Dear Members of the UTS Community, A Warm Greetings to All of You as we settle into 2021! When Reverend Moon came to the United States in 1971, he had a number of things that he felt called to accomplish. One of his top priorities was to establish a Seminary. Reverend Moon’s desire was to build a working relationship with Christian leaders. From his first days in the United States, he emphasized that the key to an American. reawakening was through building a partnership first with Christianity, then Judaism and Islam and then all other religions in order to secure a lasting...

UTS faculty and staff welcomed Dr. Thomas Ward as the Seminary’s sixth President at a gathering in the Oak Room at 4 West 43rd St. on August 22, 2019.  President Ward succeeds Dr. Hugh Spurgin who stepped down effective August 8. Dr. Ward, a 1981 UTS graduate, served most recently as Dean of the College of Public and International Affairs at the University of Bridgeport from 2000-2018. Two former presidents of UTS were in attendance at the gathering, Dr. Theodore Shimmyo (1994-2000) and Dr. Tyler Hendricks (2000-2010). In his broad-ranging remarks, President Ward expressed his...

Breaking news of terrorism in West Africa rarely breaks on large, mainstream news platforms, but change may be on the way. Terrorism news now is reaching American readers through a novel digital pathway called Prayer News Network (PNN). The mission of PNN is to help Americans “adopt” Christians in harm’s way in Nigeria through prayer by cell phone and to let the victims of persecution transmit actionable news of violence to their Western prayer partners. And by doing so, go around the mainstream news media.  A dramatic story of an attempted assassination of a Catholic priest in...

The Center for Media & Peace Initiative was founded in 2005 by a group of experienced professionals of diverse nationalities who share international and professional ideas. Given the role of the media in conflict prevention, management, and resolution, we raise global awareness on the intersection of media, conflict prevention, peace building, and public policy. Through radio/TV programs, social media, and public forums, the center leads the effort to teach citizens all they should know about the media. This recent article by Dr. Drissa Kone (UTS ’12, DMin ’16) is being...

Dear Friends of UTS, Unification Theological Seminary President Hugh D. Spurgin informed the UTS Board of Trustees in a letter on May 25, 2019 of his intention to step down as President once a suitable replacement was appointed.   Dr. Spurgin (UTS’77), who has served on the UTS Board since the 1980s, and for eighteen years was President of the Bridgeport International Academy in Connecticut, assumed the presidency of UTS in January 2015. As UTS President, Dr. Spurgin played a critical role in securing the Seminary’s re-accreditation; solidifying its relationship with the...

Back in June of this year while I was wrapping up my students’ grades, I received an unexpected email from “Stossel in the Classroom (SITC)” a website designed to help teachers encourage students’ critical thinking. SITC provides teachers with free (We love that word!) DVDs on a wide variety of topics compiled by Mr. John Stossel over his 29+ years as a consumer reporter, best-selling author, and TV commentator. I used Mr. Stossel’s DVDs in my classroom to provoke debate/discussion over science and social issues that coalesced with our school’s character education objectives. In case you...

On July 27th 2019, the Unification Theological Seminary (UTS) organized an Open House at its 4W43 Street New York City Main Campus.  The program started at 2:00pm with Carla Angeline Mongado, a prospective UTS student, offering a beautiful song “Breathe”, from In the Heights, the musical. Dr. Spurgin (UTS’77), the UTS president offered opening remarks. He shared the mission of UTS with participants, encouraging them to become leaders who bridge the divides in this world full of conflicts. Dr Spurgin carries the following card in his wallet: 10 potential students attended the...

Applied Unificationism (the AU Blog) explores the application of Unificationism to the wider world. It is hosted by Unification Theological Seminary in Barrytown, NY. Its articles address concerns of the theological community and the professional ministry, as well as contemporary social, cultural, political, scientific and economic issues, from a Unificationist perspective. This recent article by Dr. David Eaton is being republished in UTS News with permission. In his article Music’s Moral Power: From Christianity to 2020 and Beyond Dr. David Eaton expresses the need for...

“I am one of the many people whom our Heavenly Father has prepared throughout the history of restoration to do a certain task. The work given me may be small, but I accept it, knowing that joined with other such works the world will be restored.” – Theodorus Verheyen Theodorus “Teddy” Verheyen passed away on June 27, 2019 at the age of 84. He lived much of his life in the United States in Tarrytown, NY before moving to Red Hook, NY in 2017. Teddy was born in the town of Noordwijkerhout on March 14, 1935 to Antonius (Toon) Hubertus Verheijen and Johanna (Anna) Gerarda de Haart...