New Jersey Latino Ministry Hosts Clergy Dinner

Photo credit FFWPU-USA

Report contributed by Rev. Emiljun Rapada and Doris de Sousa.

With the support of Universal Peace Federation (UPF) USA and the American Clergy Leadership Conference (ACLC), the Latino Ministries of Elizabeth, New Jersey and Clifton, New Jersey combined their efforts in hosting a dinner banquet at the Clifton Family Church on December 6 to share about the upcoming Peace Starts With Me Clergy Rally: A New Hope for a Heavenly Unified World to take place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on December 28, and to inspire Latino Ministry guests to extend the invite to their congregations.

Organizers arranged for 120 guest clergymen and women, community leaders and other Spanish-speaking guests, but were more than delighted to accommodate the 150 people who flooded into the venue.

After a brief introduction by master of ceremonies and Director of the Latino Ministry in Elizabeth, New Jersey Rev. José Rafael Sánchez, Dr. Ki Hoon Kim, regional chairman of Family Federation North America, offered his welcoming remarks. Dr. Kim called for the unity of Christian churches for the sake of a heavenly unified world centering on the Mother of Peace and co-founder of Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU), Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon.

A buffet dinner followed, along with musical selections, a Spanish video introducing the work of UPF, a Filipino folk dance and Peruvian dance.

Several testimonies were given, including one from Mrs. Rosa Carmiña Blanco, the Chair of the Bolivian Cultural Civic Committee in New York and Ambassador for Peace, who testified about Dr. Moon and the work for peace being realized by ACLC and UPF, and re-enforced the invitation for the Clergy Rally event. Crescentia DeGoede, pastor at the Clifton Family Church and District 3 Pastor, gave a short speech welcoming all the guests, grateful that such an event could be hosted in her local church. Rev. Reuben Rodriguez from the God Restoration Center in Passaic, New Jersey trumpeted on a call for unity among Christians remembering that everyone is a son or daughter of the same God.

Lastly, Dr. Michael Jenkins, chairman of UPF-USA gave a keynote address and presented the global work for peace of Dr. Moon, especially within the Latino communities worldwide. He highlighted the various peace celebrations that happened in different continents all over the world, and the importance of the Marriage Blessing movement to build the Kingdom of Heaven.

The program came to a close after twelve leaders were appointed as new Ambassadors for Peace by Dr. Jenkins, assisted by the current Ambassadors for Peace who were present at the dinner.