A New Day Dawns: CheonShim Won Prayer Hall Opens in Los Angeles

Photos courtesy of Los Angeles Family Church

"Future leadership must be trained at the CheonShim Won," said Dr. Ki Hoon Kim, President of Cheon Shim Won USA, during his message at the recent opening of the CheonShim Won Prayer Hall in Los Angeles, CA."This is True Mother's last gift. This is the new hope for America."

On Sunday, June 11, The Los Angeles Family Church held an opening ceremony for a new CheonShim Won Prayer Hall. The co-pastors, Joshua and Takayo Holmes, had just returned from spending several days at the National CheonShim Won in Las Vegas with Dr. Kim and Rev. Demian Dunkley, Regional Chair and National President of FFWPU USA, and made the determination to establish the CheonShim Won as soon as possible at their church. They felt an urgency to prepare the prayer hall, recognizing that in order to move forward and support True Mother’s vision, the community must first offer devotion at the CheonShim Won.

For four days, young Unificationists volunteered their time to pray, remodel, and clean the space that would be dedicated as the CheonShin Won in preparation for the opening. “As we prayed,” said Los Angeles Family Church pastor Rev. Joshua Holmes, “we felt how much Satan desperately did not want this to happen. Yet at the same time, we felt the heart of True Father urging us to keep going.”

The night before the opening, Unificationists gathered at the church for an evening service, where Rev. Holmes shared an inspiring message about rebirth. After the service, each member took time to individually offer devotion and prayer in preparation for the next day’s ceremony.

105 members attended the ceremony, gathering as early as 6:00 in the morning to spiritually prepare the environment for the opening. Dr. Kim led the ceremony and gave an inspiring message regarding the significance of the CheonShim Won. 

“Today you are offering this CheonShim Won prayer room. This is responding to True Mother.” said Dr. Kim, referring to the CheonShim Won as True Parents' last gift. “This is the answer to my one year of prayers at the CheonShim Won…This is True Parents' CheonShim Won spirit awakening once again! Not only what we had or what we learned, this is the greatest awakening for the sake of America. You answered! You are a chosen people!"

Dr. Kim also shared his amazement at Rev. Dunkley’s commitment to establishing CheonShim Won prayer halls in every state in America and creating a culture of praying together every day.

"The national spirit has changed,” said Dr. Kim. “You don't know what will happen after you come here and offer your CheonShim Won prayer condition. No one can imagine what will happen the next day, the next 7 days, 30 days, or 40 days... After 60 years of church life, my last one year of church life has been the most exciting, and I truly understood True Parents, and now, True Mother's providence as the Only Begotten Daughter."

Rev. Holmes spent most of the morning seated in the Hall praying and observing with a “prayerfully curious” attitude. “I was blown away and my heart wrenched as I watched many members immediately weeping tears once they entered and began praying,” said Rev. Holmes. “Many members testified to us afterwards [that] ‘a fresh spirit has descended on Los Angeles. There is hope.’"

The community is already seeing many challenges sort themselves out since they started offering CheonShim Won prayers. Rev. Holmes feels hopeful that the community can reach out to new and distant families and bring substantial success to the Los Angeles community. 

“In her first message at Las Vegas CheonShim Won, True Mother mentioned ‘Let us spread the fire of CheonShim Won spirit from the West and bring this fire to the East!’” said Dr. Kim. “A new way and a new day has dawned!"

You can learn more about the Cheon Shim Won here.