In Memoriam: Hyo-yul "Peter" Kim - The Peter of the Completed Testament Age

Late last night, December 22nd, I heard the news of Chairman Kim’s passing. As soon as we received the news of Chairman Kim’s Sunghwa, my wife and I held hands and offered an earnest prayer to heaven. I stayed up all night, thinking of Chairman Kim and expressing my gratitude.

After 40 years of public service and 34 years of missionary work, I returned to Korea and served as the senior pastor of Namyangju Church. I vividly remember Chairman Kim serving as a senior pastor, offering great support and devotion to the church. I cannot express how sorry I was for leaving my home country and coming to Australia to be with my family, leaving behind Chairman Kim, who was suffering from illness. Ever since I arrived here, my wife and I have been praying together every evening for True Mother’s continued prosperity and Chairman Kim’s health.

Do you remember that when I returned from my last visit to the hospital, I held Chairman Kim’s hand and begged him to stay healthy to witness the entrance ceremony of the Cheonwon Palace Cheonil Temple next year, no matter what? Just as True Father made his Sunghwa six months before proclaiming Foundation Day in 2013, simultaneously opening the gates of Cheon Il Guk in heaven and on earth through True Mother, Chairman Kim also has another cosmopolitan event with four months left. Are you hurrying to become holy first so that you can watch from True Father’s right hand?

As I watched Dr. Kim, a senior pastor at Namyangju Family Church, from afar, I received immeasurable grace and love from Chairman Kim - love I can never forget. When I observed Chairman Kim closely, he appeared as someone who embodied complete filial piety towards True Parents in every way, rather than merely testifying about his faith. At the same time, in every interaction, he was close to me, day or night, always affectionate and kind, like an older brother. Yet, he never hesitated to encourage or set an example of a strict life of absolute faith in True Parents. In hindsight, Chairman Kim became the guiding motto of my faith and life, second only to True Parents. He was one of the most influential people in my religious journey. Looking back, it was an infinite honor and blessing to have met and served a person like Chairman Kim in my lifetime.

I have read Chairman Kim’s autobiography several times and was deeply moved by aspects of his life that had not been revealed before. While many senior leaders have left autobiographies that help us understand their lives in accordance with the will of heaven, reading Chairman Kim Hyo-yul’s autobiography affected me on a completely different level. When salt dissolves in water, it disappears, leaving only a salty taste. Likewise, when one reads Chairman Kim Hyo-yul’s autobiography, the person named Kim Hyo-yul fades away, leaving only True Parents. Anyone who reads it will be profoundly touched, realizing the greatness of True Parents and the immense blood, sweat, and tears they shed for the love of heaven and humanity. After reading Chairman Kim’s autobiography, one cannot help but naturally confess that True Parents are the saviors of humankind, the Second Coming, and the Messiah.

Two thousand years ago, Peter was Jesus’ best disciple, yet he betrayed Jesus and did not go to the cross with him. However, in front of the True Parents, who appeared as the Lord of the Second Coming, Peter Kim - the Peter of the Completed Testament Age - redeemed the disbelief of the Peter from 2,000 years ago. With a heart of repentance and renewal, he devoted himself to serving and following True Parents with unwavering faith.