Unification movement Unification movement The Unification movement or Unificationism, also called the Unification Church (UC), is a worldwide new religious movement. Its members are colloquially called "Moonies". It was officially founded under the name Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSA-UWC) in Seoul, South Korea, in 1954, by Sun Myung Moon, a Korean religious leader also known for his business ventures and engagement in social and political causes. In 1994 the HSA-UWC was replaced by Moon with a new organization, the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU). The movement is spiritually-based and includes a number of legally
World Mission Society Church of God authoritarian groups, and director of the Cult Education Institute -- describes the WMSCOG as "a very intense group... similar to the [[Unification Church]] [of] [[Sun Myung Moon]] -- the "[[Moonies]]" -- comparing WMSCOG indoctrination methods to those of the Unification Church (which, like WMSCOG, originated in Korea). Ross says that the WMSCOG has driven members into "bankruptcies because of excessive donations," and says some have lost their jobs to "excessive demands" of the group and associated "sleep deprivation.” Ross says that members often are sent to group housing and shared apartments -- becoming isolated and alienated from family and friends,