First National Messiah Workshop

In 1996, True Father announced his intention of sending out “National Messiahs” to complete international missions. The condition for couples to be appointed as National Messiahs was that both husband and wife complete a 40-day workshop at the Chung Pyung Heaven and Earth Training Center in Korea. The first 40-day workshops were for senior Korean members and missionaries who had served in Unification Church overseas missions for 21 years.

The first National Messiah Workshop for the movement’s general membership, including blessed couples and Tribal Messiahs, began at Chung Pyung on August 1, 1996 and concluded on September 9. Over 300 National Messiah candidates attended.

In the end, almost 200 couples or spouses participated in a lottery to receive one of the 183 nations to which True Parents would send National Messiahs. From “Abel” nations - the United States, Canada, England and France - 121 couples received nations in the lottery, whereas from “Cain” nations - Germany, Italy and Austria - 76 couples were given nations.

Nations were to be assigned an “Adam” National Messiah couple from Korea, an “Eve” National Messiah couple from Japan, in addition to the Western “Abel” and “Cain” National Messiah couples. True Father directed that National Messiahs should be prepared to invest three generations of their family in their assigned country.