Editing Rod of Iron Ministries (section)

== History == 
The Rod of Iron Ministries was formed as the result of a dispute between Sean Moon and his mother following the death of Sun Myung Moon. This led Sean and his wife to separate from the Unification Church and establish an offshoot sect named ''World Peace and Unification Sanctuary Church'' in early 2013.<ref name="WaPo2018"/>

In 2015, Sean began renouncing his mother as the '[[Whore of Babylon]]', saying she was no longer a "True Mother". He also began teaching that Hyun Shil Kang, one of Sun Myung Moon's first disciples, was now True Mother instead, as his spirit had married her.<ref name="WaPo2018" /> He and his wife Yeon Ah Lee also began assuming the titles "Second King" and "Second Queen" respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Hyung Jin Moon: Hyun Shil Kang in now True Mother, not Hak Ja Han |url=https://www.tparents.org/Moon-Talks/HyungJinMoon-16/HyungJinMoon-170923.pdf |access-date= |website=tparents.org}}</ref>

Sean is supported by his elder brother Kook-Jin "Justin" Moon, who effectively serves as assistant pastor of the church. He also owns [[Kahr Arms]], a [[small arms]] manufacturer.<ref name="RollingStone">{{cite magazine |last1=Dickinson |first1=Tim |date=18 August 2022 |title=Inside the Bizarre and Dangerous Rod of Iron Ministries |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/rod-of-iron-ministry-jan-6-sean-moon-moonie-1398447/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=7 September 2022}}</ref>

By 2018, Sean began wearing a [[coronet]] of [[bullet]]s on his head and expressing a more [[militant]] and pro-[[gun rights]] ideology. Sanctuary Church assumed the name Rod of Iron Ministries and performed religious rituals that heavily involved the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dunkel |first1=Tom |date=May 21, 2018 |title=Two sons of Rev. Moon have split from his church — and their followers are armed |language=en |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/style/wp/2018/05/21/feature/two-sons-of-rev-moon-have-split-from-his-church-and-their-followers-are-armed/ |access-date=13 November 2021}}</ref> In October 2019, members of the group were invited to "show their willingness to defend their families, communities and nation" by bringing their rifles to a service in which their weapons were blessed.<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 Oct 2019 |title=This church in Pennsylvania holds a ceremony to bless guns |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/10/15/church-pennsylvania-holds-ceremony-bless-guns/ |url-status=dead |access-date=15 Oct 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015132130/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/10/15/church-pennsylvania-holds-ceremony-bless-guns/ |archive-date=October 15, 2019}}</ref>

Sean Moon and other members of the group participated in the [[2021 United States Capitol attack|January 6, 2021 United States Capitol attack]].<ref name="Jan 6 riots">{{cite news |last1=Green |first1=Jordan |title='Good Way to Die': The Moonies and the Jan. 6 Insurrection |url=https://www.dcreport.org/2021/08/04/good-way-to-die-the-moonies-and-the-jan-6-insurrection/ |access-date=13 November 2021 |work=DC Report |date=4 August 2021}}</ref>

Former [[Donald Trump]] national security advisor [[Michael Flynn]] addressed an October 2024 Rod of Iron Freedom Festival, saying that if Trump won the 2024 presidential election, "Katie, bar the door. Believe me, the gates of hell — my hell — will be unleashed." Flynn's close associate [[Ivan Raiklin]] urged attendees to "confront" their state representatives with "evidence of the illegitimate steal" should Trump lose. Raiklin had previously characterized himself as Trump's "Secretary of Retribution" and said he had prepared a "Deep State Target List" of over 350 people he would go after in a second Trump administration.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Homans |first1=Charles |last2=Berzon |first2=Alexandra |title=Far-Right Figures Escalate Talk of Retribution and Election Subversion |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/27/us/politics/flynn-raiklin-election-trump.html |work=The New York Times |date=October 27, 2024}}</ref><ref name="USA Today"/>