Cancelled in Japan

Last month, a court in Japan revoked the tax-exempt status of the Unification Church. According to BBC News, part of the case against the church stemmed from claims that its members were required to make huge financial contributions and other financial sacrifices. The church was created in 1954 under the name “Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity” but recently rebranded as “Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.” Its members are popularly called “Moonies” after its founder Sun Myung Moon. The church gained notoriety starting in the 1960s for its mass wedding ceremonies. And while the court ruling in Japan will likely be appealed, it does bring to question the activities of the Unification Church in this country.

Demolition of Historic Seattle Mansion

The Unification church made local headlines last year when it announced they were selling a historic mansion in Seattle for $7 million dollars. Located in the exclusive Windermere neighborhood, the mansion was built in 1907 by Rolland Denny, a member of an early Seattle pioneer family. Named “Loch Kelden” the property was purchased by the Unification church in 1974 for $175,000 for use as a retreat center. Along with the sale announcement came news that the church intended on demolishing the structure as the developer buyers were interested only in the land and not a historic mansion. By having the church file for demolition, the developers were able to take advantage of a loophole in state law that allows churches to bypass processes which protect registered historic properties.

Meanwhile in Tacoma

More locally, the Unification Church appears to own a 3-acre property in Tacoma at 5230 South Mullen. According to information obtained from the County Assessor’s website, the property has a 3 bed/2 bath home and is registered to “Holy Spirit Association, Malloch David D.A., 5230 S Mullen St, Tacoma.” An online search did not result in a church existing at the location which was confirmed by visiting in person. A visit to the site along a road marked “private” did not reveal any signage or indication that it was church property. The assessed value of the property according to the County is $806,600 and would have generated $8,789 in property tax this year.

BBC News article on Japan court case: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cge1lr7225yo

Seattle Times article on the Loch Kelden mansion: https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/a-piece-of-seattle-history-disappears-with-the-demolition-of-loch-kelden/