founded on May 1, 1954. On October 7, 1955, after True Father was released from Seodaemun Prison, the Headquarters Church moved to 71-3, Cheongpa-dong 1-ga, Yongsan-gu, Seoul—the address at which our church was first registered as a non-profit civil organization. This is the building that is preserved as the Old Headquarters Church in Seoul and where many providential events took place.
Due to the historic value of this building, this week’s installment is extracted from Father’s words in ChamBumo Gyeong.
The Cheongpa-dong Church was built on the site where a Buddhist temple stood long ago. During the Japanese occupation, Japanese families lived there. This is such a historic building.
After I was released from Seodaemun Prison in 1955, I had nowhere to go, and I did what was necessary to purchase this property. At first, the condition of the house was so terrible; it was like a den of ghosts.
Even the poles supporting the ceiling were tarnished black, and we had to wash them with harsh soda to get them clean. So many past relationships were intertwined within the structure.
So after I bought this house, I resolved, “While I am living here, I will ease the pain in all those spirits’ bitter, vengeful hearts that have accumulated here over its long history.”…
Even now, I have not forgotten my resolution. Even if everyone leaves me, and I am all alone, I will not forget. I will always keep the spirit to subjugate the entire fallen world.
The meaning of Cheongpa-dong is “green hills,” and green hills symbolize the ideal. At Cheongpa-dong, people live singing and aspiring for the ideal world of peace and freedom, where people sing with hope that is fresh and green.
Hence, our Headquarters Church in Cheongpa-dong is the base where we began the four-position foundation on the horizontal plane. Some people ask me why Cheongpa-dong Church Headquarters is so shabby, even as the Unification Church makes such a sensation worldwide.
Indeed, it looks shabby, even to me. Its roof was messy with broken tiles and in need of repair, but I left it as it was without fixing it. It is not because I do not have the money, but I would rather save that money and spend it on the salvation of the Korean people.
I know it is difficult to live with so many people crammed into this small church. We are not the only ones who are aware of this. God knows it even better than we do. Seeing us like this, people outside our community may think we're foolish, but I do not agree.
I have never prayed to God, asking, “Please build me a church.” I even feel honored to be in this situation, with so many people in this small, cramped place. When there is an event here, everyone pushes and shoves to come inside. When this happens, rather than feeling miserable, you should have the heart to comfort God’s sorrow, praying, “Aren’t we fortunate to be in this situation?”
You need to attend events with this kind of heart. When our church has people with this kind of heart, we will be able to pay the indemnity to restore the world. These miserable circumstances are a true treasure that we Koreans experience, and they are a resource we can use for restoration through indemnity.
These circumstances are not a condition for unhappiness. They are rather a condition that bestows upon us the benefit and grace of deeply penetrating God’s inner heart and situation, connecting us to the level of His heart and His desire to build us a better church.
If I wanted to build a new church building, I could do it even now. But this house was the main church where many historic events were held. It is the place where heaven and earth wept profusely.
It is the place where many people wept as they experienced God’s bitter pain. It is the place where I desperately appealed to God, even shedding blood. The stains of my tears in this place are connected to unforgettable memories.
It is a sacred altar stained with countless tears of mine and others. It is not the kind of place you can walk in and out of casually. I have never treated this place in such a casual way.
I would like to ask you: When you kneel and pray in tears on this wooden floor, do you feel that this is the ground of hope that Heavenly Father has eagerly awaited for tens of thousands of years?
Do you experience the feeling of your bone marrow melting and feel in your heart that you are connected to God in flesh and blood?
Are you ever overwhelmed by sorrow and grief that begins with tears, but that tears alone cannot end, so much so that you forget about yourself? Furthermore, when you pray in your daily life, do you ever completely forget about your situation?
I have laid my foundation with deep prayer and sincere devotion in the most difficult situations, and you need to do likewise.
If you have not, you will be accused of the level of my devotion. It is the same for me. God has walked the path of suffering for eons while offering devotion to the Will, and I think that I shall be judged by the standard of His devotion.
At the Cheongpa-dong Headquarters Church, we held the True Parents’ Holy Wedding Ceremony, an event unprecedented in history. Here too, we conducted many historic works; God’s Day, Parents’ Day, Children’s Day and the Day of All Things were inaugurated here.
The Holy Wedding took place here in 1960. The 36 Couples and 72 Couples were given the marriage Blessing here as well. This is a historic place and we must not disgrace it.
The central Unification Church is here in Cheongpa-dong, Seoul. Do those who work or live here have any qualifications to do so? Even though I do not say anything, I shed tears many times each day.
Those who live close to me know how I live. I am sensitive to the point that when I hear one word from a member, I can burst into tears. Even currently, I hear family members throughout the nation praying in pain and sorrow.
Some are going hungry; others are suffering from persecution. Still others are in circumstances that allow them no freedom. You who work or live at Cheongpa-dong need to be the catalysts for conveying my heart to those family members.
Since you work here, whenever it is necessary, you must be willing to pay a greater price. That is why whenever I want to reveal something new, I do not first speak about it at the Headquarters Church.
I share it with the members in the local churches first, and only afterward at the Headquarters Church. Those who live in the local churches pray more than those at the headquarters.
As people who belong to the Headquarters Church, you should set the highest standard so that you will not be ashamed before heaven and earth. You need to know that there are people who shed tears when they just look at a photo of Cheongpa-dong Headquarters Church or even when they simply remember it.
You have to be able to welcome those who come here in tears, become their friends, and comfort them from the bottom of your heart.
I sincerely want you to receive many blessings from heaven and become people whom I can be proud of before God. This is because you live together with me, and we have a special bond, a bond formed from having shared all kinds of life experiences, both joyful and sorrowful.
In the future, people from around the world will come to visit Cheongpa-dong Church. This is not just an empty dream; they will come. Because I lived here, and because from here I pursued the Will of God, they will come, crossing national borders to follow the vision I have been teaching about.
The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSA-UWC) was founded on May 1, 1954. In 1955, True Father embarked upon a remarkable witnessing project aimed at attracting many good young people from the top Christian universities in Korea.
When the Unification movement started in Korea, everyone was skeptical about it. All churches and denominations were skeptical. But that didn’t concern us. There was persecution, and we just accepted it.
We were ostracized by individuals and families, by many religions, and by the government, but I never once tried to defend myself or make excuses. Why? Because I knew God, who sacrifices the one He loves most without asking for compensation and without making excuses.
To become a person who can follow God, who exists for others, you have to endure what has to be endured in silence. Because there are so many things to do along the way, you don’t have any time to worry about the commotion that surrounds you. Even though you have to endure all types of insults and plots, you are just too busy: “I am too busy. I have no time to worry about such things.”
Religion has to overcome things. It has to go beyond the family, beyond the society, and beyond the nation. Because God wants to set up the path to the kingdom of heaven, all the forces in the satanic realm will be mobilized for an all-out attack.
The day we succumb to that attack, we will become the losers, and the day we overcome the attack, we will be the winners. This is the path that religion is to take. Since the Unification Church is no exception to this, it is the path we have been walking until now.
It was the destiny of the Unification Church to begin on the foundation of Christianity. Since Christianity had been lost, we had to establish a religious body that could stand in place of Christianity.
The Unification Church thus had to work with those second-generation Christians who had been dismissed from the Christian churches and create a foundation, by having them suffer again to indemnify everything in history as members of the Unification Church.
In other words, since Christianity could not fulfill everything based on the historical global standard by breaking down walls between individuals, walls between clans or tribes, and barriers between peoples, everyone had become enemies. To make up for this, the Unification Church had to pay the sacrificial price for the spiritual and physical foundations.
In South Korea, as I worked to rebuild the foundation, with the indemnity conditions Heaven had established, the Unification Church developed, moving straight forward.
We had to move at the level of the churches and the whole nation rather than at the level of individuals. This was the work of finding the highest-standard Christians centered on the educational institutions.
I did this, and there was opposition. But because I had the conditions to form the heavenly side, the first generation was put aside, and the second could be won over.
Why did I abandon the first generation? The first generation was already tainted.
When I was working to accomplish God’s will in South Korea, people from this generation stood against me.
So I went to North Korea, and before I could return to the South, I had to advance the providence of salvation, always centering on the second generation and not depending on the first, because the foundation was laid by making conditions that Satan presented.
From the time we began our activities on the university campuses of Yonsei and Ewha, there was a clash. The government and the Christian churches joined forces and broadened their mobilization to stop our work.
So, though I was back in the South, I would have to go to jail again; this was to set the condition of indemnity beyond the individual level, on the level of the family, clan [tribe], and ethnic people.
The whole purpose of the providence about the first generation had been to unify the leaders of Christianity, who were the first generation of that time. However, since they took a position contrary to God’s will, a vital movement based on the second generation had to start.
This movement’s beginnings involved the incidents at Ewha Women's University and Yonsei University. It did not start from a church. Students of Ewha Women's University and Yonsei University were its foundation.
The students from these universities were the best representative men and women of this second generation. If God’s will had been accomplished there, those universities would have been the center of every organization in the nation.
If those from Ewha and Yonsei had restored everything, the children of the congregants of the six large Christian denominations would have joined; we would have instantly won the support of the second generation.
Yonsei and Ewha were like Adam and Eve. These universities were centers of activity for second-generation Christians, both men and women, weren’t they? Single men and women were meant to follow me. Young people. I wasn’t meant to bring just anyone to save the world.
To climb over a mountain, you must conquer the summit. When you confront Satan, you must settle accounts and separate the blood lineage from Satan, put down new roots on new ground, and go on.
If this task had been accomplished within the nation, by now, leaf-bearing branches from that tree would have expanded and covered the world.
Before meeting the nation’s president, I went to see the president of Ewha University, Kim Hwal-lan. Didn’t she live alone? What I mean is that she was waiting for the Messiah. As for Yonsei University and Ewha University, the first was connected with the Presbyterian Church and the second with the Methodist church.
At that time, Ewha University was connected to President Syngman Rhee’s wife through the vice-president of the university, Maria Park. Based on her relationship with Christian missionaries, at that time, there was a foundation to be united with the government.
If we could have won over the Western missionaries, and if Kim Hwal-lan and Baek Nak-joon could have united and fully accepted the Unification Church, everything would have been realized on earth.
If that had come about, I could have reached across to America, with its Christian culture, at one stretch. Through Syngman Rhee, and based on national support, we could have accomplished as much as we wanted.
To correct the mistakes of the first generation, we had to bring those of the second generation together in unity. Everything depended on the second generation. They were the children of religious people, children of those who went to worship at the Shinto shrines, and children of people who did not believe in religion.
There were all kinds. Everyone was mixed. If the second generation had been present and had fully united, and had reversed the mistakes of the first generation, after that rectification, we would have gained influence in the nation and church and moved onto the world stage.
If the Unification Church, centered on God’s will, had made unity with the second generation and stood in the Abel position, and had completely brought the parents in the Cain position to its side, the parents, and the children would have become one Centering on the second generation, I worked to vertically connect Yonsei and Ewha universities with the first generation Christians, a parent–child relationship.
The first generation of Israelites died in the wilderness, but now we are in the realm of God’s protection; therefore, the first generation does not die, but can enter the land of Canaan along with the second generation.
That is the Principle. In that light, the incidents at Ewha and Yonsei occurred in Korea because I tried to make that connection.
Sun Myung Moon