We arrived in Baltimore and right away had to prepare for the press conference, held at Brown’s Memorial Baptist Church, were Rev. R. Lee Johnson is pastor. He is a righteous minister who had not known us a long time, but who felt called by God to support Father and Mother Moon. He received a flag and was moved by our missionaries and by Father’s message. He received much opposition and persecution, but he stood strong.

The local invitational committed, led by Rev. Willie Ray and Rev. St. George Crosse, was outstanding in its preparations and organization. Our media team, led by Dr. Linda Boyd and Rev. Schanker, really knew how to lift our message up in Baltimore. Fox news had a camera there, and the Baltimore Sun was present. Our interview included 12 pastors from the local area, and also Archbishop Stallings from Washington. D.C. They proclaimed that we are here to rebuild the family and restore the community, nation and world. To rebuild the family, we are asking for the pastors to unify their pulpits in one single powerful message from the word of God, that what God has brought together in marriage, let no man put asunder. Also, we are calling upon families to join the churches, and those churches to join the movement to move this nation of America to be the elder son and fulfill its role as the second Israel. When the church and family are united as one, we will be able to restore our communities. The church and family united together can really deal with the problems of racism, family breakdown, denominational walls. Therefore, the cutting edge churches, whether white, black, Hispanic, American Indian, are those willing to march across the Jordan River and shout at the walls of Jericho. This movement is about shouting at the walls of Jericho. We want to tell you, the walls are coming down.

Archbishop Stallings dealt head-on with the messiah issue. Is Rev. Moon the messiah? Yes, he is. He’s the anointed one. Jesus anointed him, and he’s anointing all the pastors to stand up and proclaim their messiahship. We should understand clearly that Rev. Moon is called by God, that we are about a work to rebuild the family, and that this work will only grow and magnify as we go around the country.

Archbishop Stallings cited the fact that Dr. King and many of the prophets of history were always misunderstood. But as they persevered and continued to express love, finally their message took hold. Rev. Moon’s message is now taking hold.

Rev. Levy Daugherty led a fellowship service. As our national vice president, he is doing a mighty work that the pastors can feel. He is absolutely harmonized among all races, and he is a leader of all races. Rev. Daugherty’s appreciation and love for the pastors is very much a reason why they are able to march across the Jordan with us.

Rev. Milton Reid came and gave one of the welcoming talks. He said, "I believe in Rev. Moon. He’s unafraid and he’s uncompromising. He has a message from God and he delivers it with love. I walked with Dr. King and I saw the same kind of phenomena occur then. The anointing of God was on Dr. King, and the message had profound effect. It stirred controversy everywhere we went. People at that time thought we would never see the day when blacks and whites would sit down together at the same lunch counter. But I’ve come to tell you that God’s will is being done. Father Moon is the one that can tear down the walls between the races, denominations, and the families. I stand with him and will never, ever stop. I am proud to stand by his side."

Rev. Willie Ray, our co-host, took the pulpit, and started shouting, "We will stand. We will stand. We will stand." The congregation came to its feet and the house was alive. Rev. Brown welcomed Father graciously, highlighting the fact that he was persecuted, rejected and ridiculed even by his colleagues and friends, but somehow he felt the spirit of God was on this thing, that we must cease associating only within our own denomination.

Archbishop Stallings took the pulpit, and we could feel something was about to happen. He again highlighted the fact that the messiah is the anointed one. He read again from Psalms, "Did ye not know that everyone here is a small god? How many believe you are a small god?" Only a few raised their hands. He said, "Then you don’t believe the Bible, do you? There are many people with fixed ideas, and yet they don’t even know what the Bible says. One of those ideas is that we are to be the temples of God." He highlighted the fact that it was God’s original plan that we should be temples of God and come together.

He read in Psalms, "The Lord God said unto the people, `Do you not know that everyone is to be a small god?’ We are to be in the image and likeness of God. That’s why Rev. Moon was persecuted. They think he claims that he’s God himself. But he’s god with a small g. God is in him."

"Also when they hear he is talked about as a messiah, again, they don’t know their Scripture. They don’t know the etymological exegesis of the Bible. Therefore, because they are not biblically grounded, they attack out of emotion and fear. They don’t know that ‘messiah’ means `anointed one,’ and many, many in the Bible carried the title of the anointed one. Jesus was the messiah, and he was certainly the anointed one. Rev. Moon is inheriting that mantle from Jesus and standing as messiah and calling us all to be messiahs. He is also standing as true parent and calling us all to be true parents."

"Therefore, I really feel that the anointing of God is on this tour. Therefore, I want you to know that I am universal. Even though I am the founder of an African-American denomination, I am universal. I’m a Baptist because I believe in baptizing. I’m a Methodist because I believe in methodology. I’m a Lutheran because I believe that Martin Luther said, ‘Here I stand,’ and I will stand with him. I’m Pentecostal because I believe in the movement of the Holy Ghost" – and right at that time Archbishop Stallings ran down to the front of the sanctuary, indicated to the people in the front pew that they should move apart, and jumped up on the top of the pew, and ran all the way to the back of the church on the tops of the pews. Then he ran back down to the front of the church. People were shocked, but they were also very excited. They could feel it was not just a phenomenon of feeling but of action.

Archbishop Stallings came back to the pulpit and said, "I introduce to you the Rev. Sun Myung Moon." The audience was captivated spiritually, and you could feel the same kind of phenomenon occurred in the early church, when people were speaking in tongues and dancing in the Lord. Dancing in the Lord occurred that night.

Therefore, Father came out that night to an enormous reception. The clergy present had been melted as one due to the John the Baptist messages that had been delivered. People could feel the anointing of God was on Rev. Moon. Then Father delicately won their hearts by interlacing humor and the word of God from the Bible with the story of the fall of man. Finally, Father revealed that the love organs of Adam and Eve covered in the garden of Eden were the source of the fall of man, and no one in the house raised their hand when Father asked, "who still believes the fall was caused by a literal fruit?" I’m sure some still held to that belief, but the spirit in the room was so strong that everyone’s heart was open and everyone must consider.

As I talked with pastor after pastor, especially those married, I want to testify how much the wives appreciate Father’s message. Never has a preacher stood up and proclaimed that homosexuality and lesbianism is not the model family of God. Father Moon is not judging, but he is affirming what is right. He is loving all people. The pastors’ wives are deeply grateful that Father can open the door to this kind of teaching in the churches, the true nature of the sanctity of marriage and the holiness of love. The reality of what this message is bringing, blood lineage – most Westerners believe that love is the highest value, so when Father asks, which is most important out of love, life, and lineage, the audience responds "love." Father laughs and says, "No. What about lineage?" He goes on to reveal that if the Israelites had received Jesus, then he could have had his own family.

In Baltimore, Father highlighted very clearly that Jesus was a man, that I Cor. 15 called him the last Adam. Therefore, if Jesus stood in Adam’s position, don’t you think God wanted to create an ideal Eve? The image of God is male and female. Therefore, ultimately Jesus needed a bride. We can see that in certain states along the way where the Christians are truly united, this new revelation about the meaning of Jesus and the family is being received. It’s not fully understood yet, people are not endorsing it yet, but it is being received and welcomed.

That’s why the invitational committee members are preaching this again, confident that this message is anointed by God.

At the end of the Baltimore event, there was a real atmosphere of celebration. Key pastors were given awards and recognition for their work. We want to thank Rev. Bond and Rev. St. George Crosse and Rev. Wilks for their support. Also special thanks to Rev. Lee, Rev. Lykes and Rev. Jones and the Washington region for carrying out another successful event in God’s providence.

Brown's Memorial Baptist Church was the holy site for the 32nd stop of the "We Will Stand" 51-day tour and revival of America.

The event began at 5 p.m. with an hour of music, followed by impassioned remarks by several ministers.

"We Will Stand" is part of an effort by the American Clergy Leadership Conference to build an interfaith and interracial religious coalition. The tour began February 25 in the Bronx, New York.

It was pouring rain heavily all evening, yet the church was filled to its capacity of over 800, including 150 clergy.

The host pastor, Reverend R. Lee Johnson, is President of the Progressive Baptist Minister's Conference and Vice President of the Baptist Ministers Conference. He warmly welcomed everyone to his "home".

Representatives from several Christian denominations and the Nation of Islam were both recognized and given the opportunity to share remarks with the very mixed congregation.

Reverend Michael Jenkins, president of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) was the evening's master of ceremonies.

The pre-program included Dr. Milton Reid who gave some powerful words of insight that uplifted and inspired the congregation. Reverend Willie Ray and Minister Lyle Muhammad spoke with power and eloquence.

Archbishop Augustus George Stallings of the Imani Temple gave the keynote speaker's introduction with incredible vigor and sheer gusto. He preached while walking the tops of the center aisle pews demonstrating absolute faith and trust in the God of his heart. (His walk of joy was even captured on the local evening news.)

"Father Moon has God's triple A rating. He is anointed, appointed and approved!

Anyone who has God's anointing is a messiah, and we should all become messiahs too. "

At about 7:20 p.m., after a video highlighting some of his accomplishments around the world, the keynote speaker, Father Moon walked to the podium amid a burst of applause.

He spoke for 90 minutes spontaneously in Korean with simultaneous English translation by Mr. Peter Kim before beginning his prepared address, "The Path for America and Humanity in the New Millennium".

"When you raise a child, that is the most precious thing a woman can do under the sun. That's the way you will deserve praise from your husband that yes, you did your mission."

"Those who separate the finances as husband and wife and keep secrets from one another are sowing the seeds of division in their marriage."

"The Roman Empire declined from within because of moral degradation and the United States of America is on the same path of decline unless it repents and moves towards the ideal of creating true families."

He spoke of God as a grieving father, exceedingly sad over the suffering of humanity, and called upon the religious leaders whom he called prophets, to work to build God's Kingdom. He noted that no one religion can build God's Kingdom, not even his own.

"It will take the cooperation of all people of faith and goodwill. In liberating humanity of suffering, we liberate God also."

After the sermons, Father Moon awarded gift certificates for hand-crafted gold watches to those ministers who had worked tirelessly (so far) supporting and promoting the crusade and for their work in the community.

"These ministers will be those who will lead the future of America by bringing the nation to hear God's call to repent and transform the lives of its citizens," he said.

Reverend Willie Ray presented other awards to organizations that had supported the "We Will Stand" outreach efforts and theme.

Reverend John Wright received an award for his interfaith efforts.

Ecumenical awards were given to Rabbi Dr. David Ben-Ami of the American Forum for Jewish-Christian Cooperation and Minister Lyle Muhammad of the Nation of Islam.

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