The African-American Catholic Congregation and its Imani Temples are an Independent Catholic church founded by Archbishop George Augustus Stallings, Jr., an Afrocentrist and former Roman Catholic priest, in Washington, D.C. Stallings left the Roman Catholic Church in 1989 and was excommunicated in 1990.[1] In 2014, the church decided to relocate to nearby Prince George's County, Maryland; their current headquarters are located in Hillcrest Heights, Maryland.[2][3]
| Imani Temple African-American Catholic Congregation | |
|---|---|
 Former Imani Temple in D.C. | |
| Abbreviation | IT |
| Classification | Western Christian |
| Orientation | Independent Catholic |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Archbishop | George Augustus Stallings, Jr. |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | Hillcrest Heights, Maryland |
| Founder | George Augustus Stallings, Jr. |
| Origin | 1990 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Official website | https://imaniaacc.wixsite.com/imaniaacc |
History
editGeorge Augustus Stallings, Jr., then a priest of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington,[4] founded the Imani Temple African-American Catholic Congregation as a single congregation in Washington, D.C., on July 2, 1989. He named it "Imani" for the Swahili word imani, meaning "faith".[5]
In 1994, the Imani Temple African American Catholic Congregation, purchased the former Eastern Presbyterian Church,[6] designed by noted Washington architect Appleton P. Clark Jr. and opened in 1893.[7]
In 2006, the excommunicated Roman Catholic archbishop Emmanuel Milingo (who married a woman from South Korea in 2001 at the same ceremony as Stallings)[8] performed a conditional consecration for Stallings and three other married Independent Catholic bishops at the Imani Temple church in Washington.[9][10]
In 2014, the denomination decided to relocate to Prince George's County, Maryland, and hence sold the Imani Temple in Washington to property developers.[11] It was renovated and adapted for sale as six luxury condominiums.[7]
Practice
editImani Temple teaching, in contrast to Roman Catholic teaching, allows women to be ordained. Unlike the Latin Catholic Church, it does not as a rule, require celibacy of its priests. In 1991, their first female priest was ordained.[12]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Harris, Hamil R.; DeBonis, Mike (2023-05-19). "Q&A with Imani Temple founder George A. Stallings Jr". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
- ^ Tallman, William (2022-04-09). "Air purification company lends a hand to Imani Temple". DC News Now | Washington, DC. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
- ^ DeBonis, Mike (2021-12-01). "Imani Temple is leaving the District". Washington Post. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
- ^ Jerome Cramer and Richard Ostling (May 14, 1990). "Catholicism's Black Maverick". Time magazine. Archived from the original on March 8, 2008.
- ^ Hyer, Marjorie (July 10, 1989). "'AIN'T NO STOPPING US NOW,' STALLINGS EXULTS". Washington Post. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
- ^ "Milton, Charnese A. "Plans to turn Imani Temple into residential units being considered", Capital Community News, December 6, 2014". Archived from the original on May 10, 2019. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
- ^ a b Hopkins, Kathryn and Li, Miao. "Developers Say ‘Take Me to Church’", Mansion Global, April 5, 2016
- ^ "A Member of The Wedding". Washington Post. 28 May 2001. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- ^ "Archbishop Repudiates Expulsion", Washington Post, September 28, 2006, p. A12
- ^ "Vatican: Archbishop Milingo and four others excommunicated". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
- ^ Harris, Hamil R.; DeBonis, Mike (2012-10-12). "Q&A with Imani Temple founder George A. Stallings Jr". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
- ^ "Black Catholic church welcomes female priest Woman makes history by saying mass", Baltimore Sun, September 23, 1991