This is the first of two excerpts from the text of the address given by Dr. Kim at the Inauguration Ceremony of the Family Federation for Unification and World Peace, October 15, 1996, Glory House Hotel, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Dr. Kim is the chairman of the FFUWP-The Netherlands

It is a great honor to be here with you to inaugurate the Netherlands Family Federation for Unification and World Peace. Being appointed chairman of this organization by Heavenly Father and True Parents after the 40 Day Special Training Seminar held at Chung Pyung, Seoul, Korea on April 24, 1996 is truly a special privilege. I am doubly blessed to attend this event at Glory House Hotel with all the leaders, Unification saints, Blessed Couples, friends and supporters of the Unification Movement in the Netherlands. As you know, some people mistakenly refer to your nation as "Holland" after the names of a couple of your largest provinces. "Holland" means "Land of the Tree." To me, this signifies that your country is rooted in the Bible and Christianity, recalling the "Tree of Life" in the Genesis account of Garden of Eden. Phonetically, "Holland" sounds like "Holy Land." That's so much more heavenly than "Low Land," the original meaning of Netherlands. I hope you will not mind if I refer to your nation as "Holland" in the future. Who knows? Perhaps the Netherlands royalty could be regarded by Heavenly Father as the first "holy" royal family connected directly to His Heavenly Throne and True Parents through your Unification works here. God performs miracles and works mysteriously, as shown throughout the Bible as well as in our contemporary world.

I would like to further explain how I personally came to be here. I was appointed as Heavenly ambassador to this nation at the April 24 conference in Korea. Fifty-three nations (later expanded to 185 nations) were designated to receive "National Messiahs." As "National Messiahs" (in addition to being "Tribal Messiahs"), we have very challenging work ahead of us. This mission is almost impossible for anyone in our movement to accomplish. It is especially difficult for someone who is 82 years of age, having retired from the Unification Theological Seminary following 20 years of service (1974-1994). Although I am still active in our work in America, I no longer have the same energy I did in my 50s, 60s or 70s. Health problems come automatically and naturally at my age. That is a strict law of the life cycle. My wife, Mrs. Eui Hong Kang Kim, is 78 years old and also has health problems that magnify our difficulties and affect our ability to assume another assignment at this time.

During this period of several months, I struggled internally, prayed fervently and meditated a lot over this assignment. After serious consideration, I am finally here today with all of you to accept this appointment and be inaugurated as chairman of our movement in the Netherlands. We owe this event to three members of my beloved family. First, my wife insisted that I assume this new mission, even though her health following surgery and medical treatments has not improved as well as expected. She has been pushing me all along to accept this new mission. Then, our eldest son, Michael Sung Soo Kim, who is President of International Exchange Press in San Francisco, California in the United States, recently encouraged me to go to Holland to officially chair this Inauguration Ceremony. He promised to escort me to your nation. Without his assistance and wisdom, I would not be able to see all of you on this historic day. Finally, my second son, Harry Hyun Soo Kim, a Certified Public Accountant working in President Parks business organization in America, gave his support for my decision to be here with you. Shall we give formal recognition to these three people--my wife, my eldest son and my second son? In the future, in case I have trouble fulfilling my mission, my two sons in America are ready to help your nation on my behalf. Isn't this a great promise and assurance? I will need your prayer and support for myself and Mrs. Kim for good health in our old age.

This appointment to the Netherlands is now the most precious gift to me from Heavenly Father and True Parents. In the past 42 years of service, I and my wife have received many presents and gifts from True Parents: not only things, but above all spiritual guidance and nourishment. In 1989, we were given a house in Poughkeepsie, NY for our retirement. All the furnishings were given to us as a gift for our long years of service. When we pray and meditate there, we receive spiritual power and strength to help people, especially the younger generation. The above gifts are horizontal gifts and are important for survival. The gift of national messiahship, however, is a vertical and eternal gift of incomparable value.

The spiritual ties between the Netherlands and Korea are amazing. God works beyond time, space and culture to fulfill His Will to bring the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. In 1628, the Dutch seaman, Ian Betbre, was shipwrecked near Chejudo, an island southwest of the Korea peninsula. King Injo of the Lee Dynasty sent this seaman to Seoul, the capital of Korea, under suspicion of criminal activity. He was found innocent of any crimes and later became a strategist for the Korean Military Academy. He married a Korean woman, became a naturalized citizen of Korea and was given the name "Park Yeun." He invented the cannon for the Korean military, which was called the "Park Yeun Cannon."

In 1653, another Dutch seaman named Hamel was similarly shipwrecked near Chejudo along with his 30 crewmen. He is remembered for being the first person to introduce the Bible to the Korean people. Hamel was arrested and sentenced to 14 years in prison, but succeeded in escaping and returning safely to the Netherlands. However, the story continues. When he returned to his country, he published a book called A Journal of Chosun (Korea), in which he wrote about his positive experiences in that land. This publication served to introduce the "Hermit Kingdom" of Korea for the first time to the western world. For his "notorious" contribution to our nation in opening it to the West, Chejudo Island contains a "Hamel Monument" that still exists even to this day. Protestantism was thus introduced to Korea. The first systematic missionary work, however, did not begin until 1832. At that time, the Dutch pastor, Charles Gustzlaff, began preaching the gospel in Korea and continued to do so for 40 years.

On November 17, 1905, Japan forced King Kojong, the last king of Koreas Lee Dynasty, to sign the Protective Treaty. King Kojong sent three secret emissaries to the Netherlands capital, The Hague, where the Second World Peace Conference was being held on June 15, 1907. These three emissaries planned to appeal directly to the Conference and expose the illegal "Protective Treaty" as Japans means by which they would annex Korea. However, they were not allowed to attend the Conference and make their appeal. Finally, one of the three emissaries, patriot Lee Joon, took his own life to protest Japans illegal treaty with the Lee Dynasty. He immolated himself on July 14, 1907, leaving behind his resentment and bitterness at not being allowed to attend the Peace Conference. His remains were returned to Korea, but his memorial still stands in The Hague, a silent reminder of his "spirit of loyalty and patriotism" to save the Korean kingdom.

 Corrections to the preceding section

The ties between the Netherlands and America are also providentially significant. Dutch settlers began arriving in the area we now know as New York in the early 1600s. The first permanent settlement, called New Amsterdam, was established in 1626 at the lower tip of Manhattan, which was purchased from the Algonquin natives with some small trinkets and tools (valued at 60 florins, but often described as 24 dollars). New Amsterdam was part of the Dutch colony called New Netherlands that encompassed parts of the present-day states of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. Amazingly, the Dutch encouraged other nationalities to help populate their settlements so that by 1643, over 18 languages were spoken in New Amsterdam. Surely, that embracing attitude helped the United States earn itself the symbolic gift of a Statue of Liberty which greeted over 12 million immigrants in New York harbor on their way to Ellis Island and the rest of America.

After the English conquered New Amsterdam without firing a shot in 1664, almost all the settlers--five to six thousand--chose to remain in New York. The terms of surrender guaranteed them their home, lands, goods and inheritance. In addition, they enjoyed the freedom to worship as they pleased. However, the relatively cordial peace between the Dutch and the English could not prevent mutual animosities, expressed in fist fights, name calling and political rivalries.

The Dutch dominated Albany and Schenectady in upstate New York until the American Revolution in 1776 and made settlements around the New York bay. They comprised about half of Manhattans population as late as 1700 and about one-sixth of New York states population in 1790. Dutch customs, names and sports took root and eventually became part of the American heritage. Non-Dutch groups adopted "Santa Claus," fashioned after St. Nicholas, who was the jovial patron saint of New Amsterdam bringing presents to children. Names ending in "-kill" (creek), "-bush" (wood), "-wyck" (district) and "-heit" (stream) still dot the Hudson Valley. "Cookie," "stoop," and "boss" are three Anglicized Dutch terms that still enjoy everyday use.

The Netherlands is a genuine Christian nation that spread its abundant spiritual heritage to the world. Dutch Reformed ministers and missionaries arrived in America and established the Marble Collegiate Church in New York City (formerly New Amsterdam) in 1628. On many occasions, I have attended this historic church, the first Protestant church in America established 368 years ago, long before Americas birth as an independent nation in 1776. The church's popular and world-renowned pastor, the late Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, who passed away two years ago, wrote the widely published book, The Power of Positive Thinking. His colleague, Dr. Robert Schuller, also from the Dutch Reformed Church, continues to achieve increasing fame through his worldwide television ministry, The Hour of Power, and through his numerous books about "Possibility Thinking." Dr. Schuller started his ministry in 1953, just one year before True Father established the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSA-UWC), of which I am proud of being an original charter member.

Gods Hands and His Dispensation work miraculously. Ten million people listen to his weekly message throughout the world. I have been studying Dr. Schuller's television ministry and method of evangelism for many years. I analyze and comment on his message and the reasons for his success, based on the Divine Principle viewpoint of Gods Providence and True Parents vision for the ideal world. On August 1, 1996, Dr. Schuller attended the Inauguration Convention of the World Federation for Unification and World Peace held in Washington, D.C. He led the opening prayer at the Convention. What amazing dispensational ties we have! We are "working together for good to build the Kingdom of God on earth!" Despite peoples knowledge or ignorance of these ties, even in the face of opposition, Gods dispensation marches on.

Let us look more closely at the Dutch contribution to our Unification movement in America. I was sent to Great Britain in August 1954, where I stayed for two years as a U.N. Scholar witnessing and speaking about our movement. In 1959, I was sent out again with pioneer missionaries Young Oon Kim, Bo Hi Pak and Sang Ik Choi to America. We worked there as missionaries until 1972 when True Parents arrived and began the "One World Crusade" and "Day of Hope" tours throughout the United States.

The first American man who joined our movement in 1959 in Portland, Oregon was John Hans Schmidli (1905-1990). He was originally from Switzerland. At that time, I was attending the Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland as a student, because the only way for a Korean person to come to the United States was on a student visa. The first female convert was Eileen Welch, a woman of Dutch ancestry, who joined in 1960 in Eugene, Oregon where Young Oon Kim pioneered her mission. At Eugene, Christian churches started to persecute Young Oon Kim's group. Therefore, they moved to the San Francisco bay area in California. However, Eileen Welch received a revelation from heaven to go to Portland and receive training from me. She came to Portland where I trained her as the first Divine Principle lecturer. We began a radio program called the "Unification Hour" on which she would broadcast the Principle every week. Thus, we broadcast the entire contents of the Divine Principle from the 1960s until the early 1970s. Also in the 1960s, Portland members started witnessing campaigns in seven states. Eileen Welch's brother and his family also became church members.

Thus in the early 1960s, people of Dutch ancestry had a special dispensational connection with the pioneer missionaries in America. Now God has sent me to the Netherlands from Korea by way of America to consummate His Will and inaugurate the Family Federation for Unification and World Peace in the Netherlands. Based on the short history above, I began to figure out why I was chosen to go to the Netherlands. The reason was to complete Gods and True Parents Providence for the Netherlands at this time. True Parents words shall be spread throughout this nation to fulfill Gods Will. If we "work together for good," the Netherlands and its royal family can easily be restored to God, and His Throne can dwell in the Dutch royal kingdom forever.

This ideal has not been established yet, although the Unification Church has been working here for many years and under four past presidents. The first president of the Unification Church of the Netherlands was Teddy Verheyen and his wife Pauline. The second president was Hendrik Dijk and his wife Maria. The third president was Andre Haring. The fourth and current president is Vim Koeisier. We have to respect the past, our roots and history. Without the past three presidents, the current president would not exist. Without the present president, there would be no future inheritance, no Dutch Unification Church and no hope for this nation. I personally pay tribute to the past three presidents and to the current president for their hard work, sacrifice, dedication and service for the church and for the nation. They deserve to be remembered forever. We have to learn from the past, including our mistakes, in order to bring success for the future.

At this time, God and True Parents are sending four representatives from four nations--Korea, Japan, Germany and America--to the Netherlands to form a four position foundation centering on True Parents senior Korean missionary, Dr. David S.C. Kim. If we become one, with one mind, one heart and one true love, we can bring unity between these four nations in the Netherlands. Then, Heaven, True Parents and the power and authority of Divine Principle will perform miracles and we will produce unexpected results and success. The problem is establishing a strong unity among the four nations representatives so that Satan can not destroy it. I believe that we can do it! I have great optimism and hopefulness although I do not know the current situation of the Unification Church here. I plan to stay one more week after my son returns to America. During my stay, we will hold "brainstorming" sessions with all the Unification-related organizations in the Netherlands. Good things will result for this nation, based on your cooperation individually and collectively.

Download entire page and pages related to it in ZIP format
Table of Contents
Copyright Information
Tparents Home