Sex allegations against Bishop Eddie Long has been settled out of court/ Jamal Parris and Spencer LeGrande, have risked their still-undisclosed settlements to share their story/ Eddie Long Demands $1M Repayment From Accusers

(CNN) -- Two Georgia men have filed a lawsuit claiming that prominent Atlanta, Georgia, pastor Eddie Long coerced them into sex.

The suits, filed Tuesday in DeKalb County, Georgia, allege that Long used his position as a spiritual authority and bishop to coerce young male members and employees of his New Birth Missionary Baptist Church into sex.

"Defendant Long has a pattern and practice of singling out a select group of young male church members and using his authority as Bishop over them to ultimately bring them to a point of engaging in a sexual relationship," the suits allege.

Long is considered one of the nation's top black preachers. His church has more 25,000 members, according to the suit, and was the site of Coretta Scott King's 2006 funeral, attended by then-President George W. Bush and three previous presidents. King was the widow of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

The pastor took one plaintiff, Anthony Flagg, 21, on overnight trips to a half-dozen American cities in recent years, Flagg's suit alleges.

"Long shared a bedroom and engaged in intimate sexual contact with plaintiff Flagg including kissing, massaging, masturbating of plaintiff Flagg by defendant Long and oral sexual contact," the suit says.

Long took the other plaintiff, Maurice Murray Robinson, 20, to Auckland, New Zealand, in October 2008 for his 18th birthday and engaged in oral sex with him, Robinson's suit alleges.

"Following the New Zealand Trip, Defendant Long regularly engaged in sexual touching, and other sexual acts with Plaintiff Robinson," Robinson's suit alleges.

Long spokesman Art Franklin said Tuesday that "we categorically deny the allegations."

"It is very unfortunate that someone has taken this course of action," he said. "Our law firm will be able to respond once attorneys have had an opportunity to review the lawsuit."

Long frequently denounces homosexual behavior. A 2007 article in the Southern Poverty Law Center's magazine called him "one of the most virulently homophobic black leaders in the religiously based anti-gay movement."

"Everybody knows that a bishop or church pastor ... cannot have any sort of sexual relations or sexual relationship with one of your parishioners," the lawyer, B.J. Bernstein, said at a news conference Tuesday evening. "And even worse to have it with two young men who trusted him and got to know him at a very young age."

Bernstein said she has alerted federal authorities about the allegations.

In June, Robinson was arrested and charged with burglary in connection with a break-in to Long's office. An iPhone, iPad and other items -- more than $1,300 worth -- were taken from the office, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

On Tuesday, Bernstein said the theft was Robinson's attempt to retaliate against the pastor. She said that once Robinson began telling others about his experience with Long, "he realized he wasn't the only one."

"It made [Robinson] angry," she said.

Both plaintiffs said the pastor, his church and church employees gave them cash and lavish gifts that ranged from cars to college tuition.

The suits also said that Long framed the sexual relationships as religious in nature.

The suits allege that Long chose the plaintiffs to be his "Spiritual Sons," a program that allegedly includes other young men from the church.

Flagg moved into a home owned by another New Birth pastor when he was a high school junior, according to the suit, where Long would sometimes share a bed with him. Flagg was eventually put on the church's payroll, his suit alleges, with Long personally delivering his checks.

Flagg's suit says that Long presided over a spiritual "covenant" ceremony between the two of them.

"It was essentially a marriage ceremony, with candles, exchange of jewelry, and biblical quotes," Bernstein said Tuesday. "The bishop [told] him I will always have your back and you will always have mine."

Robinson's suit alleges that "Defendant Long would use Holy Scripture to discuss and justify the intimate relationship between himself and Plaintiff Robinson."

The suits are seeking unspecified amounts of punitive damages from Long on various counts, ranging from negligence to breach of fiduciary duty.
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Bishop Eddie L. Long built a religious empire just outside Atlanta by preaching a blend of the Gospel mixing faith, politics and finance - wrapped up in a flashy style - that propelled him to the pinnacle of the movement of large, independent African American mega-churches across the nation.



Now, after he was slapped with four lawsuits last week alleging he used his position to coerce young male members of his flock into sex acts, Long's future as a towering figure in the one of the country's most accomplished black communities and beyond is in question. On Sunday, Long is expected to take to the pulpit of his sprawling Lithonia church and address his 25,000-member congregation.

Many thousands more will be listening, and some are even flying to witness the event. The allegations have been a hot topic on black radio and Web sites since they came to light Tuesday, and black preachers across the country will continue the conversation from their pulpits Sunday.

It is, parishioners and observers say, a moment of undeniable crisis in the black church.

"The only person in the pantheon of black churches who is bigger than this is T.D. Jakes," said Anthea Butler, a religion professor at the University of Pennsylvania who was among those flying down to Georgia. "And Atlanta is the epicenter of black church life. . . . It's going to rock everything at the church, and people will really start to question these ministers."

While there has been speculation that Long will step down from the pulpit of New Birth, where he began ministering in 1987 with 300 members, his attorney, Craig Gillen, said in an interview that he did not expect that to happen. Instead, he said, he thinks Long will offer a vigorous defense against the accusations, which Long addressed in a statement posted Thursday to his church's Web site.

"I am anxious to respond directly to these false allegations and I will do so. However, my lawyers have counseled patience at this time," Long said. "But let me be clear; the charges against me and New Birth are false. I have devoted my life to helping others and these false allegations hurt me deeply. But my faith is strong and the truth will emerge."


Long, 57, has been a national figure in African American church circles since the mid-1990s. He came to national prominence in 2006 when his New Missionary Baptist Church hosted four U.S. presidents for the funeral of Coretta Scott King. The church sits on a 240-acre campus, has satellite churches in other cities and is one of the largest venues in Georgia.

According to the lawsuits filed in Dekalb County court, Long enticed the young men into homosexual acts with jewelry, cars, trips and access to celebrities. B.J. Bernstein, the attorney for the four plaintiffs, declined to comment on the case or whether more young men would come forward with similar allegations. Last week she released pictures Long allegedly sent to his accusers from his cellphone of himself in bathrooms in a variety of tight-fitting muscle shirts.

In their lawsuits, the young men, all over 16 at the time of the alleged incidents, say that Long instructed them to call him "Daddy" and moved to block their relationships with girls by "increased contact and spiritual talk as to the covenant between the Spiritual Son and himself."

The lawsuits, which name Long, New Birth and LongFellows Youth Academy as defendants, say people in Long's circle knew about his conduct but did nothing to warn the defendants. They allege that he "has a pattern and practice of singling out a select group of young male church members and using his authority as Bishop over them to ultimately bring them to the point of engaging in a sexual relationship."

For years, Long has been either beloved or bemoaned for his glitzy lifestyle and politically connected mega-church. It has TV ministries, a fitness center, a school and a program for the homeless and addicted. According to its Web site, it has also held weekly "out of the wilderness" counseling sessions for the "discipleship of men and women struggling with homosexuality."

n 2004, Long and Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., led a march in downtown Atlanta calling for a "return to family values in the African American community" and opposing same-sex relationships, while demanding health-care and education reform. When the King family decided to hold Coretta Scott King's funeral at the church, the decision was met with protest in some circles because of his anti-gay views.

Long was a supporter of President George W. Bush's faith-based initiatives. Also known for his generosity, he has paid off members' mortgages, given out cars and pushed homeownership as part of God's plan for believers.

His church prospered along with its surroundings. Dekalb County is one of the wealthiest predominantly black communities in the country, and Long and his church are major players there. It is popular among young professionals and college students, and the church runs shuttle buses to and from the campuses of Spelman, Morehouse and other historically black colleges.

Long felt he, too, should be prosperous. In 2005, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution published tax records from the church showing that, from 1997 to 2000, Long had accepted $3 million in salary, housing and other perks from a charity he controlled.

He told the newspaper: "We're not just a church, we're an international corporation. We're not just a bumbling bunch of preachers who can't talk and all we're doing is baptizing babies. I deal with the White House. . . . I pastor a multimillion-dollar congregation."

Those who study African American churches say - whatever the conclusion - the scandal facing Long will force the black church community to have the same conversation around sexuality and faith that has been taking place in other Christian faith traditions for years.

Those discussions have often begun around scandals, such as the cases of child sexual abuse by priests in the Catholic Church and the revelations that Ted Haggard, the former leader of the National Evangelical Association, allegedly engaged in sex acts with a male prostitute. These issues have gotten fewer headlines and less national attention in black church circles, though the popular gospel singer Tonex did spark a short-lived conservation when he announced he was gay on a gospel show last year. He has since said that he has been shunned on the gospel music circuit.

The question of sexuality in black churches is "an incredibly vexed" issue, said Eddie Glaude, a professor of theology and African American studies at Princeton. "We have to use this moment as an occasion to talk about the relationship between our commitment to Christ and the reality that we are sexual beings."

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God’s “Special” servant, AKA: Bishop Eddie Long has a lot more to deal with, than just mere accusations of sexual harassment case. The pedophilic pastor is facing added trouble, as new evidence, which says that he used to make use of sleeping pills on his “partners”, has surfaced the scene.

The Long scandal has a new plaintiff added to its list. Ambien is the fourth kid to come up with allegations against the Bishop. Previously, it was Jamal Parris and Spencer LeGrande, who admitted to being sexually harassed by the Bishop.

Spencer LeGrande, who is now 22-year old, used to be 17 when Eddie Long started making his moves on him. Several other plaintiffs have confirmed that they used to be 15, during the days of constant ‘friendly’ affection that was doted on him by this sweet and ‘loving’ Bishop.

Something that really clenches Eddie Long in a trap is his admittance to taking the boys on ‘educational’ trips. During their days in Kenya, Long made sexual advancements towards LeGrande and Ambien after intoxicating them through sleeping pills.

The accused used to play as a nice person and a fatherly figure to those young and ‘handsome’ boys, who just lost their own dads. From then on, after gaining their respect, the game plan was to hump the brains out of those innocent victims of Bishop Long’s sexual desires.

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This is breaking news! CNN reports that Bishop Eddie Long will not allow cameras during his two church services tomorrow. He is to make a formal announcement to his congregation regarding the allegations. Media was invited to attend, but the rules have changed. According to CNN, between the 8:00 and 11:00 service, Bishop Long will hold a press conference and address the media present, however, it will not stream live and cameras will not be allowed. Will Bishop Eddie Long step down or continue to deny the charges against him? Maybe he will do both.

Many are waiting across the world to hear from Bishop Eddie Long and some may determine that his silence equals guilt. Bishop Eddie Long’s silence is beginning to mirror that of the Tiger Woods scandal. In the Tiger Woods scandal, allegations were made and Tiger never said a word publicly. If Eddie Long is truly innocent, many will want to see him say the words in front of a camera, not through a press release or his attorney.

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The Sheriff of the town is a member of the congregation.

Fourth young man says anti-gay televangelist, Eddie Long, coerced him into sex

44. Defendant Long would become angry if Plaintiff LeGrande failed to call Plaintiff Long on a frequent basis.

45. Defendant Long told Plaintiff LeGrande to call him ''Dad.''

48. On July 26, 2005, when Plaintiff LeGrande was seventeen (17) years old, Plaintiff LeGrande departed with Defendant Long on an eight day trip to Kenya, with stops in London (the “Kenya Trip”).

51. Plaintiff LeGrande told Defendant Long that he was having trouble falling asleep.

52. Defendant Long provided Plaintiff LeGrande the drug known as Ambien and told him it would help him fall asleep.

56. Following the prolonged hug, Defendant Long kissed Plaintiff LeGrande on the lips, licked Plaintiff LeGrande’s lips in a circular fashion, and rubbed Plaintiff LeGrande’s chest.

61. Defendant Long engaged in intimate sexual contact with Plaintiff LeGrande each night in Kenya, including kissing and licking on the lips, touching Plaintiff LeGrande’s chest, and sleeping in the same bed.

63. Defendant Long introduced Plaintiff LeGrande to Winny Mandela on the Johannesburg Trip.

67. During the Johannesburg Trip, Defendant Long engaged in intimate sexual contact with Plaintiff LeGrande.

72. During the Zimbabwe-Kenya Trip, Defendant Long and Plaintiff LeGrande slept in the same bed.


73. During the Zimbabwe-Kenya Trip, Defendant Long engaged in intimate sexual contact with Plaintiff LeGrande.

77. Defendant Long told Plaintiff LeGrande that he expected Plaintiff LeGrande to go to school, keep up with his Armor Bearer duties, attend church, and have no girlfriends.

83. After approximately one to two months, Defendant Long placed Plaintiff LeGrande in a home located at 1024 Harwell Street, in Atlanta, Georgia (the “Harwell House”).

89. Defendant LeGrande would engage in intimate sexual contact with Plaintiff LeGrande at the Harwell House.

94. Defendant Long would visit Plaintiff LeGrande at the Community Center.

95. Defendant LeGrande would engage in intimate sexual contact with Plaintiff LeGrande at the Community Center.

100. Defendant Long would not visit Plaintiff LeGrande at the Northside Apartment because he had a roomate.

101. Defendant Long would instead direct Plaintiff LeGrande to meet him at other locations where Defendant Long would engage in intimate sexual contact with Plaintiff LeGrande.

104. Defendant Long would occasionally ask Plaintiff LeGrande to go with him to a house located on Huntsman Bend in Decatur, Georgia (the “Huntsman Bend House”).

105. Defendant Long would engage in intimate sexual contact with Plaintiff LeGrande at the Huntsman Bend House, including “dry humping,” kissing, and caressing.

106. On or about October 11, 2008, Defendant Long took Plaintiff LeGrande to his private office at Defendant New Birth Missionary Baptist Church (the “Private Office”).

108. On or about October 11, 2008, Defendant Long engaged in intimate sexual contact with Plaintiff LeGrande in the Private Office, including dry humping, kissing, and caressing.

114. From the Spring of 2009 through October 2009, Defendant Long occasionally had intimate sexual relations with Plaintiff LeGrande.

From a lawsuit filed by Spencer LeGrand, 22, who is the fourth young man to say he was coerced into having sex with Eddie Long, a properity preaching televangelist who is primarily based in the Atlanta, Georgia area. The details of this suit are much longer than the other three, all of which have been released over the past several days. Photos surfaced, too, of Long taking bodyshots of himself. They are said to have been sent by Long to an unspecified young man who turned the photos over to the lawyer representing the plaintiffs.

Eddie Long has preached repeatedly against homosexuality and even led a march involving thousands of people against gay marriages.

The men all say they became well-acquainted with Long when they were in their mid-teens. And after they passed 16 (the age of consent), they claim Bishop Long coerced and manipulated them into a "covenant" relationship where they were led into having sex. In return, he would provide them with cars, trips, access to celebrities, cash, jewelry, tutition, and housing. No criminal charges have been filed and Long and representatives of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church say the charges are not true. Two of the young men have been charged with robbing Long's office of very expensive jewelry and electronic devices.



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In the past two decades, Bishop Eddie Long has built a religious and financial empire from scratch, transforming a small, faltering church into a modern cathedral with one of the largest and most influential congregations in the country.

Today, Long's New Birth Missionary Baptist Church includes a multimillion-dollar network of charities and businesses, a private school and the Samson's Health and Fitness Center, where he holds court and pumps iron with young people.

His message that God wants people to prosper has attracted celebrities, professional athletes and socialites, swelling the membership to 25,000. The church hosted four U.S. presidents for the funeral of Coretta Scott King in 2006.

Long cuts a flashy figure in Lithonia, the Atlanta suburb where he lives and has built his church. He is often seen in a Bentley attended by bodyguards. He tends to wear clothes that show off his muscular physique. He favors Gucci sunglasses, gold necklaces, diamond bracelets and Rolex watches. He lives in a 5,000-square-foot house with five bedrooms, which he bought for $1.1 million in 2005.

Lavish display of wealth

His lavish display of wealth is in keeping with his theology. In his sermons, he often tells his congregants that God wants them to be wealthy and asserts that Jesus was not poor. By all accounts, he has been well-compensated for his leadership in building New Birth from a church with a few hundred members into the largest congregation in Georgia. His televised sermons reach 170 countries.

In 2005, for instance, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published tax records showing that from 1997 to 2000 Long had accepted $3 million in salary, housing, a car and other perks from a charity he controlled.

"We're not just a church, we're an international corporation," he told the newspaper in justifying his compensation. "We're not just a bumbling bunch of preachers who can't talk and all we're doing is baptizing babies. I deal with the White House. I deal with Tony Blair. I deal with presidents around this world. I pastor a multimillion-dollar congregation."

After the article about his compensation, Long hired a public-relations firm and went on a campaign to improve his image, McDonald said. He began charitable programs to feed the poor, help struggling people with mortgages and offer haircuts to the homeless.

"The bishop used to be perceived as aloof, untouchable, with his entourage all around him," McDonald said. "He started putting himself in a different light, a more positive light."

Long's critics and his defenders are waiting for an explanation of the accusations against him. Some members of the church believe he is the victim of a smear campaign by people in favor of gay rights.

"It's propaganda, man," said Anthony Harris, 30, a businessman who says Long has served as his role model. "It's retaliation for the 2004 march, the anti-gay-marriage march."

But the accusations have turned others away from Long. William Abernathy, 25, a music producer, said he had attended the church several times this year and was considering joining, but the accusations, coupled with Long's opulent lifestyle, persuaded him to go elsewhere.

"I'm going to pass on that," Abernathy said. "It's like hot milk now, sitting on the curb, getting sour."

Many in the congregation, meanwhile, have been wrestling with feelings of betrayal. "My heart just kind of sank," said Cheryl Jenkins, 43, who owns an accounting firm. "If he says he didn't do it, we believe in him. If it turns out that he did and he apologizes, we have to accept it. No one is above reproach."

In 1987, when Long took over New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, it had 300 members and a small building.

He adopted a modern image, using slang and dressing like a hip-hop mogul. He borrowed ideas from evangelical and charismatic churches and expanded his reach through cable TV.

"Muscular Christianity"

He also adopted what has become known as "muscular Christianity," a male-dominated view that emphasizes a warriorlike man who serves as the spiritual authority and protector in a family. His books on relationships suggest men get in touch with their inner "wild man" and channel their fighting instincts into taking responsibility for their lives. Women are to submit to their husbands, he says.

Long has been married twice and has four children.

B.J. Bernstein, a lawyer for the four young men who claim to have been coerced into sexual affairs with Long, said the pastor exerted a paternalistic and, at times, autocratic influence over men.

The four complaints filed in court describe how Long arranged for the church to provide cars to the young men and put them on the church payroll. Two of them said they received free lodging in church-owned houses, where, they said, Long visited them for sessions of kissing, oral sex or masturbation. He also took them on trips to other cities and abroad, sharing rooms with them, with the knowledge of several church officials, the complaints say.

In the letter to the radio station, Long called the accusations false. "We continue to categorically deny each and every one of these ugly charges," he said.

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Another "religious" leader using the pulpit to get away with his sexual perversions. He makes me sick!

Elmer Gantry - those who preach the loudest and rally against what they perceive to be the sins of others are usually doing the sin themselves. Time after time after time. With the sheriff in the congregation will they arrest him and throw him in jail? They should look into his finances as well -I bet they will find a lot of misconduct
there as well.

He's wearing his virginal white.


Bishop Eddie Long broke his silence on Sunday, taking the stage at his Georgia megachurch to hit back at allegations he used his status as a spiritual leader to sexually abuse four young men.

"I've been accused, I'm under attack. I want you to know, as I said earlier, that I am not a perfect man," the revered pastor told a cheering crowd of thousands at his New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. "But this is the thing, I'm going to fight."

In the last week, four men have come forward to allege that Long lured them into sexual acts against their will by giving them trips, cars, cash, and jewelry. One of the accusers also claims Long gave him a sleeping pill before engaging him in sexual acts.

"There have been allegations and attacks made on me," Long told the crowd. "I have never in my life portrayed myself as a perfect man. But I am not the man that's being portrayed on the television. That's not me. That is not me," he said to thunderous applause.

Long is a vocal opponent of gay marriage, and his church has counseled homosexual members to become heterosexual, according to The Associated Press.

His accusers claim Long exploited his power to coerce them into being sexually abused.

"Defendant Long has a pattern and practice of singling out a select group of young male church members and using his authority as bishop over them to ultimately bring them to a point of engaging in a sexual relationship," one of the lawsuits claims.

Though Long said "this is probably the most difficult time" of his life, he vowed to be at the church again next Sunday, and likened his situation to a mythical battle.

"I feel like David against Goliath," he said, "but I've got five rocks and I haven't thrown one yet."

The service, which lasted roughly 20 minutes, was streamed live on the New Birth website. Another service, also streamed from the church’s site, was held at 11 a.m., but media was not allowed access the second time.

Following his first speech, Long held a brief press conference but did not take any questions.

"On the advice of counsel, I am not going to address the allegations and the attacks," he said. "I want this to be dealt with in the court of justice not the court of public opinion. I am going to fight. Fight very vigorously. Things New Birth has stood for…we will continue to do."

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Bishop Eddie Long swept into New Birth Missionary Church with his beautiful wife Vanessa Long by his side to answer allegations of sexual coercion by four young men. Vanessa Long did not address the congregation but was there to support her husband as he spoke.

According to the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church website Vanessa Long is a native of Columbus, GA. She came to New Birth after she married Eddie Long. She graduated from Atlanta's Morris Brown College in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science degree in office administration and subsequently worked for 10 years with the U.S. Department of Education.

She serves on the Board of Directors for New Birth Christian Academy and is the head of several ministries and organizations including Heart to Heart women's ministry. She also hosts the annual Heart to Heart Women's Conference.

Mrs. Long is the founder of Women on the Path, a discipleship ministry birthed out of Heart to Heart that encourages women to develop a more intimate relationship with Christ. Her most recent ministry includes touching the lives of cancer survivors. The Soul Survivor Cancer Support Group is an organization geared to providing education, friendship, and empowerment to those who are or have battled with cancer.

According to her online biography on the New Birth website in October 2004 Mrs. Long was elevated to a new level: Bishop Long declared her as an Elder at New Birth, pronouncing blessings upon her anointed ministry of healing.

Bishop Eddie Long and Elder Vanessa Long are parents to four children Eric, Edward, Jared, and Taylor.

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I read statement analysis of his speech - he never says "Im innocent". No one asked him if he was perfect.
How many of his followers will believe him? I just hope that the authorities investigate this guy and stop him
from victimizing more young adults.

They ought to put him in jail and make her the head of their "church" if thats what it is, and not just a big fat paycheck to first class tickets, hotels, meal, travels
and everything else that goes with being a 'minister
to the poor" Such a bunch of hogwash. They are all the same.

Addressing a New Birth Missionary Baptist Church sanctuary packed with thousands, Bishop Eddie Long neither discussed specifics of the lawsuits filed against him nor flatly denied the accusations.

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A people search shows Eddie and Vanessa Long at this address:
10 Hunt Valley Dr
Lithonia, GA 30058

Zillow says that the house is for sale for $1,000,000.....it's less than what they paid for it.
Quite a house and lots of photos on Zillow!

Bedrooms: 8
Bathrooms: 8
Sqft: 9,704
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Sexual Taboo Has Left The Black Church Aloof

I am a drinking, cursing and fornicating Christian.

Somehow, I don't think that makes me unique. But in the church community that I know, it at least leaves me less vulnerable to ridicule than a man who happens to like other men.

In the church that I know, "no one sin is greater than another" is a concept only believed in theory, and for many, not at all believed. And while some sins are actively committed and/or easily forgivable by the community, other described sins, such as homosexuality, just shouldn't happen at all.

I presume that those things that "just shouldn't happen" are more colloquially referred to as "taboo." But taboo-ism as a construction of what shouldn't happen is never a remotely accurate reflection of what does happen. And the notion that our unwillingness to speak about it sustains its inability to exist is also incorrect. No, speaking things into existence does not work in reverse.

I'm speaking as an active member of the Black church. But the application of this transcends the most segregated hour of the week, the Sunday morning hour. It transcends both race and the institution.

Maybe, just maybe, a more accurate word for "taboo" is "aloof".

There were those of us who were not the least bit surprised by the allegations levied against Bishop Eddie Long, and for no reason other than we've seen it before. I know of high-ranking clergy and plenty of members who are living double lives regarding their sexuality. I know of clergy, and even the married pastor of a megachurch, who have had sexual encounters (both homosexual and heterosexual) with young, though not underage, members of their churches.

I can't imagine that I'm the only one who knows these things and discussions with friends from similar backgrounds revealed similar stories. I even talked to one friend, a journalist and member of the church, who had first heard of sexual misconduct allegations against Eddie Long, three years ago.

If you had not the slightest clue that these things could happen it’s because you didn't want to know.

But why? What and who are you trying to protect?

It’s likely that Eddie Long’s rock-star reception Sunday morning at his New Birth Missionary Baptist Church was only the latest display in a long line of him receiving the benefit of the doubt from his congregation. However, it’s not him or his image that they’re trying to protect. Sadly, it’s not the alleged victims’ either.

They are protecting themselves.

They’re protecting their own innocence, naiveté, beliefs and their faith that a man they so highly revered would never let them down.

That’s what “taboo” really is. It’s a protective insulation against that which we fear that leaves us aloof and unable to get past our own guard so that we may be somebody else’s. Now is not the time to protect ourselves individually when we are ALL at risk, our children especially. We must speak out for one another. We’ve been crippled before. Was the “taboo” of HIV/AIDS not enough?

Writer Malik Washington is a graduating senior at Howard University and is author of the blog Normative Chaos.

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'Name It And Claim It'

Eddie Long has overcome challenges in the past. When he took over the church in 1987, it had 300 members. Now, the stadium-style church boasts 25,000 members and occupies 240 acres east of downtown Atlanta. It runs charities, businesses, and even houses a fitness center. New Birth is a must-stop for politicians seeking office, and it hosted the funeral for Coretta Scott King in 2006.

Leaders not practicing what they preach.
Long is one of the most influential black preachers in the country and abroad. His sermons are televised in 170 countries, and he routinely meets with celebrities and political leaders (both Democrat and Republican).

Long's church and his personal life are manifestations of the "prosperity Gospel" he preaches. Also called "name it and claim it," this style of preaching states that God does not want you to be poor — indeed, Long preaches that Jesus was not poor — and that riches are a sign of God's blessing.

Long himself drives a $350,000 Bentley, bought a $1.1 million home in 2005 and favors gold necklaces and Rolex watches. When the Atlanta Journal-Constitution asked him about the $3 million he received from the church and its charities between 1997 and 2000, Long was defiant.

"We're not just a church; we're an international corporation," he said. "We're not just a bumbling bunch of preachers who can't talk and all we're doing is baptizing babies. I deal with the White House. I deal with Tony Blair. I deal with presidents around the world. I pastor a multimillion-dollar congregation."

After that, he hired a public relations firm and opened several charities.

In 2007, Long's wealth attracted the attention of Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), who requested the financial records of Long and a number of other wealthy religious leaders, including Joyce Meyer and Benny Hinn. At first Long refused, claiming this was a violation of the separation of church and state, but later a Senate aide said Long had agreed to cooperate.

As of last year, a Senate aide said that they were still waiting for all of Long's records.

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Did you check out the size of that diamond on his wife's ring finger?

Who in their right mind would EVER listen to a minister that drove a friggin' Bentley?
Poverty, chastity, obedience. Maybe it should come back in style.

And another thing, WHO takes pictures of themselves flexing to text to others?

I am a drinking, cursing and fornicating Christian.

Huh? That's like saying "I am a vegan but love hamburgers."

As a Christian, this truly sickens me! I'm not perfect either, but at least I do my best to own up to my failings & seek forgiveness from any I may have hurt. This "covering up" is what God hates the most - esp. by a Christian leader!! It's also sad to see that he has four sons (at least I think they are by their names) - that would be so difficult to hear your father being accused of such things!

This is reminding me of the recent case of Ted Haggard, a former preacher of another "mega church" who was accused of having sex with a male prostitue. He denied it as well, until the facts came out & he finally admitted to it. Very sad!

Just my own opinion, but I would never put a dime in the collection plate of a church with a minister who drives a $350,000 Bentley. That is just disgusting.

In 1975, it was disclosed that Bishop Eddie Long Ministries, Inc., the charity Long established, made him its largest beneficiary, providing him with a salary of at least a $1 million a year over four years, a $1.4 million home and use of a $350,000 Bentley.

The opulent lifestyle of mega-church stars continues as the U.S. poverty rate increased to 14.3 percent in 2009, up from 13.2 percent in 2008. A quarter of all Blacks – 25.8 percent – live below the poverty line, which is defined as approximately $22,000 for a family of four.

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"BJ in OR"

Just my own opinion, but I would never put a dime in the collection plate of a church with a minister who drives a $350,000 Bentley. That is just disgusting.

I agree, BJ!

By the CNN Wire Staff
September 30, 2010 5:29 a.m. EDT

One of Bishop Long's accusers speaks
STORY HIGHLIGHTS

NEW: One young accuser says he is praying for the pastor
Pastor Eddie Long drops plans to attend Florida pastor's installation
"I cannot forget the way that he made me cry," another accuser tells WAGA
Long's spokesman says the televangelist "categorically" denies the allegations

Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- A prominent Georgia pastor accused of sexual coercion has canceled plans to attend a pastor installation at a Florida church, a spokeswoman for that church said, "due to recent developments."

Pastor Eddie Long had planned to travel to Miami for the installation of a new pastor at Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church this weekend, spokeswoman Beverly Rodrigues said.
But four lawsuits filed last week accusing the televangelist of coercing young male church members into having sex with him, changed his plans.

"He was involved in the installation service of our new pastor, Rev. Jeremy Upton," Rodrigues said. "Bishop Long sent us a letter informing us that he would not be attending due to recent developments."

One of Long's accusers said Wednesday said he is praying for the pastor.
"I have no hate for anyone ... I just pray for everyone. Especially the bishop," Spencer LeGrande told CNN Atlanta affiliate WSB. "Because he knows the truth."

LeGrande, now 22, of Charlotte, North Carolina, wouldn't discuss details of his lawsuit.
The civil action contends Long took LeGrande on trips to Africa and coerced him into a sexual relationship, convincing him it was "a healthy component of his spiritual life."

LeGrande told WSB he moved back to Charlotte from Atlanta late last year and confided in his family, an ex-girlfriend and a few friends, including a police officer. LeGrande said he decided to come forward with his story after he saw the first two lawsuits filed against Long.

"They said bishop has been accused of something, and my heart dropped," LeGrande told the station. "And that was my time that God told me to release what I had to say."

One of the plaintiffs told Atlanta television station WAGA that he wanted to send a message to Long: "You are not a man. You are a monster."

"I cannot get the sound of his voice out of my head, I cannot forget the smell of his cologne and I cannot forget the way that he made me cry many nights when I drove in his cars on the way home," Jamal Parris, 23, told a WAGA reporter who traveled to Colorado to interview him.
Parris -- a former church employee and personal assistant to Long -- filed one of four lawsuits last week accusing the Baptist televangelist of coercing young male church members into having sex with him.

Long's spokesman, Art Franklin, has said that the pastor "categorically and adamantly denies" the allegations, adding that they were "a case of retaliation and a shakedown for money by men with some serious credibility issues."

Long's Attorney Craig Gillen said Wednesday that Long's accusers and their lawyers were unfairly trying the pastor in the media.

"The appropriate place to try lawsuits is in the courtroom," Gillen said. "There are rules on how civil litigation is to take place and how counsel should conduct themselves, we intend to follow those rules."

Speaking from the pulpit of his New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Sunday, Long said he would fight the allegations, but did not address specific accusations.
"I am not the man that has been portrayed on television," he told his congregation.

Again, on Tuesday night, Long alluded to the lawsuits, telling his congregation that sometimes he has to speak in code and with "encrypted messages" that the media would not understand.
"I am not speaking about individuals and all of that," he said. "This is spiritual warfare. And I pray for mercy for all who are involved."

Parris told WAGA that his suffering was real, and he had a message for Long.

"That man cannot look me in the eye and tell me we did not live this pain. While you can sit in front of the church and tell them that you categorically deny it, you can't say that to our face," he said. "And you know this. You are not a man. You are a monster."

Parris' suit accuses Long of manipulating and deceiving him into thinking the sexual acts were a "healthy component of his spiritual life," giving him, money, trips and gifts.

It says Parris left the church in late 2009, "disillusioned, confused and angry about his relationship with Defendant Long."

Parris joined New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in 2001, when he was 14. Long counseled Parris when the latter talked about his strained relationship with his father and got him a job as a summer camp counselor at New Birth, the suit states.

"What you have to understand is this man manipulated us from childhood. This was our father and we loved him," Parris told WAGA.
The lawsuits accuse Long of using his power and influence within the 25,000-member church to lure young male church members into sexual relationships. The suits allege that the relationships, which began when the men were in their teens, lasted over many months.
Long took the young men -- all of them teens at the time -- on trips, including to Kenya, according to the suits. He allegedly enticed the young men with gifts including cars, clothes, jewelry and electronic items.

Long engaged in intimate sexual acts with the young men, such as massages, masturbation and oral sex, the lawsuits say.

The accusations are particularly controversial because Long, who is married, has preached passionately against homosexuality over the years. Go figure

"I've been accused, I'm under attack," Long told his suburban Atlanta congregation Sunday.
"I want you to know, as I said earlier, that I am not a perfect man. But this thing, I'm going to fight," he said. "I feel like David against Goliath, but I've got five rocks and I haven't thrown one yet."


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REMOVED VIDEO that may have been messing up this thread. BJ

The comment in large print (don't actually see a comment) by Wrap right above this one has NO delete button so I can't get rid of it. I have deleted all the comments with the HUGE print. I saved the he comments that I deleted and they will be on another thread titled NEW thread for Bishop Eddie Long. I'm locking this thread now so if you want to comment you'll have to go to the other thread.

All the comments that I'm moving will be in the first post......not sure how else to do it, but we had to get those comments off of this thread.

BJ, I see a delete button. Maybe the problem is in one of the embedded video's?

Despite constant reports surfacing about Bishop Eddie Long’s accusers speaking out against the church leader recently, the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church has decided to try and help the church leader overcome his worries by holding a celebration for him recently.
Long was recently celebrated in an event to mark his 24th Anniversary with the church, despite his accusers threatening to write a tell-all book detailing their alleged homosexual encounters with the clergyman.

In spite of the controversy surrounding the alleged bribes and sexual acts committed by Long to five young men who have accused him, the bishop posted a Facebook message that reflected him giving the situation to God.

“God is the redeemer of all situations,” Long wrote. “There is no amount of strength you can ask God for that He's run out of. Good morning!”.........................

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OOPS! Crazy large print again on this thread....don't know why.

Two of the men who accused megachurch pastor Eddie Long of sexual misconduct plan to release a book about their experiences.

Long quietly settled out of court with Spencer LeGrande and Jamal Parris, both in their early 20s, along with two other young men.

But now the pair plan to write a book exposing the gory details of their claims, according to CNN Atlanta.

Parris said: “It's just not enough anymore. I thought I could cover the pain up. I thought I could move, start over and everything will go away. I was terribly wrong.”

The young men said can no longer keep quiet, and they are approaching the book project as part of the healing process.

"You ain't ready for the secrets,” Parris said. “I don't care if this book sells one copy. But if it's just for me, this is what my life looked like, this is my voice for the first time.”

After the lawsuits were filed against him, Long told his congregation he felt like David against Goliath. But LaGrande said that he and Parris are the Davids.

“Ten years of details, each person,” LeGrande said. “It's gonna be a book full of 'wow's' and 'ahh's' and 'Oh my Gods'."

The lawsuits claimed Long has "a pattern and practice of singling out a select group of young male church members and using his authority as bishop over them to ultimately bring them to a point of engaging in a sexual relationship."

Long, who oversees the 25,000-member New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, says he is innocent of the charges against him.

“Unfortunately, we are in the media again and people are wondering what I am going to say,” Long says.

“All I have to say is what we stated earlier. All parties involved decided to resolve the civil cases out of court. The decision was made to bring closure to this matter and allow us to move forward with the plans God has for this ministry.”

Long vowed to “continue to honour and abide by my commitment of confidentiality and restraint as it relates to the resolution of the civil litigation and will not be diverted from the important work of the ministry”.

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Megadaddy Bishop Eddie Long’s “Wildchild” isn’t content with getting paid for being bad, now Centino Kemp is tweeting his disgust over the man he once cared enough about to have his name tattooed on his wrist.

Kemp (bottom photo) published a series of emotional tweets on Tuesday expressing his contempt for Long and the anti-gay pastor’s refusal to offer an apology to Kemp or four young men who sued him over allegations of gifts and gay love.

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Bishop Eddie Long settled civil lawsuits several months ago, which alleged that he used his influence to coerce young men into sexual relationships. But new interviews by two of the five men that were party to the settlement have put the pastor and Atlanta’s New Birth Missionary Baptist Church back in the media spotlight.

When the settlement was announced in May, plaintiff's attorney B.J. Bernstein said neither she nor her clients would give interviews on the case, then or in the future. But two of the men, Jamal Parris and Spencer LeGrande, have risked their still-undisclosed settlements to share their story.

“I'm going to tell the world—money does not buy happiness," LeGrande told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Aug. 24. “When you sleep at night, the problems are still there. The money stuff, who cares about the number. I feel like burning [the money].”

The extensive interviews, conducted in conjunction with Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB, detail the relationship between the boys and Long, and how they feel they were manipulated. The interviews were conducted in Miami, Florida where LeGrande and Parris have relocated, hoping to start fresh. But both men said they still bear scars of Long’s manipulation of their need for a father into unwanted sexual encounters.

“[The money is] just not enough anymore,” Parris told WSB. “I thought I could cover the pain up. I thought I could move, start over and everything will go away. I was terribly wrong."

During the interview, Parris and LeGrande announced that they were writing a book together which would share the details of what happened to them in hopes of helping others.

With the interviews made public on the WSB Web site, Bishop Long has issued a statement in response.

“Unfortunately, we are in the media again and people are wondering what I am going to say,” the statement read. “All I have to say is what we stated earlier. All parties involved decided to resolve the civil cases out of court. The decision was made to bring closure to this matter and allow us to move forward with the plans God has for this ministry.

“I will continue to honor and abide by my commitment of confidentiality and restraint as it relates to the resolution of the civil litigation and will not be diverted from the important work of this ministry.”

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Eddie Long's attorneys are seeking to recover $900,000 from the financial settlement of three of the five people who accused him of sexual coercion in 2010, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

At the time of the settlement in May, Art Franklin, a Long spokesman, told CNN that the pastor settled because it "is the most reasonable road for everyone to travel."

He added, "This decision was made to bring closure to this matter and to allow us to move forward with the plans God has for this ministry."

The move forward appears not to have been as smooth as Franklyn would have hoped, for the letter sent by the attorney of the mega-church bishop alleges that Jamal Parris, Spencer LeGrande and Centino Kemp violated terms of a confidentiality agreement outlined in the settlement with Long and New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.

The confidentiality of the agreement was breached, when, accordingly, the three men broke their silence through through public interviews. Kemp has announced a tell-all book called First Lady. Parris and LeGrande also revealed earlier this summer their plans to write a book.

"I'm going to tell the world – money does not buy happiness," LeGrande said in an interview in August. He is also quoted by AJC as saying, "When you sleep at night, the problems are still there. The money stuff, who cares about the number?" He is also reported to have said, "I feel like burning [the money]."

The firm is seeking at least $900,000 already paid the three accusers, according to people involved in the settlement but not authorized to speak publicly. That figure is a portion of the total settlement with the three men, AJC has learned.

Financial terms of that settlement have not been disclosed but, based on the letter and the fact that each of the young men were paid equitably, the speculation is that the total comes to at least $1.5 million.

Long was appointed pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in 1987 when the church had about 150 members. In less than four years, the congregation grew to more than 8,000 members. At the time of the sexual abuse scandal the church had grown to more than 25,000 members.

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Long was appointed pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in 1987 when the church had about 150 members. In less than four years, the congregation grew to more than 8,000 members. At the time of the sexual abuse scandal the church had grown to more than 25,000 members.

Well, big whoop. Many pastor's have a transfixion like demeanor that bring in people like flocks of sheep and then BAM, they become control freaks and think they are "God Like". This thread is just one example of many we've read about on VH.

Lawyer of megachurch pastor's wife says divorce is on again
By msnbc.com staff and news service reports

John Amis / AP
Updated at 8 p.m. EST

The divorce of Bishop Eddie Long, the Georgia megachurch pastor once accused of coercing four young men into having sex, is on again, according to his wife's lawyer.

A change of heart was reported earlier Friday just hours after Vanessa Long had announced that she had filed for divorce from Long after 21 years of marriage.

In a statement issued late Friday, Vanessa Long's attorney says "she has determined that dismissal of her divorce petition is not appropriate at this time."

Earlier Friday, she said in a statement released through Eddie Long's New Birth Missionary Baptist Church that she loves her husband and planned to withdraw her petition.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution had reported:

"Upon prayerful reflection, I have reconsidered and plan to withdraw my petition for divorce from my husband, Bishop Eddie L. Long," she said in an emailed statement bearing the New Birth logo. "I love my husband. I believe in him and admire his strength and courage."

She went on to blame "years of attacks in the media" for her initial decision to seek a divorce.

The church's statement represented an about face from Long, who said earlier she decided to "terminate my marriage" after "a great deal of deliberation and prayer."

"It is my sincere hope that this matter can be resolved expeditiously, harmoniously, and fairly," she said in her initial statement.

"I ask that you respect my privacy and that of my family, as my attorneys and I have agreed that we will not try this case in the media, and I do not intend to make any further statements concerning this matter," she added. "I also ask that the public pray for my entire family during this difficult period of transition."

According to the divorce petition filed Thursday in DeKalb Superior Court, the couple is "currently living in a bona fide state of separation."

In May this year, Bishop Long settled lawsuits filed by the four men who once attended the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, in suburban Atlanta.

Days later the congregation cheered Long as he took the pulpit, while the choir opened the service with the hymn "Moving Forward," which began: "I'm not going back, I'm moving ahead. Here to declare to you my past is over."

The allegations by the men were not investigated criminally because Georgia's age of consent is 16. The young men were 17 and 18 when the alleged sexual contact occurred.

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Feb. 11, 2013

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Bishop Eddie Long has been sued by former New Birth Missionary Baptist members who say the megachurch pastor encouraged them to invest money with a company despite being told the investor was running a $3 million capital deficit.

The suit, filed late last month in DeKalb County state court, alleges Long’s assistant had been warned by an unidentified caller that Ephren W. Taylor was not to be trusted nearly two weeks before the self-professed “social capitalist” held a series of financial seminars in October 2009 at the Lithonia church.

New Birth, Long and Taylor are all named in the suit filed by 12 former church members who say they lost more than $1 million dollars in the alleged Ponzi scheme.

“If Bishop Eddie Long hadn’t endorsed this they wouldn’t have invested,” plaintiffs attorney Jason Doss said.

According to the lawsuit, Long did not invest himself, but urged his parishioners to invest with Taylor, who he introduced as his “friend (and) brother” prior to his pitch before the church.

Church spokesman Art Franklin said in a statement that Long “remain(s) hopeful that Ephren Taylor and companies related to him restore the funds that were taken from congregants at New Birth and churches around the county. We continue to cooperate as the case proceeds.”

The statement does not address the warning about Taylor, uncovered during the discovery process. The church turned over an internal memo detailing the call to Long’s assistant, who was told by the unidentified informer he “did not want the church to be taken advantage of.”

Taylor, the caller said, will issue promissory notes to the congregation which gives him legal authorization to do as he pleases. “There will be no return on investment,” the memo stated.

The former church members allege that’s just what happened. Taylor, they say, issued a promissory note informing them he was investing their money in real estate, guaranteeing a 20 percent return.

“That was my everything, and that’s it, it’s gone,” plaintiff Lillian Wells told Channel 2 Action News. Wells said she invested $122,000 with Taylor, who claimed to be a self-made millionaire by the time he turned 16.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has a civil case pending against Taylor, who’s alleged to have targeted more than 1,000 investors, mostly church members. He’s accused of diverting hundreds of thousands of dollars for personal expenses and to fund his wife’s singing career.

“These are good, Christian, hard-working people who saved their whole lives, ” said attorney Cathy Lerman, who represents the plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit.

Taylor has never been criminally charged.

The suit filed in DeKalb state court marks the second time in three years Long has been sued by former members. In May 2011, he reached a settlement with four young men who had alleged sexual coercion. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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02/19/2013

Atlanta megachurch pastor Bishop Eddie Long is facing a suit from former parishioners who say he encouraged them to invest in a company that was operating an alleged Ponzi scheme.

A dozen former members of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Ga., filed suit in DeKalb County court in late January. The suit says that Long's assistant had been warned that businessman Ephren W. Taylor was running a $3 million capital deficit, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

After Long introduced the businessman as his "friend," the former New Birth members lost more than $1 million investing with the self-described "social capitalist."

"If Bishop Eddie Long hadn't endorsed this they wouldn't have invested," Jason Doss, attorney for the former members, told the Journal-Constitution.

Long's church has urged Taylor to repay investors with interest.

"We remain hopeful that Ephren Taylor and companies related to him restore the funds that were taken from congregants at New Birth and churches around the county," New Birth said in a statement. "We continue to cooperate as the case proceeds."

The Securities and Exchange Commission charged Taylor in 2012 with running a Ponzi scheme, and a civil case against him is pending. SEC officials said he promised to use investments for charity and to help economically challenged areas but instead diverted the funds he received after speaking to churches, including New Birth, to pay other investors and finance business and personal expenses.

"He preyed upon investors' faith and their desire to help others, convincing them that they could earn healthy returns while also helping their communities," said David Woodcock, director of the SEC's Fort Worth Regional Office in Texas.

Long previously faced another suit from young men who accused him of using gifts and money to coerce them into sexual relationships. He settled those cases in May 2012.


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If Bishop Eddie Long expected his sexual assault accusers to go quietly into the night after settlements were paid, that's not what's happening.

A new book has been published titled "First Lady" by Centino Kemp, the mysterious fifth accuser of Long. It is a Kindle edition book with both Kemp and T. Benson Glover listed as the authors, with a $9.99 price tag and no sales rank as of this writing.

Eddie Long named in new lawsuit from church members claiming Ephren Taylor scammed them

The book description pegs it as a non-fiction tell-all biography of Kemp, whom My Fox Atlanta's I-Team confirmed was paid $94,149.81 after legal fees were deducted from his $150,000 settlement.

While other accusers, including Jamal Paris and Spencer LaGrande, were in fact members of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, Kemp was not -- and there have been disputes over some of his claims.

Either way, looking past the poor formatting of the Kindle tome, one gets a peek inside a man who describes a troubled childhood and equally troubling recent past.

Opening with a prologue in Miami in 2006 at Keiser University with a violent scene portraying Long as abusive, First Lady goes on to divulge the Bahamian roots of the man whose passport lists him as "Centinio" yet goes by the name his parents have called him, "Centino."

With heart wrenching passages about a young boy who was reared in a tight-knit small church community, the book unveils a portrait of a gorgeous mother "with a stunning red-bone complexion" and a Haitian father who himself was also an author, but largely absent from his son's life.

Sadly, Kemp claims that his mother was also not a constant figure in his life, and pegs her as a woman who was "caught up running behind her first husband…a tall, light-skinned Haitian man" who had Kemp's mother "wide open" with hypnotic love.

Though rife with expletives in some portions, readers can't help but feel empathy as Kemp describes himself as a 7-year-old boy who begged and cried and pleaded with his mother to come home for Christmas.

With Eddie Long also named in recent lawsuits regarding what lawsuit participates are calling the Ephren Taylor scam, it will be interesting to see how this most recent development in the ongoing saga plays out.


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