This Week in History: February 23 – March 1
“This Week in History” briefly lists significant events in the history of the Unification Church, the lives of the Founders, and world events that are momentous to Unificationists. Most items are marked according to the solar calendar. Items marked “H.C.” correspond to the Cheon-gi or Heavenly Calendar, which is based on the lunar calendar. This installment covers the week of February 23-March 1.
February 23, 1977
The First Day of the Kingdom of God
True Father gave a speech at the New Yorker Hotel at the celebration of True Parents’ Birthday in which he declared this day to be the first day of the Kingdom of God. He said, “Today let us truly proclaim the day of liberation… This is the new beginning of the new history of Mother and I giving God, the author, the privilege. Therefore, this is the first year of the Kingdom of God.”
February 25 – April 17, 2001
True Parents hold a “We Will Stand in Oneness” Resolution at the final tour stop in Washington, D.C.
“We Will Stand in Oneness” Speaking Tour
“We Will Stand in Oneness” featured True Father as the keynote speaker and covered 52 American cities (in all 50 states) in 52 days. True Father’s informal remarks preceded each speech and often ran for an hour or more. He emphasized the sanctity of marriage, particularly marital fidelity. He stated that husband and wife were “owners” of one another’s “love organs” and that each possessed “only one key.” He typically elicited laughter with his exclamation “No spare keys!” Some 21 “national evangelists” from among the original 120 joined the tour and gave witness to True Father prior to his address. Archbishop George Augustus Stallings, founder of the Amani Temple African American Catholic Congregation in Washington, D.C., declared that True Father possessed a “Triple-A Rating,” being “Anointed, Appointed and Approved.”
February 28, 1969
Thirteen couples, representing the thirteen founding colonies, await True Parents’ entrance.
Brides preparing for the Blessing Ceremony at Upshur House.
The First Blessing held outside Korea
The major focus of True Father’s stay in Washington, D.C., was the Blessing of thirteen American couples, representing the thirteen founding colonies: six previously married and seven new couples. This ceremony, held at the historic Upshur House, was the first marriage Blessing in the church outside Korea as well as the first Blessing of non-Koreans. Those blessed were Edwin and Marie Ang, Philip and Vivian Burley, George and Diane Fernsler, George and Sylvia Norton, Robert and Vivian Oswald, Vernon and Maxine Pearson, Carl and Linna Rapkins, Ken and Orah Pope, Galen and Patty Pumphrey, Wesley and Gladys Samuels, John and Marie Schmidli, Jon and Sandra Schuhart, and Fred and Jacque Stock.
February 28, 1972
The One World Crusade rally on Wall Street
Establishment of the One World Crusade (OWC)
On this date True Father established the “One World Crusade” (OWC) as the official name of the mobile units composed of pioneers working for the Day of Hope speaking tour. OWC was the engine of the Unification Church’s evangelical activities from 1972 through 1974. Following the Seven City Tour, True Father appointed Mrs. Young Oon Kim and Mr. David S.C. Kim as OWC “commanders.” With twenty-five members each, they set out on separate northern and southern bus team routes across the United States.
March 1, 1973
The first 100-day International Training Session at Belvedere
The movement convened its first 100-day International Training Session on this date at Belvedere in Tarrytown, New York. The schedule included forty days of intensive study of the Divine Principle, thirty days of the movement’s Victory Over Communism (VOC) ideology and thirty days of Unification Thought, a recently published application of the Principle to philosophy. The six hours of daily lectures were interspersed with talks from True Father, fellowship, discussion, examinations, lecture practice and participation in the ongoing New York City witnessing campaign. Belvedere Training further solidified the American movement. As one of the original forty-eight trainees wrote, “Europeans were not the only ones wearing smiles of eagerness and anticipation. Some American brothers were intoxicated in those early days, because [they] were so many fine people together and Belvedere was the holiest place in America.”