Eddie Long takes the easy way out

[Mark]

Eddie Long: Mediation could mean end to legal woes

Bishop Eddie Long stood before thousands of his congregants and said the words many hoped to hear: he was going to fight allegations that he coerced four young men into having sexual relations.

"I'm going to fight and fight vigorously," the prominent pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church said last fall.

But if worshippers are expecting a court fight, they may not get one. This month, Long and his accusers are expected to settle the matter in mediation instead of battling in a courtroom.

Four men -- Maurice Robinson, Jamal Parris, Anthony Flagg and Spencer LeGrande -- have sued the prominent Lithonia megachurch pastor and the 25,000-member church in DeKalb County State Court. New Birth's LongFellows Youth Academy, a mentoring program, is named in three of the four lawsuits, which seek unspecified damages.

Lawyers for both sides met with DeKalb County State Court Judge Johnny Panos last November and agreed to go to mediation as the first major step toward resolving the issue. If mediation fails, the cases could go to trial later this year. Because attorneys in the case declined comment or could not be reached for comment, it remains unclear when or if mediation will start.

http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/eddie-long-mediation-could-835522.html

 

In this country I agree with the principle of the idea innocent before proven guilty but the preponderance of evidence is starting to bend towards him being guilty.


Basically last week 4 young men accussed the bishop of have sexually relationships with them with they were teenagers. Grooming boys who don't have fathers in the house.

The bishop denied the charges but did not ellaborate.


Then cell phone pictures of him emerge. These are the alleged photos he took of himself and sent to one of the young men.

Here is an interview with one of the accusers.







He then comes out last Sunday and uses mind control over his church members.





Watch all of their reactions.

To give a little recent background he was good preacher but did not inform his church about the NWO.

I wonder why...






Now The Bishop is threatening the accusers.



Here is a video of Paster Manning chimming in.

[Mark]

Sexual abuse accuser calls Ga. pastor 'predator'

One of the young men accusing megachurch Bishop Eddie Long  of coercing him into a sexual relationship told a TV interviewer that he loved the pastor and considered him a father figure, but the man still called Mr. Long a "predator" and a "monster."

"I loved him, and I'm always going to have love for the things he taught us, but how he left us hurt worse than anything I ever felt in my life," Jamal Parris told Atlanta's Fox TV affiliate WAGA in an interview broadcast Tuesday. "This man turned his back on us when he had no more need for us. That's not a father, that's a predator."

Mr. Parris, 23, is one of four men suing the TV preacher in state court, claiming that he abused his "spiritual authority" and gave them cars, clothes, cash and trips to lure them into sexual relationships while they were teen members of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in suburban Atlanta.

rest: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/sep/29/sexual-abuse-accuser-calls-ga-pastor-predator/

[Mark]

Bishop Eddie Long: Another lawsuit filed against New Birth

New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is the focus of another lawsuit, this one by a former employee who alleges she was the victim of sexual harassment,  sexual discrimination and retaliation.

Tama Colson, who is described in the lawsuit as a married resident of Georgia, claims a male supervisor  showed her photographs of a male sex organ on a cellphone. In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Atlanta,  Colson alleges  she was harassed,  demoted and later discharged from the Lithonia church after she complained.

Barbara Marschalk, an attorney who represents New Birth said it was "too premature for us to comment now."

Colson, who also attended New Birth with her family, said in the suit that she was hired by the church in August 1998 as an audio engineer and was eventually promoted to duplication manager, overseeing the reproduction of broadcasts of New Birth services.

The lawsuit alleges that in October 2009, a male supervisor in the church's television department  showed her a picture of a sex organ on his cellphone.  Colson said she was "horrified" and asked the supervisor "what the hell is your problem." She said he grinned and walked away.

The lawsuit claims the church was aware of previous incidents between the supervisor and female employees and congregants but never took corrective action.

rest: http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/bishop-eddie-long-another-682625.html

[Mark]

Bishop Eddie Long | Responses to lawsuits filed

Bishop Eddie Long filed four lengthy responses in DeKalb County State Court on Monday, denying all allegations that he coerced young men into sexual relationships.

In the filings obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Long asked for the four lawsuits to be dismissed and judgment to be entered in his favor.

In September, four young men -- Maurice Robinson, Anthony Flagg, Jamal Parris and Spencer LeGrande -- filed suits against Long and New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. The young men claimed Long coerced them into having sex with him in exchange for lavish gifts, trips and jobs. In the filings, Long said it has been a practice of his to occasionally share a room with members of his congregation. However, he said "the plaintiff's claims of sexual misconduct are not true."

The plaintiffs allege the sexual relations occurred when they were 16 or older. The legal age of consent is 16 in Georgia.

The plaintiffs' attorney, B.J. Bernstein, told the AJC that she had not received copies of the responses and could not comment.

On Monday, Long filed four separate responses, each about 30 pages and denying each accusation point by point. He admitted that he took the men on trips, but he denied the complaints of sexual contact. He did admit to hugging some of the men.

"Bishop Long admits that it is common among his church congregation for members to hug each other and hug the Bishop," the suit reads.

Long also admitted to giving the plaintiffs gifts, including cars, and helping them financially, but he denied that it was in exchange for sex. He said he has "provided sporadic financial assistance," and he routinely pays for rent and other expenses for New Birth members, according to the filings.

In the filings, Long also admitted to speaking on the phone with the men, but said he could not recall who initiated the calls. He also admitted that the men called him "Daddy," "Bishop" and "Granddaddy," but said many members of his congregation called him similar names.

"Bishop Long admits that he mentors many young men from challenged backgrounds who have often been without the benefit of a male role model," according to his filings.

In his filings, Long said he is a "bold revolutionary spiritual leader," and Long has built a ministry that places "special emphasis on outreach to men, reinforcing to men the importance of partnering with a ministry that will grow them spiritually."

Long has requested a status and scheduling conference to discuss a timeline for the case. New Birth still needs to file a response. The 25,000-member church is based in south DeKalb County, but has satellites in Charlotte and several other locations.

http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/bishop-eddie-long-responses-710999.html?cxtype=ynews_rss

[Mark]

Soulforce To Bring ‘Gay Agenda' To Six Mega-Churches
02/10/08

A gay coalition of groups led by Soulforce is targeting six U.S. mega-churches in an effort to foster dialogue about Christian views on homosexuality. “Reverend” Mel White is a homosexual activist, Ghostwriter of many “Christian” books (& Cofounder of Soulforce) & lives with his male lover, Gary Nixon, in Dallas, Texas.  This spring, members Soulforce and its allies will visit six well-known churches throughout the nation. Dubbed as 'The American Family Outing,' the campaign targets the following churches: Lakewood Church (pastored by Joel Osteen), The Potter's House (T.D. Jakes), Hope Christian Church (Harry Jackson), New Birth Missionary Baptist Church (Eddie Long), Willow Creek Community Church (Bill Hybels), and Saddleback Church (Rick Warren). According to the Soulforce website, 'lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people' and their families will attempt to visit with members, pastors, and leaders of the churches to talk about religious views on homosexuality. Their objective? 'To begin a process of changing hearts and minds' in those churches, says a document outlining the campaign, and 'to educate the national public through the media on the issues of faith, family, and sexuality.' The website explains that a delegation of 'families' including adults and children will visit each of the six churches. The Soulforce Mission Statement says: The mission of Soulforce is to cut off homophobia at its source -- religious bigotry.

http://www.mp3.cftresources.com/2008_02-10_3__Soulforce%20Peddle%20%91Gay%20Agenda%27.mp3

http://www.pdf.cftresources.com/2008_02-10__Soulforce%20To%20Bring%20Gay%20Agenda%20To%20Six%20Mega-Churches.pdf

[Christian40]

It is easy for us to be swayed when you add music to "trance" hypnotic speaking (repetition-incantation-style). Should we bring the world to the church or the church to the world? Is this a rap concert or a Christian church to save people by salvation through Jesus Christ? You decide!

[Mark]

Sources: Bishop Eddie Long Case Close To Resolution

Channel 2 Action News has learned there could be a resolution soon in the sexual misconduct civil case against New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Bishop Eddie Long.

Four former members of the church have filed lawsuits against the bishop, his youth academy and the church alleging Long used his position to coerce them into sex.

Sources told Channel 2 that court-ordered mediation sessions in the case are close to an agreement.

The sessions were suggested because some involved in the case didn't want negotiations to drag on past Easter.

Sources told Channel Action News 2 reporter Tom Jones that there was one major obstacle preventing a resolution to the case, but now that appears to have been settled.

The sources said mediation will continue as all sides try to resolve the few remaining issues.

Video at site: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/27631396/detail.html

[Mark]

Pastor's sexual coercion lawsuit resolved: attorney

A lawsuit brought by four young male members of an Atlanta megachurch who said its pastor, Eddie Long, coerced them into sex has been "resolved," their attorney said on Thursday.

B.J. Bernstein, who represented the men, gave no details of the settlement. There was no immediate comment from Long's megachurch, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church based in Lithonia, Georgia.

"Neither attorney Bernstein nor the plaintiffs themselves will be available for interview on this matter, now or in the future," a statement from Bernstein's office said.

"There is no spokesperson for the plaintiffs' team other than attorney Bernstein, and she will have no further comment on the case," it said.

Long denied the accusations made in civil lawsuits last September that he used his status as pastor to coerce the men into relationships when they were in their late teens.

"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 engage in sexual relationships," according to the lawsuits.

When the accusations were first filed, Long told his church he faced a similar situation to David when he fought Goliath.

Long built the church from just 300 members in 1987 to more than 25,000 today.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-rt-us-church-lawsuittre74p85u-20110526,0,5562465.story?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+delicious%2Fgqlf+%28Christian+Headlines+Top+Headlines%29

[Mark]

Scandal preacher cheered on first day back in pulpit

Bishop Eddie Long was back in the pulpit here yesterday, the first Sunday since he resolved the lawsuits brought against him by four former members of his New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.

Last fall, the young men alleged Long had coerced them into sexual relationships with gifts, including cars, cash and travel.

At his 8 a.m. service, several hundred congregants clapped and cheered as Long appeared. He did not address the allegations or the settlement, which was reached Friday.

Last fall, the four young men alleged Long abused his spiritual authority and forced them into sexual relationships with gifts including cars, cash and travel. The scandal tainted Long's reputation as an influential spiritual leader who transformed his suburban Atlanta congregation of 150 into a following of 25,000 members and built an international televangelist empire that included athletes, entertainers and politicians.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/scandal_preacher_cheered_on_first_vzRFW2nz3W5rXFmR8UxGAM#ixzz1Nt3CDojP

[Psalm 51:17]

I don't mean to sound insulting, but does anyone else think too much flouride is being put in the water, and too much MSG is being put in our foods?

This isn't the first time a criminal like this guy has been warmly welcomed back in such a short space.

[Mark]

Bernice King, MLK's Daughter, Leaves Eddie Long's Church

Bernice King, the daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., has left her position as an elder of Bishop Eddie Long's church just days after a settlement had been reached in the sexual misconduct case against the pastor.

The news was first reported by WSB TV, which runs Channel Action 2 News, Monday.

King served her last day as an elder of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Ga., Sunday, Channel 2 Action News reported, citing unnamed sources. She was seen giving the altar call during the church's 11 a.m. service Sunday.

Sources told the Atlanta-based TV station that they did not know if King’s resignation was related to the settlement and dismissal of the sexual misconduct lawsuits against Long.

Four young men, Anthony Flagg, Spencer LeGrande, Jamal Parris and Maurice Robinson, had accused Long of using his position and lavish gifts to lure them into sexual relationships.

Their lawsuits were officially dismissed "with prejudice" Friday, a day after lawyers for both sides confirmed a settlement was reached in the case.

In Long's first sermon since the settlement, congregants at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church welcomed the bishop with applause and cheers when he took the stage at the 8 a.m. service Sunday.

Long did not address the allegations or the settlement during his address.

The Christian Post contacted WSB-TV and learned that Jovita Moore, who anchors the 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts, was the reporter who filed the story. Moore did not reply to an e-mail requesting more details on her sources.

New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and Bernice King could not be reached for comment.

King, the second and youngest child of civil right leaders Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, is an ordained minister and regularly preaches at New Birth.

In February 2006, King held the funeral service for her mother at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, the largest predominantly African-American church in the Atlanta region with more than 25,000 members.

King also spoke at the church's service on Sept. 26, the day that Bishop Eddie Long appeared before his congregation and told them that he would "fight" the charges of sexual misconduct.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/bernice-king-mlks-daughter-leaves-eddie-longs-church-50667/

[Mark]

Long Announces Church Audit In Sunday Sermon

Eddie needs money to pay off his homosexual affairs!!!!

Megachurch pastor Bishop Eddie Long talked big money during Sunday’s sermon and revealed New Birth Missionary Baptist Church had just been audited.

Long asked members of the congregation who could make $500 or $1,000 donations to give those seed offerings.

Give me your money so i can give it to my gay lovers!!!

Long also talked about the results of a certified audit against the church saying, “We just got our audit back, certified audit back from 2010, and 2009, we already had 2010 totally clean audit from an independent auditing firm. All your money is being done right and calculated right.”

Long also announced to his congregation the start of new church location in Birmingham, Ala.

This comes days after the announcement that Long plans to launch New Birth Denver in Colorado.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/28137253/detail.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+delicious%2Fgqlf+%28Christian+Headlines+Top+Headlines%29

[Mark]

Creflo Dollar ORDERS Eddie Long's Former Church Members to 'GO BACK!'  and help pay off Eddies lovers!!

[Psalm 51:17]

Eh, they're probably Masonic/witch buddies.

[Mark]

Eddie has found a way to get his church to pay off his gay lovers.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Eddie Long Receives Huge Stack Of Cash During Service

A video is circulating the web of Atlanta mega-church Pastor, Eddie Long, randomly receiving a large stack of cash from a woman as an offering during one of his church services.

As Bishop Long is preaching, the woman interrupts him mid-sentence to give him a large stack of cash.

He ironically stopped abruptly as he was saying, “So, what I need–”.

Long, who appeared surprised by the gift says, “Manifest! Signs, wonders, and miracles! I couldn’t pray for that!”
VIDEO:



“That’s just the first fruit,  I see everybody bringing that to the alter. Quick, fast, in a hurry,” the excited pastor says as the congregation cheers and pours money into the offering plate.

Many churches use different tactics to encourage the congregation to give offerings to the church, like personal testimonies, guest speakers, or designated offerings for larger funds; this possibly being a tactic to bolster giving.

http://newsone.com/nation/samalesh/bishop-eddie-long-cash-video-woman-money-offering/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+delicious%2Fgqlf+%28Christian+Headlines+Top+Headlines%29

[Mark]

Creflo Dollar ORDERS Eddie Long's Former Church Members to 'GO BACK!'  and help pay off Eddies lovers!!

Creflo Dollar Called to Carpet for Defending Eddie Long

http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/news/31292-creflo-dollar-called-to-carpet-for-defending-eddie-long?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+delicious%2Fgqlf+%28Christian+Headlines+Top+Headlines%29

Days ago, Atlanta megachurch pastor Creflo Dollar was speaking out for Bishop Eddie Long. Rather than gossiping, he said, prayer and forgiveness is in order.

Now, Lerone Martin, an assistant professor of American Religious History at Eden Theological Seminar in St. Louis is speaking out against Dollar for remarks he made during his June 5 sermon.

Four men—all former members of Long's church now in their early 20s—claim Long used gifts, trips and money to coerce them into engaging in sex acts with him beginning when they were 17 or 18. Because the men were over the age of consent in Georgia, which is 16, no criminal charges were filed.

Although Dollar did not name names, he said “that preacher's still anointed to do what he was called to. He just had a wreck. The blood will take care of his issue just like it will take care of yours. And I just can't believe that people would leave their preacher because he had a wreck, instead of praying for him."

Dollar was working to discourage people from leaving New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia to join his church, World Changers. "If you're from that church then you know I'm talking about, you trying to join here, I don't want you to join here. You need to go and join where you're supposed to be," Dollar said.

Martin responded in an open letter to Dollar, saying that he feared the pastor’s comments confused forgiveness with accountability.

“You see, Long’s case was not simply, as you suggest, a ‘wreck’ or a car ‘accident,’ but a case of DUI: Driving/Pastoring under the influence of unchecked power and accountability. This continues to be a historic problem with commercial celebrity preachers, and given your status and peer group, I’m sure you know this all too well,” Martin wrote.

“Long’s move from adamant public denial to private settlement left no way for onlookers and members alike to obtain an account of what exactly happened. They have been left in the dark as to whether their shepherd indeed has an ongoing problem.”

As Martin sees it, people who left New Birth or who are reconsidering their commitment are not necessarily withholding forgiveness or questioning Long’s call.

“You emphatically directed members of New Birth not to join your church but to return and support their pastor,” Martin wrote. “Perhaps you did this in the spirit of looking out for your friend and clerical colleague.”

Creflo Dollar Ministries could not immediately be reached for comment. Charisma News will follow up if Dollar or his staff responds.

[jackie]

It turned my stomach inside out to watch all those people swaying with arms upward...I thought, who are they worshipping, Jesus or Mr Long. Then to hear that Mr Dollar is in on helping Long find away out. the sad part is all these people who are being deceived and the young men who have been victimized....the ones we know of (I bet there are a lot more)probably woman too.
The comical side is their names.... Long / Dollar.  I never did like their names. Names in the Bible had a lot to say about the people, everything seemed to have a meaning. 

[Mark]

T.D. Jakes on Eddie Long Case: Christians Have No Other Authority But to Pray


Bishop T.D. Jakes recently responded to the Eddie Long's settlement in the sexual misconduct, saying that Christians should still pray for Long's church because they have no authority to say anything else.

In September, four young men filed lawsuits alleging Long using his position and gifts to coerce them into sexual relationships. Long, pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in the Atlanta area, told his congregation a few days after the suits were filed that he would vigorously fight the charges.

When the allegations against Long became public, Jakes publicly addressed the case before his own congregation, The Potter's House in Dallas, saying, "Christians should just pray." He also told his flock during the Sunday service, "When all this is over, one thing is for sure – somebody, if not everybody in it, is going to need the blood [of Jesus Christ]."

Last month, both parties in the case reached a settlement out of court and the lawsuits against Long were dismissed. Long has since returned to preaching at the New Birth pulpit.

Speaking in a recent interview with The Christian Post, Jakes reiterated that "we should still pray" for New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.

"We have no other authority but to pray," said the prominent megachurch pastor before he took the stage at McDonald's Gospelfest event Saturday in Newark, N.J.

"The New Birth church is a church unto itself who has a board and it has a membership. How they choose to handle their leadership issues it's not something that we can control regardless of which side you stay on that issue. It is their church issue and their responsibility and their response," said Bishop Jakes.

"And I'm saying what I always said that we should just keep on praying for the New Birth church family."

Two weeks ago, Creflo Dollar, pastor of World Changers Church International in College Park, Ga., came out in Long's defense, rebuking those who might have left New Birth to join his congregation.

"I don't want you here," said Dollar, whose church is less than an hour's drive from Long's church in Lithonia. "If you ... from that church that you know I'm talking about, you trying to join here, I don't want you to join here. You need to go and join where you supposed to be."

He also pointed to the "hypocrisy" of those who left Long's church and acted like they were "flawless."

While Dollar never mentioned names in his sermon, it was clear he was talking about Long and New Birth.

"That preacher's still anointed to do what he was called to. He just had a wreck," said Dollar. "The blood (of Jesus Christ) will take care of his issue just like it will take care of yours. And I just can't believe that people would leave their preacher because he had a wreck, instead of praying for him!"

 Both Dollar and Long are known to preach a controversial teaching known as the "Prosperity Gospel," the idea that God wants to bless His followers to be rich financially and that believers can obtain these blessings by sowing seeds through generous tithes and offerings to the church.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/td-jakes-on-eddie-long-case-christians-have-no-other-authority-but-to-pray-51379/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+delicious%2Fgqlf+%28Christian+Headlines+Top+Headlines%29

[jackie]

Jakes is nothing but a motivational speaker, and Where is his authority to be call Bishop.  They are all swimming in the same lake and it is a hot one.

[Mark]

Eddie Long Could Take Witness Stand in Burglary Case

Bishop Eddie Long, who recently avoided trial in a sexual misconduct case against him, could be called to testify about a break into his office at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church if a burglary case goes to trial.

Anthony Boyd, who formerly worked at the Atlanta megachurch as a security guard, is accused of breaking into Long's office on June 12, 2010 and stealing $100,000 worth of jewelry and electronics, including an iPad and iPhone. On Tuesday, he appeared with his lawyer David Fife in court to enter a not guilty plea to the burglary charges.

Fife said that if the case goes to trial, which he expects it to, Long will likely be called to the stand.

"He's certainly a witness that would have to be called by somebody. The state or the defense," Fife told WSB Atlanta.

Investigators said security cameras captured video of two men using a key to gain entry to the office.

Boyd said that he was never involved in the church burglary. He claims that Maurice Robinson and Anthony Flagg, two of the four young men who filed sexual coercion lawsuits against Long in September, broke into the office to collect evidence against Long for the lawsuit. That case was dismissed in May after Long and his accusers reached an out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed amount.

During the month before the sex lawsuit went public, Bishop Long had asked the DeKalb County district attorney to drop the burglary charges against Boyd and Robinson but his request was denied.

Robinson accepted entry into a pretrial diversion program in exchange for having the charges dropped. Boyd was offered the same program but declined. Flagg was not charged.

Fife said his client wants a trial to defend his innocence.

"He wants to fight these charges. He wants to fight these accusations because he's forever going to have to explain them every time someone does a Google search on Anthony Boyd," said Fife, according to WSB Atlanta.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/eddie-long-could-take-witness-stand-in-burglary-case-51713/

[jackie]

Galatians 6:7
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

[Mark]

Eddie Long Accuser Blames Megachurch Pastor for Drug Charge

One of the four men who accused Georgia megachurch pastor Eddie Long of sexual misconduct was convicted of a drug charge Tuesday.

Jamal Parris, 24, pleaded guilty to possession of mari.juana with intention to distribute. Judge Bronwyn Miller in a Miami courtroom Tuesday morning ordered him to serve one year of probation and perform 75 hours of community service, according to Atlanta’s WSBTV Channel 2.

Although Parris admitted to legal wrongdoing, he also defended himself by blaming Bishop Eddie Long for being the cause of his drug charge.

“You caught me with bud? Look at the sign of sexual abuse victims. What’s the very first sign on any website you’ll see? Alcoholism, drug abuse,” Parris told Channel 2.

“Judge me again, and then judge me again, and then judge me again. And still ask me could you do half the stuff we walked through?” Parris said.

The young man said he was still dealing with “the same demons and nightmares” and was struggling to overcome the pain from his abuse by Long.

rest: http://www.christianpost.com/news/eddie-long-accuser-blames-megachurch-pastor-for-drug-charge-54444/

[Mark]

Eddie Long accusers break silence on relationships with embattled bishop

Among those tuning in to watch the most anticipated sermon of Bishop Eddie Long’s career were two of the four young men who a week earlier filed suit claiming the powerful Lithonia pastor coerced them into sexual relationships.

“It was like the Super Bowl for us,” said Jamal Parris, 24, describing the anxiousness he felt before Long took to the pulpit last September. “This might be the day he finally says something.”

Neither Parris nor fellow accuser Spencer LeGrande, now 23, expected an admission of wrongdoing or an apology.

“I knew who he was,” LeGrande said. “I knew what was coming.”

Speaking to 25,000 New Birth Missionary Baptist members who packed the church and watched on TV and online, Long vowed to clear his name.

“This thing I’m going to fight,” he said, comparing himself to the biblical David, turning the table on his accusers.

Ironically, the two young men said in an interview in Miami last week, Long often compared his young charges to David, casting them as metaphoric armor-bearers to the bishop’s King Saul. Now they were being portrayed as Goliath.

“I just got quiet,” Parris said. “I started crying. I couldn’t even stop crying because I was angry. The way he walked up [to the stage]. The way I saw people stand up and applaud this man. [I thought] how dare you.”

A year later, the wounds are still raw for both men who, with two other plaintiffs, sued last September alleging the charismatic pastor “uses monetary funds from the accounts of New Birth and other corporate and non-profit corporate accounts to entice the young men with cars, clothes, jewelry, and electronics.”

Each alleged that, once they reached the age of consent, Long coerced them into sexual relationships.

The cases were settled in late May after months of mediation.

Long has, through a spokesman, denied the allegations. He did not respond to requests from the AJC for an interview. Following the announcement of the settlement, the bishop, 58, released a statement saying the agreement was made “to bring closure to this matter and to allow us to move forward with the plans God has for this ministry.”

Documents filed May 27 in DeKalb State Court confirm the lawsuits have been dismissed.

Parris and LeGrande declined to discuss specifics, per the terms of the agreement.

By speaking out, Parris and LeGrande risk losing undisclosed monetary rewards outlined in the settlement, which is sealed.

“The truth should’ve set [us] free,” said Parris. “I thought I could cover the pain up. I thought I could move, start over and everything would go away. I was terribly wrong. I’m living a lifestyle meant to crash.”

The money is irrelevant, LeGrande said.

“I’m going to tell the world – money does not buy happiness,” said LeGrande. “When you sleep at night, the problems are still there. The money stuff, who cares about the number.”

“I feel like burning [the money],” he said.

The Armor Bearers

LeGrande was 15 when he met Long at one of New Birth’s satellite churches in Charlotte. The sermon, on the importance of fathers, left him in tears.

“When I started crawling, that was the day [my father] left,” LeGrande said. “A lot of years I didn’t even see him.”

LeGrande said Long embraced him. “I got you ... I will be your dad,” the bishop told the teen. Soon they were talking regularly on the phone.

Parris said he too was raised without a strong male influence.

“My dad was abusive,” he said. “My dad would flake out … that’s all a predator needs.”

Long was the father figure both youths craved. He called them his armor-bearers and rewarded their loyalty with exotic trips, expensive gifts and, more importantly, a role model.

“He did teach us good things,” LeGrande said, “but something had to be wrong with him.”

In 2004, when LeGrande was 16, he accompanied Long to Kenya. On a later trip to Johannesburg, they dined with Winnie Mandela.

“You’re thinking you’re the luckiest kid in the world, like someone’s always got your back,” LeGrande said. “For me, it was more of a spiritual connection. It was about God.”

Parris met Long a few years earlier, in 2001 when he was 14 and new to Atlanta. He was at choir practice when he met the man he’d soon be calling “daddy.” Parris said he left that day with the preacher’s cell phone number.

The power wielded by the bishop made an impression on Parris.

“It’s the power he commanded when he walked into the room. It’s like I’m with the president,” he said.

Neither young man was aware of the other until after they broke away from Long.

Beyond the gifts — each more expensive than the last, Parris said — and the trips, there were deep, spiritual conversations.

“Out of nowhere he hits you with the most emotional question,” LeGrande said. “‘I know what you’re feeling. I know what it’s like.’”

Expensive trips, gifts

When Spencer returned to Kenya with Long at age 17, the two shared a room in an exclusive Nairobi hotel. Soon they’d be sharing a bed, LeGrande said.

The teen was jet lagged and the bishop encouraged him to take a sleep aid, LeGrande said. According to LeGrande’s lawsuit, a prolonged hug followed, as did “kissing and rubbing.”

LeGrande said he felt powerless and conflicted. Doubts mixed with feelings of indebtedness, while Long used scripture to rationalize the intimacy, he said.

After that trip, LeGrande said, Long encouraged him to move to Atlanta and study for the ministry at Beulah Heights University.

The bishop paid his tuition, bought him a new Dodge Intrepid and supplied a suite at the Hyatt Place in Lithonia, LeGrande said.

But there were stipulations, he said.

Parris said he had a similar experience of restrictions.

“Let me alienate you from all that you knew,” he described. “You’re not allowed to talk to females. You’re isolated. Everyone thinks you’ve abandoned them.”

Parris went to Honduras and the Bahamas with Long, with first-class accommodations. Then, when he was 17, the sexual advances began, he said.

But LeGrande said doubts were overwhelmed by the addictive lifestyle.

“I didn’t have a dad my whole life,” LeGrande said. “Just to have a man love me for who I was … I had to love him back.”

Meeting Their Maker

Last summer he learned otherwise. Church members Maurice Robinson and Anthony Flagg, then 20 and 21, respectively, said they, too, had been sexually involved with the bishop.

A fifth accuser, Centino Kemp, came forward during the mediation process, which began in February.

Several months had passed since Parris or LeGrande had seen Long. They no longer felt like armor-bearers.

“Now I have a voice,” Parris recalled thinking in the mediation sessions. “I was that kid who talks back to his parents for the first time.”

Long avoided eye contact, they said.

“I was this tall in that room,” LeGrande said. “He was that little.”

Both are living in Miami on the proceeds of the settlement.

They plan to write a book, promising to reveal details of their relationship with Long.

Parris acknowledges he’s still dealing with his relationship with Long. He pleaded guilty Tuesday to possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and was sentenced to a year’s probation. A weapons charge was dropped.

He’s in therapy, though perhaps nothing has proven more healing than his friendship with LeGrande, whose calm demeanor contrasts sharply with Parris’ frenetic bluntness.

“I’m fighting not to pull the trigger,” Parris said. “I’d love to take pills and never wake up.”

“[Spencer] has been my bro,” he continued. “I do know there’s someone in my corner who’s experienced what I’ve experienced.’

http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/eddie-long-accusers-break-1137725.html

[Mark]

Bishop Eddie Long won't discuss latest revelations by former church members

In a letter to his congregation, Bishop Eddie Long said he will continue to "honor and abide by my commitment of confidentiality" after two former church members came forward with new details about their relationship with the charismatic pastor.

It's unclear whether Long is legally bound to maintain that confidentiality if Jamal Parris, 24,  and Spencer LeGrande, 23, in fact breached the settlement agreement with the bishop and New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. Both men said their decision to speak out likely would invalidate the deal, costing them undisclosed monetary rewards.

Since the settlement was sealed, there's no way of knowing what was expected of Long and his accusers.

The two former "armor bearers" sued the Lithonia preacher last September alleging he “uses monetary funds from the accounts of New Birth and other corporate and non-profit corporate accounts to entice the young men with cars, clothes, jewelry, and electronics.”

Each claim that, once they reached the age of consent, Long coerced them into sexual relationships.

Regardless of his legal rights, the bishop does not appear eager to counter the revelations disclosed by his former charges, who talked exclusively last week to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and our reporting partner, Channel 2 Action News.

"All I have to say is what we stated earlier. All parties involved decided to resolve the civil cases out of court," Long said in the letter posted on New Birth's website. "The decision was made to bring closure to this matter and allow us to move forward with the plans God has for this ministry."

The 58-year-old pastor, who on Sunday will celebrate his 24th year at New Birth with a special appearance by Bishop T.D. Jakes, said he "will not be diverted from the important work of the ministry."

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/delicious/gqlf/~3/OKo75QTy6gc/bishop-eddie-long-wont-1146155.html

[Mark]

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

 with a special appearance by Bishop T.D. Jakes, said he "will not be diverted from the important work of the ministry."

Which god would that be? Im pretty sure its not Jesus.   

[Mark]

Eddie Long Wants to Move Past Sex Charges


Bishop Eddie Long said he wanted to run his Atlanta megachurch “without distractions” after two of the four youngsters who accused him of luring them into homosexual sex acts declared they were writing a book about their experiences although they had withdrawn all lawsuits.

“Unfortunately, we are in the media again and people are wondering what I am going to say,” Eddie Long, senior pastor at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, Ga., said in a statement Thursday. “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’s statement came a day after two of the accusers, who withdrew their lawsuits in May as part of a settlement deal, told Atlanta’s SWB-TV that they were writing a book to express what they had been through and to warn others.

rest: http://www.christianpost.com/news/eddie-long-wants-to-move-past-sex-charges-54570/

 

[Mark]

This guy will just not go away.

Bishop Eddie Long Lawsuit: Church Members Sue Minister After Losing $1M

Ten members of Bishop Eddie Long's New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, have filed a civil suit against the megachurch pastor for allegedly using his influence to force them into investing in a million-dollar Ponzi, or pyramid, scheme.

uhm, duh... 

The lawsuit, according to The Wall Street Journal, claims that Long and New Birth "marketed, sponsored and hosted 'Wealth Tour Live'" seminars in October 2009. It was through these seminars that congregants were encouraged to invest in a scheme that promised 20 percent yearly returns, according to the lawsuit.

Instead of getting returns on their investments, claimants allege that their money, totaling more than $1 million, was instead diverted to a failing company.

Long and New Birth Missionary Baptist Church are reportedly listed as defendants in the lawsuit, which was filed Wednesday in DeKalb County State Court.

rest: http://global.christianpost.com/news/bishop-eddie-long-lawsuit-church-members-sue-minister-after-losing-1m-58731

[Psalm 51:17]

Sometimes I wonder how much criminal stuff goes on behind closed doors at these megachurches. It wouldn't surprise me if alot of abominable stuff goes on within the walls of Saddleback Church(Rick Warren), Willow Creek Assoc(Bill Hybels), Lakeland Church(Joel Osteen), or whatever 'prominent' megachurch there is out there. Of course, Warren, Hybels, and Osteen are among the NWO's 'golden boys', so they're probably well-protected, until they feel they're an embarassment and expose them(ie-like with Jim Jones way back then).

[Mark]

Eddie Long’s Christian Academy Shuts Down

The seemingly sudden decision by the 18-year-old academy is forcing parents to find somewhere else for their kids to go to school next week.

rest: http://www.charismanews.com/us/32579-eddie-longs-christian-academy-shuts-down

[Psalm 51:17]

Eddie Long’s Christian Academy Shuts Down

The seemingly sudden decision by the 18-year-old academy is forcing parents to find somewhere else for their kids to go to school next week.

rest: http://www.charismanews.com/us/32579-eddie-longs-christian-academy-shuts-down

This guy actually has a SCHOOL?! Seriously, I wonder what curriculum he's putting forth to his kids...maybe some rap music here and there...