The 172 Project

With little more than two-weeks’ notice, 172 ministers of the American Clergy Leadership Conference (ACLC) from as many as 77 different religious denominations were united through a singular cause as they answered Father and Mother Moon's call to set aside their schedules between Sept. 9 and Sept. 24, 2011 in order to join a historic pilgrimage to Korea. They came to make history, and they knew it. They were informed that Father Moon had received a call from God to quickly assemble 172 faith leaders of America, by gathering 43 clergy from each of the four directions - North, South, East and West.

Why 43? The number 43 represents 4300 years of Korean history - a land invaded more than 900 times in just its last 2000 years - yet it has strongly maintained its identity. There is similar Biblical context - the chosen people’s 430 years (Ex. 12:40) of slavery in Egypt and the liberation period that followed it, all the while keeping their call as God's Chosen. Finally, Peter records that after Jesus's crucifixion, he spent 3 days preaching to the lost in hell, before beginning his 40-day resurrection on earth to unify and prepare his disciples for the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

The 172 traversed Korea testifying that God had anointed Father and Mother Moon. They proclaimed Heaven's wish to remove all barriers between race, religion and denomination. To demonstrate this, each of the 172 were grafted into a Korean clan, taking on a Korean last name and were registered as citizens of God's coming Kingdom. They affirmed that Korea is to be the base for the Kingdom of God with its deep family culture that honors purity, marital fidelity and piety towards parents. Upon the conclusion of the pilgrimage, Rev. Moon charged the 172 to return to America and bring about the sanctification of marriage and family to save this nation, so that it can lead by example the salvation of the world. The 172, though some have passed on, continue that commission, whether on earth or from heaven and they are joined by a growing number of new clergy under the title "The 172 Project."