Pres. Demian Dunkley's Message About LA Event on 4/6
Note: Below is a message (3/22) to church leaders that Rev. Dunkley wants to convey to all members.
To appreciate what is happening in LA with the City of Refuge, it is important to understand the context. Bishop Noel Jones is a very respected mega church leader. From what I’ve been able to learn, he is specifically respected because he is such a great teacher. He is able to expand in profound ways our Christian teachings. He is not only respected by other pastors worldwide, but he is respected by other mega church Christian leaders. They respect him and look up to him.
His own church congregation is said to number somewhere in the area of 17,000 members, which is a combination of physical attendance and online attendance, however I imagine the online viewership is more than that. He is not paid by his church. I believe most of his income comes from his speaking events, which are numerous and worldwide. When I was together with him and Dr. Jenkins, sitting on his couch just 10 days ago, an apostle from Africa visited to meet with him about an upcoming trip overseas. When he is not in Los Angeles, Elder Edwin Perry, co-pastor of the City of Refuge, takes to the pulpit and preaches the message to the congregation.
It’s important for our members to remember that True Father’s original desire for America was that we work with the Christian churches to revive Christianity to fulfill its providential purpose. He also sent thousands of Japanese Missionaries all over the country to attend Christian churches. Some of those connections were maintained, but for the most part, our organization and our family movement have not really seen expansive growth with our Christian partners. However, through the work of ACLC, we have been able to develop some very key relationships with Christian leaders. This foundation is unique to America, and the world is now watching, rather stunned, at what is taking place here.
True Mother has been in USA for almost a month now. She has been offering devotion and preparing for April 6. She has invited our top leaders from all over the world to come and experience firsthand what is taking place in America. One of the keys to the recent victories in Africa is that top religious leaders have been proclaiming True Mother. True Mother signaled to us that this is what must take place here in USA as well.
Last Sunday, I was at the Service in Los Angeles at the City of Refuge with Bishop Noel Jones. I sat up front next to Dr. Kim, Dr. Jenkins, and other leaders and watched with amazement what was happening around me. First, Jason McGee, the Minister of Music, took time to announce about the April 6 rally to all of the congregation. Then, Elder Edwin Perry, the co-pastor, took to the stage to share important announcements. He spent over 40% of his time, talking about April 6. Then they played the Peace Starts with Me promotional video to the whole congregation. After that, Bishop Jones himself came out to add to the announcements and invited everyone to come on April 6. Then Bishop Jones brought it up again during his message. Here is an excerpt of what he said:
His own church congregation is said to number somewhere in the area of 17,000 members, which is a combination of physical attendance and online attendance, however I imagine the online viewership is more than that. He is not paid by his church. I believe most of his income comes from his speaking events, which are numerous and worldwide. When I was together with him and Dr. Jenkins, sitting on his couch just 10 days ago, an apostle from Africa visited to meet with him about an upcoming trip overseas. When he is not in Los Angeles, Elder Edwin Perry, co-pastor of the City of Refuge, takes to the pulpit and preaches the message to the congregation.
It’s important for our members to remember that True Father’s original desire for America was that we work with the Christian churches to revive Christianity to fulfill its providential purpose. He also sent thousands of Japanese Missionaries all over the country to attend Christian churches. Some of those connections were maintained, but for the most part, our organization and our family movement have not really seen expansive growth with our Christian partners. However, through the work of ACLC, we have been able to develop some very key relationships with Christian leaders. This foundation is unique to America, and the world is now watching, rather stunned, at what is taking place here.
True Mother has been in USA for almost a month now. She has been offering devotion and preparing for April 6. She has invited our top leaders from all over the world to come and experience firsthand what is taking place in America. One of the keys to the recent victories in Africa is that top religious leaders have been proclaiming True Mother. True Mother signaled to us that this is what must take place here in USA as well.
Last Sunday, I was at the Service in Los Angeles at the City of Refuge with Bishop Noel Jones. I sat up front next to Dr. Kim, Dr. Jenkins, and other leaders and watched with amazement what was happening around me. First, Jason McGee, the Minister of Music, took time to announce about the April 6 rally to all of the congregation. Then, Elder Edwin Perry, the co-pastor, took to the stage to share important announcements. He spent over 40% of his time, talking about April 6. Then they played the Peace Starts with Me promotional video to the whole congregation. After that, Bishop Jones himself came out to add to the announcements and invited everyone to come on April 6. Then Bishop Jones brought it up again during his message. Here is an excerpt of what he said:
"As you heard, the announcement has been made that on April 6 we will be having quite a community coming together under the direction of Dr. Moon. Mother Moon is coming in, and we are going to have quite a service. We are not dealing with the intricacies of idiosyncratic doctrine. We are dealing with the fundamental principles that surround Christianity, and the fundamental Christian principle is that we love one another and that we have peace together. That becomes the expression of one’s spiritual maturity. It is not simply to talk about one's idiosyncratic conceptualization of God, but it is wider than that. I would have to have come from being in a cave, not to see the discord and the animosity that people are having towards each other, not just in this country, but in the world.
Whenever God raises somebody up, who has not just neighborhood status, not just state status, not just country status, but God raises people up with universal status, in order to have the power to unite all of us. Now there are very few people in the world, who can unite all of us. That's a fact. But God has raised up Mother Moon and has given her that strength. Now, it is an interesting thing that we do a lot more for our mothers than we do for our fathers. (Now do I get a debate on that? Bishop Jones looks towards all the women in the choir and asks that question and they all nod their head yes). And God has given her the strength, and given her the wisdom, and given her the insight and the experience to be able to touch millions of people around the world. And for her to decide to come here and to be part of this church and to promulgate love out of this house, I would like to say that is a gift from God. That's how precious we find this light upon us. I want to introduce her representatives here, Rev. Mark Tengan, Rev. Yang, Rev. Dunkley, Rev. Jenkins, and Dr. Ki Hoon Kim. Together, we will put this very marvelous, wonderful, and great mission together, to bring the world together. I was in Korea, the unification of North and South Korea, I was there a few months ago and I could see God move in a great way. And so we are going to celebrate and have a marvelous time, and when we come together like that, it is a place to stimulate, because we are not going to stay together. It is a place to infect us, with a drive to go from there and touch people in our communities. If we bring our communities together, if we bring our families together, then the family affects the community, and the community affects the wider group. I preached to 350,000 people in Nigeria. I could not have eye contact with 350,000 people, so I kept eye contact with those who are in front, and they look over to the ones behind, and the ones behind, and it’s a kind of domino effect, and that is exactly what we do. We stimulate, we drive, we put people on fire, and then we release them into their own neighborhoods. So that is why Peace begins with me, Love begins with me, Revival begins with me. If i can get it with me, then I can spread it. Amen"
Then, towards the end of the sermon, I realized that his whole message was about April 6. He spoke about the importance of love over doctrinal differences. He spoke about true Christianity, which can look beyond those differences to love and serve. He spoke about the importance of our prayers and worship, that they act like our armor to protect ourselves from the devil. He told his congregation to put on their armor and get ready, because the devil will try and attack them before April 6, and try to pull them back away from your Christianity. I mean, this stuff is amazing.
Bishop Jones himself is truly anointed and prepared for this time. He is protecting True Mother and he is leading his congregation to do so. We have seen the spirit building in USA, with a huge breakthrough at MSG, where 30% of the crowd were Christian. Then again at Nassau, when a staggering 70% were Christian guests from over 200 different churches. It is building and building. We must not be left behind in our understanding of what is going on.
Please don’t think of our movement as it was last year, or even last month. Things can change rapidly. Our blessed families must make every effort to activate their Tribal Messiahship, because it also creates the spiritual environment that we need to be able to recognize what is happening. Right now, all members should be activated. We can pray, we can donate, and we can attend our True Mother this April 6 in LA.
I must confess, that I have never seen even our own church so united around something. Bishop Jones, Co-Pastor Elder Perry, Elder Jackson, Director McGee, also the second choir director, the security, the stage hands, the camera men, the ushers - they are all united and in one voice preparing and excited for April 6 to welcome the Mother of Peace. In fact, they all have a nickname for her there, and it’s “Mamma Moon.”
Bishop Jones himself is truly anointed and prepared for this time. He is protecting True Mother and he is leading his congregation to do so. We have seen the spirit building in USA, with a huge breakthrough at MSG, where 30% of the crowd were Christian. Then again at Nassau, when a staggering 70% were Christian guests from over 200 different churches. It is building and building. We must not be left behind in our understanding of what is going on.
Please don’t think of our movement as it was last year, or even last month. Things can change rapidly. Our blessed families must make every effort to activate their Tribal Messiahship, because it also creates the spiritual environment that we need to be able to recognize what is happening. Right now, all members should be activated. We can pray, we can donate, and we can attend our True Mother this April 6 in LA.
I must confess, that I have never seen even our own church so united around something. Bishop Jones, Co-Pastor Elder Perry, Elder Jackson, Director McGee, also the second choir director, the security, the stage hands, the camera men, the ushers - they are all united and in one voice preparing and excited for April 6 to welcome the Mother of Peace. In fact, they all have a nickname for her there, and it’s “Mamma Moon.”