Patrick Hickey (politician) had only recently been founded. Hickey worked in the Unification Church as a state leader and regional spokesperson. In 1978 he was matched with his wife, Shin Myung-hee of South Korea, by church founder Sun Myung Moon. They were married in 1982 in a Blessing ceremony of the Unification Church, held in Madison Square Garden in New York City, along with over 2000 other couples. They now have four grown children. Hickey moved to Nevada in the 1990s and worked as a reporter as well as founding a house painting company. In 1996 he was elected to the Nevada State
Family Peace Association on reuniting families divided between North and South. The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification was established in 1994 by Sun Myung Moon. Sun Myung Moon stated at the founding of the FFWPU that he never intended to create a new religion, but to open an age after religion where families would serve as the core of spiritual and character growth. Sun Myung Moon has even stated that the HSA-UWC, the predecessor to FFWPU which he established in 1954, was meant to foster ecumenical cooperation among Christian sects to promote families with deep spirituality and a commitment to serving