Mysterious ‘Important Decisions’ Cited In Rev. Moon Sermon Weeks Before Wash Times Shakeup

Rev. Sun Myung Moon
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Less than two months before the firings of three Washington Times executives and the departure of its top editor, a sermon by Unification Church leader Rev. Sun Myung Moon referred to “important decisions” having been made about the paper, according to notes taken at the time. Rev. Moon’s remarks raise new questions about the role of church politics in the tumult at the Times.

Sources have told TPM that a feud within the church — which pits Preston Moon, chair of Times parent company News World Communications, against his father and a younger brother designated as Rev. Moon’s primary heir — was behind the firings of the Times executives over the weekend. One of the execs has denied the rift was related to his firing.

According to notes taken during a Sept. 19 session with Rev. Moon at the church’s East Garden estate in Westchester, NY, the “True Father” touched on the topic of the newspaper in his remarks: “On this day, important decisions were made regarding the Washington Times, but I will let those announcements be made through an official memo rather than including them in this report.”

The title of the talk is given as “Korean Characters Are Based On The Shape Of The Human Face.”

Several weeks later, on Nov. 8, the firings of the three executives, all church members, was announced. The church seems not to have a US-based spokesperson, and has not responded to requests for comment. But a Unificationist who is in contact with high church officials tells TPM that the memo referenced by Rev. Moon that Saturday never materialized.

As we’ve previously reported, the day before the “important decisions” comment, a Friday, Rev. Moon said the paper “has to take responsibility for people going to hell in America.” And, also on Friday, he appeared to try to broker a peace between one of the Times executives who was later fired and a church official. A newsroom source previously told TPM that the executives were fired when they sided with Rev. Moon over Preston in the family feud.

What does this all add up to? It’s not clear. Quite possible is that the “important decisions” from Rev. Moon’s remarks emerged from ongoing discussions within the family about the newspaper, and is not directly related to the shakeup.

The Unificationist source also cautions that Rev. Moon often speaks in hyperbole. “He speaks like a historical figure. He’s talking in cosmic terms.”

Finally, there’s a moment in Rev. Moon’s Sept. 19 talk in which he mentions one of his lesser known sons — Kwon Jin Nim, 34 — as a candidate to be appointed “a leader in the newspaper field.” Kwon Jin Nim does not have any association with the Times we could find. Here are the notes of Moon’s remarks:

Father said that he had originally trained Kwon Jin Nim to be the president of the United States. He said that Kwon Jin Nim might be appointed as a leader in the newspaper field.

The fifty states of America offered to create a statues of Rev. Moon but Father did not allow them to do so.

To end the event, Father asked all Western members to sing the Battle Hymn of the Republic, as they did yesterday. Then, Father asked Japanese members to sing the song they sang yesterday. Next, Father asked Korean members to sing Real Man. Finally, Father asked everyone to sing Urie Sowon-eun Tongil together.

On this day, important decisions were made regarding the Washington Times, but I will let those announcements be made through an official memo rather than including them in this report.

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