Important Details about the Ascension Ceremony for Dr. David S. C. Kim

An announcement was sent yesterday regarding the passing and transition of our beloved elder brother, Dr. David Sang Chul Kim at 1:30 AM Tuesday morning, November 8, 2011 (October 13 by the Heavenly Calendar). Our True Parents have conveyed their blessing and love through preparing a special calligraphy and calling repeatedly with their warmest wishes to Dr. Kim and his family.

A National Seunghwa Service (the name has been changed from Seung Hwa by our True Parents) for Dr. Kim will be held tomorrow, Thursday, November 10 at 11:00 AM in the Main Chapel at UTS in Barrytown, New York (30 Seminary Drive, Barrytown, NY 12507). Everyone is encouraged to attend this historical ascension ceremony and express their eternal gratitude, love and support for Dr. Kim and his family.

Attendees should wear appropriate dress: dark suits and white ties (if available) for men, white or light colored dresses for women and white gloves for all (if available). A luncheon will be served after the ceremony.

Flowers should be sent to UTS at 30 Seminary Drive, Barrytown, NY 12507. Displays can be ordered through “Flowers by Maria,” a local Unificationist florist in Red Hook, NY, for delivery directly to the ceremony.

Donations may be offered at the ceremony, or can be mailed directly to HSA-UWC Financial Office, 30th Floor, 481 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10001 with “Dr. David S. C. Kim” written on the memo line of checks.

Testimonies and tributes may be forwarded by tonight to Rev. Phillip Schanker. These will be compiled, but we cannot guarantee that they will be read at the Seunghwa itself.

A 24-hour prayer vigil to support Dr. Kim’s peaceful ascension began this morning at 10:00 AM EST at the main chapel at UTS. Members are welcome to join this vigil at the seminary or from wherever you are.

Following the Seunghwa Ceremony, Dr. Kim will be flown to Korea where a Won Jeon Ceremony will be held in Chung Pyung.

We deeply appreciate your support at this historic time. Let us unite our hearts in gratitude for Dr. Kim’s exemplary devotion to True Parents and God’s Providence.

Rev. Joshua Cotter Executive Vice President HSA-UWC USA

DEDICATED LIFE OF DR. DAVID S. C. KIM

David S. C. Kim was born in 1915 in Seoul, Korea, as the only child to a father of Christian background and a mother of combined Buddhist and Confucian background. His grandmother was a devout Buddhist follower who was spiritually sensitive; she was associated with many religious groups in Korea. Looking back, he believed that this interfaith-oriented background in his family helped him to research higher truth not only from Christian churches but also from other religions. He reflected that, “I know now that God prepared me to help God’s dispensation.”

His wife, Eui Hong Kang was a teacher at the Presbyterian Church school in Kunsan. They met at that same Presbyterian Church (where he served as deacon and choir director) and married on January 6, 1942. They received the Blessing as one of the 36 Couples in 1961.

In February, 1954, he accepted Rev. Moon as the Messiah to come, as prophesied in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, as the Second Coming of the founders of the major world religions in other non- Christian sacred books; and as the Righteous Man, Chung Do-Ryung in the book called Chung-Gam-Rok. He accepted Rev. Moon even before he met him in person and before hearing the lectures of the Divine Principle from the late Mr. Hyo Won Eu. He testifies that he heard God’s voice solemnly say:

“Listen, dear Sang Chul! I have been training you for 30 years since the age of 9, for your search of the truth through various religious experiences and groups. The time has now come and this is the place I wanted to lead you to. Unconditionally surrender. From now on your new name is David, after King David who destroyed Goliath in the Old Testament. You will be going overseas for pioneer missionary work for this group.”

From that moment, he followed Rev. Moon with unwavering faith and dedication. On May 1, 1954, centering on Father a trinity was formed including Mr. Eu, Mr. Sang Hun Lee, and David Kim, who pledged to follow Father and his truth. The next day he became one of the five charter members of the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity.

As his revelation from God stated, he was sent overseas as the first pioneer missionary to the West, first to England and then to the United States. He arrived in Oregon on September 18, 1959.

He and Mrs. Kim received the Blessing simultaneously: Mrs. Kim in Seoul, Korea and he in Portland, Oregon. After hiring a lawyer and fighting against the immigration authorities, his wife and five children were finally able to join him in 1965.

He was chosen to be a leader for the International One World Crusade that traveled through many states. In 1975 Rev. Moon asked him to take the helm as the first President of Unification Theological Seminary in Barrytown, where he served until 1994.

During his tenure, the Seminary convened ecumenical conferences, which attracted top scholars and religious leaders from a wide range of denominational backgrounds. Building upon these, UTS organized a number of interfaith initiatives including the Global Congress of the World’s Religions (1977) and the Youth Seminar on the World’s Religions (1982) and the New Ecumenical Research Association (New ERA), begun in 1979. New ERA developed as an interfaith community of theologians that brought together hundreds of religious scholars for wide-ranging discussions, many of which resulted in publications. Several additional interfaith organizations arose from New ERA, among them the International Religious Foundation (IRF), Religious Youth Service (RYS), the Council for the World Religions (CWR), and the Inter-Religious Federation for World Peace (IRFWP).

In 1980, the seminary added a three-year Divinity Program, which reflected its commitment to prepare theologically trained ministerial leaders. In 1986, UTS received a provisional charter from the State of New York, and on January 17, 1990 it was granted its Absolute Charter.

In 1994, David Kim stepped down as President of Unification Theological Seminary after 20 years at the helm. He remained active in interfaith work and served faithfully as President Emeritus on the UTS Board and as IOWC president until the final months of his life. In his later years, he became known affectionately to those around him as Grandpa Kim.

From 2004 through 2010, he devoted himself to monthly interfaith events, and freely shared internal and external guidance. In 2010, he founded the “Hoon Dok Hae Club” and named his residence as the Hoon Dok Hae Clubhouse. The club meets on the first Sunday of the month. It was after the November meeting that Grandpa Kim’s last words, uttered to those surrounding him in his home, were “Hoon Dok Hae!”

Above excerpted from testimonies published in ”The Words of David S.C. Kim: Let Us Learn from the Past” edited by Jennifer P. Tanabe (2009) and “The Ideal Family to Be or Not to Be: Testimonies of a Life of Faith” by Jennifer P. Tanabe (2010).