by Dr. Michael L. Mickler
Barrytown, NY
On May 13, 1994, in a meeting of key Seminary personnel at East Garden, Dr. David S.C. Kim, who had served as the President of Unification Theological Seminary since its founding in 1975, officially retired. At that time, Rev. Moon recommended that Dr. Theodore Shimmyo, Professor of Theology at UTS since 1985 and a member of the Seminary's first graduating class, succeed President Kim as the second President of UTS, subject to approval by the Seminary's Board of Trustees. He also announced that Book I of UTS was now closed and called on those present to make a new determination for Book II.
Subsequent to President Kim's retirement, Dr. Edwin Ang retired as UTS' Executive Vice President and Dean Therese Stewart retired as the Seminary's Academic Dean. Together, President Kim, Dr. Ang and Dean Stewart guided UTS through its formative years. Under their leadership the Seminary gained its Absolute Charter as a degree granting institution from the State of New York, served as a hatching ground for innumerable theologian's conferences and organizations which formed the matrix of the Interreligious Federation for World Peace, and produced with this year's class more than 800 graduates.
Following his formal appointment by the UTS Board of Trustees, President Shimmyo named Dr. William Brunhofer (UTS'84) as Dean of Administration and Dr. Jennifer Tanabe as Academic Dean.
According to Rev. Moon, the mandate of the new administration remains the same: to revive Christianity and save this nation. However, the circumstances have changed. Having proclaimed True Parents and the completed Testament Age and the Safe Settlement, in short, having "ushered in a great transition on the world level," Rev. Moon advised the Seminary's leadership to institute a new curriculum with Unification Theology at its center, beginning from September. He also called for a "revival" in the Seminary's life of faith "initiated by the students."
Finally, centered on professors, he challenged UTS to become an internationally famous academic institution.