The African American Catholic Congregation ("Imani Temple") was founded in July 1989 by Roman Catholic Fr. George A. Stallings, b. 1948, a noted black liturgist and pastor. He originally started the AACC as an attempt at a "new rite" within the Roman Catholic Church. In December 1989, he formally broke with the Roman Catholic Church and started to seek consecration within the Independent-Movement. At this time, the average Sunday Mass attendance at Imani Temple # 1, Washington, D.C., was about 800. It is said that attendance at Imani Temple declined somewhat after Fr. Stallings announced the break from Rome.