by Dr. Tyler O. Hendricks-NYC
This is a transcription of the speech given at the inauguration of the Family Federation for Unification and World Peace.
The Family Federation for Unification and World Peace is the means of engrafting to the root of the True Family as a family, not as individuals, but as families. The first time Father spoke about it was on May 3 of this year at the Unification conference center in Korea, just two days after the 40th anniversary of the Unification Church. On that day Father directed the establishment of the International Blessed Family Association, and then two weeks later, on May 19 at the central training center in Seoul, Father explained the providential background for the establishment of the International Blessed Family Association and its major responsibilities.
Then on October 9, again in Seoul, a special meeting was held for church leaders, at which Father clarified further the importance of the new federation, saying that through it all blessed families must inherit True Parents' love and tradition. He especially emphasized that as Tribal Messiahs, Blessed Families must follow Principle in their daily lives. The Association was renamed the Family Federation for Unification and World Peace, and thus the FFUWP was established officially as of May 3, 1994. Rev. and Mrs. Won Pil Kim were appointed to the presidency of the Federation, both worldwide and in Korea.
The Blessing Association or the Family Federation is the vertical, internal root and nerve system, while the church is the horizontal, external tree and blood vessel system. That is a sketchy and yet rich analogy. Also, the relationship between the Family Federation and the church is the relationship between Abel and Cain and internal and external.
The main responsibilities of the Family Federation for Unification and World Peace are, first, education in True Parents' tradition and realization of the ideal of blessed families centering on guidance for fulfillment of the family pledge. Rev. Chung Hwan Kwak, Director of the World Mission Department and President of the church in Korea, specified that the textbook we should use for this education of ourselves as blessed couples is Blessing and Ideal Family. Please use this. It is a very rich resource for our education about blessed family life.
The third area is education for Tribal Messiah activities within the community and our families. Every family should do this through Tribal Messiah meetings twice a month, in the evening of the 1st and 15th days of each month, in our homes. The content should be guidance through reading Father's speeches and Divine Principle. I believe these can take place just on the family level, or on the neighborhood or community level.
Fourth is witnessing through Tribal Messiah activities. The explanation is clarified by the comparison of the Family Federation with the church. There was already some clarification: Abel/Cain, internal/external. The main responsibilities of the church are 1) normal church-related responsibilities; 2) services, spiritual guidance, various seminars and education; 3) church events, public relations and various outreach activities; 4) witnessing, workshops and Divine Principle education for the public; 5) blessing education. The responsibility of the church is to bring new members to the point where they can receive the blessing. At that point, once a couple receives the blessing, they then become members of the Family Federation for Unification and World Peace. Blessed families then have the position both as HSA-UWC members and as Family Federation members.
Leadership for the Family Federation is ideally blessed couples who are exemplary and elder blessed couples in their hometowns, but for the purpose of the formation stage, we don't have to be in our hometowns and if there is no one else available it can be the church leader couple which can serve as the Family Federation leader for a given area until another couple is found. Eventually, the positions of church and Family Federation leadership should be very distinct.
The Blessed Family Department is to transfer from the church to the Family Federation leadership. The Second Generation Education office also is to be under the Family Federation auspices.
The president of the church, the president of the Women's Federation and the president of VOC stand in the position of vice president to the president of the Family Federation. So there is a four position foundation. The point is that there should be very good unity and give and take action between the Family Federation, the church, the Women's Federation and VOC.