Why All Those Pastors Went to Korea

ecumenism

For the past three years, the Unification Church has taken nearly 7,000 American pastors on subsidized informational trips to South Korea and Japan to “learn more about the Unification Church.” Unification officials, who will begin inviting pastors from other nations, say the purpose of the trips is not to recruit new members, but to advance Christian unity. Yet, some Christians are raising questions about these “Interdenominational Conferences for Clergy” (ICC).

Since April 1985, the Unification Church has been sponsoring ICC meetings in South Korea and Japan called the “American Christian Ministers’ Conference on Unificationism: Rev. Moon and Korea in the Providence of God.” A promotional video produced by the church says these conferences are “the fulfillment of a dream” that Unification founder Sun Myung Moon had many years ago. Conference director Levy Daugherty said the idea is based on the account in 1 Kings 19:18 where God tells Elijah that there are 7,000 in Israel who have not bowed to Baal. Next, Daugherty says, the church will concentrate on bringing 7,000 pastors from Europe, Africa, and South America.

Pastors, their spouses, and other religious workers are guests of the Unification Church for either eight or twelve days. Some participants receive all-expenses-paid trips, and others pay their own airfare—approximately $740.

Sightseeing And Theology

The conferences include a mixture of sightseeing tours and lectures about the Unification Church background and theology. According to a conference agenda and trip participants, the eight-day Korea conferences include visits to Moon’s home and early church in Seoul, a local Unification church service, a trip to the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, and a day trip to the city of Pusan.

In Pusan, the participants visit a small museum in the city where Moon built his first church. There they see “The Rock of Tears,” where the Unification Church says Moon spent his early days “learning the heart of God for his suffering children.” A special prayer service is held at the rock, and the video says “many [pastors] have had very deep spiritual experiences” there.

The lecture series deals intensively with Unification beliefs as stated in “The Divine Principle,” the official doctrinal text of the Unification Church. Among the topics addressed are the principles of Creation, the fall of humankind, the mission of the Messiah, Jesus, God’s plan for salvation, and the second coming of Christ.

Several Unification beliefs in these areas have been troubling for many mainline and evangelical Christians. In 1977, The National Council of Churches denied a petition for membership from the Unification Church, saying its doctrines were “incompatible with Christian teaching and belief.” In earlier publications, Moon has taught that a second messiah will be born in Korea because Jesus Christ did not complete his task on Earth.

Unification spokesman John Biermans said the ICC conferences give people with misconceptions about the Unification Church” the opportunity to get information and ask questions.

The Unification Church stresses that it is “not sponsoring this conference in order to convert anyone to the Unification faith.” Indeed, at the conferences, ministers are told it would be an embarrassment if any of them did convert. Yet, some people within mainline and evangelical churches are expressing concerns about their members’ involvement with these meetings.

Gaining A Foothold

One strong critic of the meetings is Kurt Van Gorden, founder and director of Jude 3 Missions, a California-based group opposed to the Unification Church. Van Gorden has researched and written extensively about the Unification Church and attended an ICC meeting this spring in Korea. Van Gorden said he came back more concerned than ever. “What I see going on is a slow but steady plan of the Unification Church to get a stronghold within the weak and unsuspecting Protestant churches of America, Europe, Africa, and South America, beginning with those who should know better, the pastors,” he said.

Of the 210 participants on his trip, Van Gorden said 37 percent were evangelicals, 37 percent came from mainline Protestant churches, 20 percent espoused New Age teaching, and 6 percent were Mormons.

He said he was particularly concerned that the majority of the participants signed a document at the end of the conference expressing “gratitude to Almighty God for His eternal wisdom in blessing Rev. Moon with the vision of bringing together American clergy and in the spirit of Christ inspiring them to transcend differences of race and denomination and see themselves as co-workers in His Kingdom.”

Participating in the conferences has created uncomfortable situations for some pastors. Pastor Dave Hart was dismissed in March from the Clear Lake (Iowa) Congregational Church after returning from a conference held last fall. Helen Rogers, a member of the church for 11 years, said that while there were other contributing factors, Hart’s participation and later endorsement of the ICC meetings played a major role in his dismissal. “He said that the Unification Church is a Christian church, but nothing that I have ever heard about it promotes Jesus Christ as head of their church,” she said.

An Evangelical Lutheran Church in America pastor who acted as convener for one of the ICC meetings in Korea this year asked that his name not be published for fear of losing his parish because his denomination has taken a stand against the conferences.

And at the United Methodist General Conference in April, a statement was released from bishops of the Korean Methodist Church asking that American Methodists not participate in the ICC seminars. Bishop Ki Chun Chang, president of the Korean Council of Bishops, said U.S. Methodist participation is an “embarrassment” to the Korean church. “Their names and denominational relationship appear in expensive advertisements in Korean newspapers glorifying the Unification Church founder,” Chang said.

Calling Unification theology “blatant heresy,” Chang said that “it pains us to witness the willingness of United Methodist pastors to grant credibility to the Unification Church by accepting offers of subsidized travel to such events.”

Biermans acknowleged that some pastors are under pressure from their congregations because of the conferences, but noted that most of the critics have not attended the meetings and “don’t understand what’s really going on.”

“From the people that I have talked with who have gone, I haven’t heard anyone say they felt threatened in their own convictions,” he said. “They liked the ecumenical aspect of it and found it a renewing, inspiring experience.”

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