Archbishop Stallings Appointed Chairman of ACLC, Rev. Tom Cutts as Executive Director

January 23 2013 familyfed.org

The American Clergy Leadership Conference (ACLC) welcomes Archbishop George Augustus Stallings, Jr. as its new Chairman and Rev. Tom Cutts as its National Executive Director, according to a statement from Rev. Michael Jenkins, the outgoing ACLC chairman. Dr. Jenkins, who served as ACLC Chairman since 2009 has, as of December 2012, been appointed as Director of Business Investment and Asset Development of the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSA-UWC) USA and will remain as a special advisor on the National Executive Committee of ACLC.

“Archbishop Stallings has been prepared by God for such a time as this,” said Rev. Jenkins. “He has continued to demonstrate the courage and righteousness to do what God has called him to do, from forming an independent Catholic expression of the Christian faith, to embracing all denominations and races especially demonstrated in his faithful response to God’s call to marry internationally and interracially. He is standing with his wife, Sayomi, as a blessed couple.”

“He came to know Father and Mother Moon through their teachings on the scripture, and he could really understand the meaning of their anointed role as the True Parents,” Dr. Jenkins continued, adding: “He understands and teaches the Principle in such a way that opens the hearts and minds of the clergy about the coming of God’s Kingdom on the earth. From ending the era of the Cross and reconciling with the Rabbis and the Imams in repentance in Israel to the crowning of Jesus – the Archbishop has been steadfast in his leadership. At the same time, he is a man of incredible kindness and integrity of love and heart. We are all excited about his leadership and the fact that as a preacher and presenter of the Original Substance of The Divine Principle, he made a most important contribution in opening the door for other clergy not only to embrace the message of Blessing, Family and Absolute Sex (fidelity) but also to lead the clergy to come forth to teach it.

“Furthermore, a double blessing had come to ACLC in that Rev. Tom Cutts, who has proved himself worthy in his leadership in Atlanta over Unification ministry as well as ACLC, has also been appointed to help lead ACLC. Rev. Cutts was so respected by True Parents. One time, Father Moon demanded that Atlanta be put on his speaking tour schedule because the Christian spirit was so strong in Atlanta under Rev. Cutts’ leadership.”

Rev. Cutts, the former District Pastor of District 5 [Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi] said of his new position: “This is an historic time for the ACLC. Through the guidance of True Parents and Rev. Hyung Jin Moon, ACLC will become the preeminent organization for clergy and religious leaders in the nation. True Parents’ message of ‘Absolute Sex’ will become the core teaching of marriage and family ministries in churches all across the country. And with the emergence of the United Federation of Churches, ACLC will become the organization to which the media and civic leaders, including the President and Congress, come for guidance on matters of religion, marriage and family.

Rev. Cutts also said, “So, it is humbling to be called to serve as the National Executive Director in Washington, D.C. at this time. I am delighted to be working under ACLC’s new Chairman, Archbishop George Augustus Stallings, Jr. We are both profoundly grateful for the past leadership of Dr. Chang Shik Yang and Rev. Dr. Michael Jenkins. We have some huge shoes to fill, but we boldly request, as Elisha requested of Elijah, ‘I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.’ Personally, I will never stop trying to be qualified for this mission.

“I have been active in ACLC since its inception in 2000, and was a founding member of the Atlanta Chapter of the ACLC. During the past 12-and-a half years ACLC ministers engaged in many exciting projects worldwide, nationally and locally. ACLC ministers were frequently on the front line helping to fulfill many of True Parents’ directions, including True Parents’ 50-State Speaking Tour in as many days in 2001, the Coronation of Jesus in Jerusalem on December 22, 2003, taking True Father’s words to 190 nations, and more recently completing the training of 13,000 American religious leaders in the Original Substance of the Divine Principle on December 15, 2012.

“As we begin the thirteenth year of ACLC, I want to carefully review all of True Father’s directions for ACLC, and faithfully and creatively implement the guidance we receive from True Father from the spiritual world, and from True Mother, Rev. Hyung Jin Moon and Rev. Yeon Ah Moon here on earth. I truly believe that ACLC will become a powerful influence to help God and True Parents realize their dream for America and the world, and I am thankful to be a part of that process.”

Biography of George Augustus Stallings, Jr.

George Augustus Stallings, Jr. is the Archbishop and Founder of an autonomous, independent and African-centered Catholic Church, known as Imani Temple African-American Catholic Congregation, headquartered in Washington, D.C. Since its inception on July 2, 1989, Stallings has established 13 Imani Temples throughout the United States.

A native of New Bern, North Carolina, Stallings is the oldest of six children born on March 17, 1948 to George and Dorothy Stallings. Stallings received his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy (1970) from Saint Pius X Seminary in Erlanger, Kentucky and his Sacrae Theologiae Baccalaureus or Bachelor of Sacred Theology (1973), his Master of Arts (1974) in Pastoral Theology and his Licentiate of Sacred Theology (1975) in Systematic Theology from the University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome, Italy, run by the Vatican. He is respected by many as an explosive author, speaker, preacher and a charismatic evangelist with engagements that have spanned the country, from Harvard University to Howard University, and from West Angeles Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles, California, to the Greater Allen Cathedral in Jamaica (Queens), New York. He is the author of the acclaimed and explosive book, I Am… Living in the Rhythm of the God within - in the Key of G Minor, released by SKS PRESS.

Featured on international television and radio programs, and in print media, since the founding of Imani Temple African-American Catholic Congregation, Stallings’ appearances include the Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King Live, 60 Minutes, the Phil Donahue Show, CNN, the British Broadcasting Network (BBC) and the Mario Costanza Show in Rome, Italy. His radio highlights include airtime on the Diane Rhem Show, National Public Radio and Radio One. The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The African Times are a few of the major newspapers that have published feature articles about Stallings.

When Stallings returned from his education in Rome, he was assigned to the diocese of Washington, D.C. and became a Roman Catholic Priest in that city. He was reassigned to St. Teresa’s Roman Catholic Church, where the congregation grew rapidly until the church was overflowing. His style was unique; not only did he carry on the Catholic liturgy with great care and precision, but he also preached like a Baptist preacher. He also brought a strong element of reverence for the African ancestors, a practice that became very popular in the black Catholic community in Washington, D.C. Stallings became the youngest priest appointed as full pastor in the Roman Catholic Church of America. He felt led by the Holy Spirit to form an independent Catholic expression of the Christian faith when he established the Imani Temple in 1989.

Stallings encountered Father Moon and the Unification movement as a pastor at the Imani Temple in the 1990s. Shortly after the great success of the Million Family March, which was led by the honorable Louis Farrakhan and supported by Father Moon and many of the clergy of ACLC, Bishop Stallings became a key adviser of Father Moon’s 50 state tour in 2001. As a speaker on the tour that was so effective at preparing the audiences to receive Father Moon’s message, he was invited to continue to many of the cities. In the mornings, he would meet Father and Mother Moon for breakfast with other clergy, and it was then that Father Moon encouraged him to get married and to stand in the image of God. Bishop Stallings said, “Father Moon, I want to be married and I would hope that someone as beautiful as Mother Moon could be my bride.” Not long after that, Father Moon recommended Ms. Sayomi Kamimoto, a native of Okinawa, Japan who had been working for ACLC at that time, for Bishop Stallings to consider as his bride. On May 27, 2001, Stallings was blessed in marriage to Kamimoto, and they are the proud parents of two sons, Shin Young George Augustus Stallings, III and Young Pal Marcus Mosiah Stallings, both of whom were named by Rev. Sun Myung Moon.

“A deep bond of heart had developed during those formative years. Many times when ACLC was called to take a courageous stand, Bishop Stallings was the first to do so,” Dr. Jenkins observed. Dr. Jenkins added the following statement: “When the clouds of testimonies on the mission of Father Moon were given by the saints, Bishop Stallings was the first to stand up to say that he felt that these messages were from heaven and that Father Moon is the one anointed by God. On December 31, 2002, he was asked to proclaim the end of the cross by removing it from his sanctuary and that not only did Jesus’s suffering on the cross bring victory over evil, but also his resurrection and what occurred at the Pentecost brought rebirth. On that basis, clergy who had proclaimed that Jesus was to be accepted and not rejected went to Israel and, led by Bishop Stallings, brought reconciliation and repentance from Jewish rabbis, Muslim imams and Christian pastors together as the family of Abraham. This ultimately led to a ceremony during which Jesus Christ was crowned in Jerusalem by his own Jewish family.”

Biography of Rev. Tom Cutts

Rev. Tom Cutts has been appointed the National Executive Director of ACLC. He will be working in Washington, D.C. under the newly appointed ACLC Chairman, Archbishop George Augustus Stallings, Jr. Like Archbishop Stallings, Rev. Cutts is also the eldest out of six children. He was born on November 29, 1948 and has a Bachelor of Science in Math (1967), a Master’s degree in Statistics (1971) a degree in International Affairs (1977) and a Master of Divinity (1983).

Rev. Cutts served in a variety of church missions since joining the “Creative Community Project” in 1978. His missions include fundraising on the National Mobile Fundraising Team (MFT) in Florida and Georgia, State Leader of Vermont, International One World Crusade (IOWC) Commander in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio, Regional Coordinator in the Atlanta Region, S.E. Regional Director of the American Freedom Coalition and the American Family Coalition, and most recently, District Pastor of the six Southeastern states of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Louisiana and Mississippi. He worked under a number of Korean leaders including those from the 36-Blessed couples, and from other earlier Blessings. He is especially grateful for the support of brothers and sisters which has allowed him to serve God and True Parents throughout the years.

Besides meeting True Parents, being Blessed to his German-born wife, Angelika, and raising three sons and a daughter, there have been three highlights of Rev. Cutts’ church life, Rev. Cutts wrote has said to Unification News. These include catching a 927 pound Giant Blue Fin Tuna; leading the first Peace Task Force in Israel which culminated in the coronation of Jesus in Jerusalem; and organizing a peace rally in Atlanta attended by 3,000 people. For the rally, Rev. Cutts pulled together a steering committee which included a mega-church pastor and his wife, a former U.S. ambassador, a state senator, a Muslim Imam, a Federal defense attorney, and a television news personality.

Rev. Cutts’ formal education includes a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Mathematics from Florida Presbyterian College (now Eckerd College), a Master’s of Science Degree in Statistics from Florida State University, graduate studies in International Affairs-Latin American Studies at Ohio University, and in 1983, Rev. Cutts completed the three-year Master of Divinity diploma program at the Unification Theological Seminary.

Rev. Cutts represents several generations of Christian ministers. His great grandfather was the pastor of a Southern Baptist Church in the North Georgia mountains. Four of the great grandfather’s seven sons were also preachers, including Rev. Cutts’ grandfather. For Rev. Cutts, hearing the Divine Principle opened doors to his understanding of God and the Bible, and how to build good relationships with others.

Before meeting the Unification Church, Rev. Cutts served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Malawi, Africa from 1973-1975. After completing his two-years of service he took another year and half to visit nineteen other nations before returning home. During that adventure, he studied Islam in South Africa, Hinduism in Sri Lanka, Buddhism in Thailand, and spent two months in Korea teaching English.

In 1981, he was matched to his wife, Angelika, and they were Blessed in the Madison Square Garden Blessing of 2075 couples. They have four children; Brian (24) who is Blessed and is a U.S. Navy diver currently serving on an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team: Daniel (22) who is a pre-veterinarian student at the University of Georgia; Atombo (20) who is bio-engineering student at Kennesaw State University and was recently matched to Margaret Repke; and Rebekah (16) a high school student, active in the marching band (flute and piccolo), swim team and symphonic band (bassoon).

Rev. Cutts has told Unificationnews that he “is excited to be working with Archbishop Stallings and the ACLC.” He says that he wants to promote True Parents’ marriage strengthening message nationwide, and increase the size, the diversity, and the influence of the American Clergy Leadership Conference.

by Ariana Moon.