Semi-Annual National Council Meeting

On October 30 – November 1, 2015, the National Council held its semi-annual meeting at the International Peace Education Center in Las Vegas. In attendance were Dr. Ki Hoon Kim, Continental Chair of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) North America, Dr. Michael Balcomb, FFWPU USA President, Mari Curry, FFWPU USA Vice President, and the National Council representatives from each district:

1. Brian Lancaster, San Francisco, CA
2. Alain Tamelessio, Clifton, NJ
3. Jeffrey Schmidt, Milwaukee, WI (Chicago District)
4. Cindy Pfeiffer, Fargo, ND (Minneapolis District)
5. Terry Yamane, Bayou-le-Batre, AL
6. David Burgess, Seattle (2015 Council Chair)
7. Libby Henkin, Washington, D.C.
8. Lucy Park, Raleigh, NC
9. Christine Hempovicz, Bridgeport, CT
10. Noah Ross, New York
11. Ricky and Amelia Schnorr, Albuquerque, NM
12. Mark Tengan, Los Angeles

In this national meeting, participants exchanged reports and discussed areas such as communications, grant management, education, witnessing, financial reports, conflict resolution and more. They also enumerated concerns and needs of the various communities and decided on recommendations and action steps to suggest to the National Ministry Team.

The opening day of the National Council meeting set the stage for an intimate and engaging gathering. The group shared a lovely dinner and had a “Bright Spot” sharing session where they discussed what was going well in their respective communities.

“It was a beautiful dynamic,” said Mari Curry. “We sat in a circle and discussed what was going well. The entire meeting proved to be proactive and constructive, even when dealing with challenges or concerns.”

On Saturday, October 31, the group opened the day with an early morning scripture reading session and a message given by Dr. Kim. Upon this inspiration they began a day of sharing experiences, discussing important areas and issues that local communities are facing, and generating possible action steps.

After this, presentations given by the National Council’s various sub-committees detailed activities and accomplishments over the last few months.

On Sunday, the National Council held a Sunday Service followed by a voting session on the proposed action steps and recommendations.

Mari Curry concluded, “This meeting was a successful and dynamic one, brimming with inspiration and well-thought-out recommendations that we look forward to sharing with you in the near future.”

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