3/19/10

George Augustus Stallings

The Unification Church prides itself in the ecumenism and interfaith work. Every UPF event, speech made by a True Family member, and even Lovin’ Life Ministries, is introduced with a prayer or speech by a religious leader of another sect. The only time I have ever seen Native Americans in the traditional garb has been at church events, and it has been more than one time.

Three men that the Church takes great pride in are Rev. Jesse Edwards, former Archbishop Milingo, and George Stallings. Though these men are technically “Christian” leaders, they very much believe Rev. Moon is their True Parent and affirm the Divine Principle’s teachings. To the average Unificationist, this is sweet information and shows that the vision of “One Family under God” is being accomplished, but to everybody else… it is just a bit odd. “So they’re Christian and believe Moon is the Messiah?” Yes. It makes no sense whatsoever.

George Stallings is a particularly controversial man. He broke away from the Catholic Church on the Phil Donahue Show after declaring that the Catholic Church did not serve the African American community. He formed the Imani Temple, a now dying denomination, which embraces African culture and maintains certain aspects and points of the Catholic liturgy and beliefs. Though respected by many Unificationists, his past actions and lifestyle have been overlooked and unrecognized. We’re not talking about the alleged psychological issues he had or the incredible wealth he accumulated when he first began the Imani Temple. We are talking about several homosexual relationships he had, one with a man as young as eleven years old. Gamal Awad recently had been paid off $125,000 by the Archdiocese of Stalling due to Stallings’ and another seminarian’s abuse. Stallings also did not mind hiring a priest who had been fired by his previous church due to his sexual advances on several teenage boys.

Another man, Derek Brown, claimed to have been in a relationship with Stallings. The two met in a gay dance club and Stallings later providing Brown with a residence in the priest’s manor. Cardinal James A. Hickey acknowledges he knew of the church’s rumors of Stallings’ homosexual relationship with Brown.

In the mid-80s, accusations of Stallings’ molestation were coming out and rumors were floating around the Catholic community. He had been asked by leaders in the church to go into therapy for his sexual addiction.

Soon after receiving pressure to go into therapy from authorities in the church and the truth on his sexual escapes coming to be known, he claimed the Catholic Church was racist and formed a new denomination away from the Vatican’s power and away from the growing amount of trouble he was getting in.

And now he is respected by Unificationists worldwide.

What the Washington Post said…
What TIME said…