As Bishop Eddie Long poked through a salad in his church office one summer day in 1999, he shot a weary look at a person ticking off his ministry's successes.
His Atlanta megachurch had already reached 25,000 members. He had been invited to the White House, built a global television ministry and drove around town in a $350,000 Bentley.
But Long told the visitor who had come to write about him that the pressures of being a high-profile pastor could be brutal.
"You don't want any of this," he said in a raspy baritone as he shook his head. "You don't want any of this ..."
Long didn't get more specific about those pressures.
Today, the 57-year-old minister, known for his public crusades against homosexuality, faces serious allegations.
On Tuesday, two young men who were members of Long's New Birth Missionary Baptist Church filed lawsuits claiming he used his position as their spiritual counselor to coerce them into sexual relationships.
The men -- Anthony Flagg, 21, and Maurice Robinson, 20 -- allege Long used a private spiritual ceremony to mark a "covenant" between them, with both becoming his "spiritual son.
Flagg alleges that Long then used that relationship to take him on overnight trips where they shared a bedroom and engaged in kissing, masturbation and "oral sexual contact."
Robinson, who claimed Long engaged in oral sex with him, said the pastor would cite Scripture to justify their relationship.
"We categorically deny the allegations," Art Franklin, Long's spokesman, said in a written statement. "It is very unfortunate that someone has taken this course of action."
Franklin said "our law firm will be able to respond once attorneys have had an opportunity to review the lawsuit."
The men's lawyer, Brenda Joy (B.J.) Bernstein, would not make them available for comment.
Long's crusades against homosexuality
The allegations against Long run contrary to his public image.
He is a celebrity preacher in the black church world and a star in the evangelical world as well. His church is one of the largest in the country.
In the pulpit, Long seamlessly blends muscle and ministry.
He wears tight shirts that display his weight-lifter arms. He writes books such as "Gladiator, the Strength of a Man," that teaches men how to be warriors for God. He says he has a special calling to reach out to men.
We categorically deny the allegations.
--Art Franklin, spokesman for Bishop Eddie Long
He's a married man who preaches about the sanctity of the union between a man and a woman. He denounces homosexuality. In 2004, he led a march in Atlanta against gay marriage. He once declared that his church had created a ministry that "delivered" people from homosexuality.
His public statements about gays and lesbians have helped reinforce homophobia in the black church, says Shayne Lee, a sociologist and author of "Holy Mavericks: Evangelical Innovators and the Spiritual Marketplace."
"The homophobic atmosphere he helped perpetuate," Lee said, could "come back to possibly harm him."
Long has been the center of public controversy before.
In 2005, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that a charity Long created to help the poor and spread the Gospel had made him its biggest beneficiary.
An examination of the nonprofit's tax returns and other documents revealed that the charity provided him with at least a million dollars in salary over four years, and the use of a $1.4 million home and the $350,000 Bentley.
A frequent critic of black preachers (he once said they "major in storefront churches"), Long responded by saying he was a CEO of a global business who deserved his lifestyle.
The homophobic atmosphere he helped create could come back to possibly harm him.
"You've got to put me on a different scale than the little black preacher sitting over there that's supposed to be just getting by because the people are suffering," Long said, explaining the compensation he received from his charity.
In 2007, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, of the Senate Finance Committee, sent a letter to Long asking detailed questions about his financial operations. Long was one of six televangelists who Grassley targeted.
After an initial flurry of publicity following Grassley's request, the investigation appeared to peter out.
In recent years, Long seemed to become more humble, says Rev. Tim McDonald, senior pastor of First Iconium Baptist Church in Atlanta.
In private talks, McDonald said, Long told him about the pressures of leading a megachurch. He said he no longer had as many close friendships and yearned to return to the more intimate relationships that McDonald seemed to have with his much smaller congregation.
"He said, 'Tim, I may have the numbers, but you have the love,' '' McDonald said.
For all his outward confidence, Long also displayed a vulnerable side.
He built an intimate bond with many members of his church by talking about his private failings: his divorce from his first wife; being rejected by his father; and being fired from a job in corporate America.
He called himself God's "scarred leader."
He also became known for his generosity. He would give out cars and money to strangers at church services. He built ministries to help the poor, AIDS patients and young people.
He talked proudly about his ability to reach young men. He called himself a "spiritual daddy" to many of the young men he mentored at New Birth.
He would pay the college tuition for some men, give business suits to others and play basketball and lift weights with his male ministers.
Once, he even boasted to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that some mothers at New Birth trusted him enough to bring their wayward teenage boys to him for paddling.
"When I say bend over, even on Sunday, they bend over," he said, referring to the boys he paddled. "Why? Because they respect me. Because I first died for them..."
The two men who filed suit against Long, though, said he used their relationships to instruct them, as "spiritual sons," to follow their "master."
They also say Long enticed them "with cars, clothes, jewelry, and electronics." Robinson claims the pastor paid for his college tuition.
In Flagg's suit, he claimed that when some young men found girlfriends, Long would attempt to block those relationships by "increased contact and spiritual talk" about "the covenant between the Spiritual Son and himself."
In addition to Long, the lawsuits name as defendants his church and a youth academy where Long was pastor and mentor. Both suits seek unspecified punitive damages on counts ranging from negligence to breach of fiduciary duty.
Lee, the Tulane sociologist who has written about Long, says he expects him to mount a fierce counterattack.
"He'll demonize the accusers," Lee said, "and couch it in terms of how the enemy Satan is trying to hurt the ministry."
yep...the debil made him suck cock.
09-22-2010 06:21 AM
Middle Finger
Punk-Fixing Bitch
Posts: 14,042
Joined: May 2008
RE: another phony faggot-hating "pastor" sucks cocks and takes the cash
This made me think ... why do we need pastors? Was God unable to come up with a system where people can just read and decide for themselves? Oh wait ... most of the world was illiterate when the Bible came out ... nice system ...
RE: another phony faggot-hating "pastor" sucks cocks and takes the cash
the pastor is going to answer the charges from his pulpit on sunday. i wonder if we'll get to see a weeping and wailing prayerful apology for falling into the debil's hands? you know, jim bakker style.
and trust me, this guy is going to milk the Coretta King connection to the last drop~
The claims are laid out in three separate civil suits which claim the pastor gave the teenagers cars, money, clothes and international trips. There are also details of occasions when the pastor and teens shared bedrooms.
Maurice Robinson, 20, Anthony Flass, 21, and Jamal Parris 23 are all represented by BJ Bernstein. The lawyer released photos of the pastor Wednesday in a tight tank top with what appears to be spandex shorts in a bathroom. She also said more emails, texts and phone calls will be released in court. She said, based on the boys' statements, there could be more victims who come forward.
Long was scheduled to appear on Tom Joyner's nationally syndicated radio show Thursday morning, but canceled after the third accuser came forward. His attorney, Craig Gillen, appeared in his place and read a statement on Long's behalf.
"Let me be clear. The charges against me and New Birth are false," Gillen said. He went on to say the pastor would address his congregation during Sunday morning services.
Long was appointed pastor in 1987 when the church had about 150 members, it has since grown to more than 25,000. In 2006 Bishop Long hosted four living presidents including George W. Bush and Bill Clinton for the funeral of Coretta Scott King, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s widow.
Long has a history of anti-gay activistism. In 2004, he led a march of 10,000 congregants through the streets of Atlanta to protest same-sex marriage.
love the photos of the godly pastor here>>>
he's praying.
nothing faggy about these shots~~
i am sure he's sending them to someone while doing God's work. heh
It has been reported that the Bishop Eddie Long is going to step down as pastor after his sermon set to be delivered on Sunday.
ATLANTA -- A fourth young male member of Bishop Eddie Long's megachurch says the prominent pastor coerced him into a sexual relationship, according to The Associated Press.
Attorney B.J. Bernstein said she is filing a lawsuit Friday on behalf of a member of New Birth Charlotte. New Birth Charlotte is a satellite church run by Long in Charlotte, N.C. The man met Long in May 2005.
The lawsuit said Long took the teenager to Kenya in July 2005 when he was 17 and engaged in sexual activities with him.
It said that Long later encouraged him to move to Atlanta, where the activity continued until early 2009.
A Channel 2 Action News crew spotted the embattled pastor leaving his home Friday morning.
Long has avoided the public eye since three former New Birth Missionary Baptist Church members filed a lawsuit this week accusing him of using his power to coerce them into sex.
are we going to get to see the repentant self-appointed 'bishop' weeping in the pulpit sunday morning? or still lying and denying? hahaha
haggard and bakker, show him how to repent! praise Jesus! i didn't mean it! booohooooo pass the plate to redeem me! smite my evil cock!
a few minutes ago...notice there is no real denial. just calculated B.S. addressed to a roomful of people who already think he walks on water.
9:10 a.m. from Long: "This is difficult for everybody. This is probably the most difficult time in my life. Want to talk to you about how to handle painful and difficult situations. And start with scripture from Psalms 34:19. Y'all did know I was going to use my Bible today. I was just going to take a few moments. But I gotta talk to my family." Long reads: "Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him out of all of them. Above all this church, the church of the living God and all that is precious and holy at this moment."
He said he felt like he was under attack, like David against Goliath.
He indirectly refuted the allegations against him saying, "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."
then he left the pulpit.
church traffic heavy this morning. heh
photo with his wife.
waiting for possible press conference.
edit to add:
10:08 a.m. Bishop Eddie Long's press conference was brief. He did not take questions. His wife was at his side. Here's what he did say: "On the advice of counsel, I am not going to address the allegations and the attacks. 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."
an excellent NY TIMES article here:
click...the 'bishop'
from the article:
Bishop 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.
His lavish display of wealth is in keeping with his theology. In his sermons, he often tells his congregation that God wants them to be wealthy and asserts that Jesus was not a poor man. 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 Bishop Long had accepted $3 million in salary, housing, a car and other perks from a charity he controlled.
ATLANTA, Ga. - For the first time, one of the men filing suit against Bishop Eddie Long is speaking out. In an exclusive interview with FOX 5 senior I-Team reporter Dale Russell, Jamal Parris tells a story of what he calls a love-hate relationship with a man he called "daddy."
Following Bishop Long's sermon on Sunday, Russell caught a plane to Colorado, which is home to Jamal Parris-- the oldest of all the accusers in the case. (me: sounds like the reporter was stalking this guy) In a parking lot, late at night, Parris told Russell a story of love, anger, and desire to protect other young men.
Here is Russell's full story:
Jamal Parris didn't want to talk at first, but before he left us, he had plenty to say about Bishop Eddie Long.
"You look at our eyes," Parris said. "You hear the pain in our voice. We have no reason to lie to this man."
Jamal Parris is one of four young men who have filed sexual misconduct lawsuits against Bishop Eddie Long, accusing him of using scripture and church money to sexually seduce them.
"I am not the man being portrayed on the television," Bishop long told the congregation at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church on Sunday. "That's not me."
On Sunday, Bishop Eddie Long spoke for the first time, never flatly denying the claims, but vowing to fight.
"I feel like David against Goliath," Long said.
Since last week, none of the four young men have talked publicly about the lawsuit-- until now. We found Jamal Parris shopping at a 24-hour store in Colorado. Initially, he was reluctant to talk.
But once he started, he told a riveting story about how as a young teen-- a 14 year old with no father in his life-- he joined New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. Bishop Eddie Long came into his life. He said Long said to call him "daddy" and to trust him with spiritual guidance.
"I loved him," Parris said. "I'm always going to have love for the things that he taught me. But how he left us hurt worse than anything I ever felt in my life."
Parris claims in his lawsuit the father-like figure used scripture to justify sex. And he lavished money, cars, jewelry, trips in the Bishop's private jet, even homes on the teens, sometimes with funds from the church coffers.
"You finally have a father that you've always wanted for and always dreamed of," Parris said. "He would just walk away from you if you don't give him what he wants. So you end up turning into something you never thought you would be, which is now a slave to a man that you love."
As he claimed in his lawsuit, Jamal says the bishop began a slow sexual seduction, which became more intimate and more intense after the young boys became of legal age.
"So, while the media and the rest of the people around the city, around the country look at us like how could grown men let another man touch him, what you have to understand is this man has manipulated us since childhood," Parris explained. "This was our father and we loved him."
Through his attorney, Craig Gillen, Bishop Long has called the allegations in the lawsuits false.
In the end, Parris says when the bishop loses interest in sex and sets his sights on other younger men, the older boys are left behind.
"This man turned his back on us when he had no more need for us," Parris said. "That's not a father, that's a predator."
Parris says he attempted to resolve the matter privately with the bishop, but when that didn't work, lawsuits were filed identifying the young men accusing the bishop.
"We would have to be the craziest kids in the world to want to come out and admit to another man touching on us publicly," said Parris. "To really believe this is about money would be absolutely ludicrous."
He says he loved Bishop Long, but he can't escape the nightmare of what he says Long did to him as a young man.
"I cannot get the sound of his voice out of my head," said Parris. "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 car on the way home, not able to take enough showers to wipe the smell of him off of my body."
Jamal Parris, near the end of our interview, said he wanted to speak directly to Bishop Eddie Long, and he turned to our camera to do so.
"But that man can not look me in my eye and tell me we did not live this pain," Parris said. "Why you can sit in front of the church and tell them that you categorically deny it. You can't say that to our face. And you know this. You are not a man, you are a monster."
And with that, Jamal Parris got in his car and drove off into the night.
We tried to contact Bishop Eddie Long, but his spokesperson did not return our calls.
Jonathan L. Walton is assistant professor of African-American religions at Harvard Divinity School. He is the author of "Watch This! The Ethics and Aesthetics of Black Televangelism" and the resident ethicist on the Tavis Smiley radio show.
(CNN) -- Over the past two decades, Bishop Eddie Long has built his public ministry at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church near Atlanta, Georgia, upon a testosterone-laden theology and a hypermasculine image.
His books bear titles such as "Taking Over," "Called to Conquer" and "Gladiator." Typical names for his sermons are "Conquer and Subdue" and "Reign or Maintain." The ministry motto, "Taking Authority," is signified by a golden sword and shield that adorns the bishop's ring finger.
This is why I was saddened to watch Eddie Long duck and dodge allegations that he seduced multiple teenage boys into sexual relationships. One would think that someone who constantly preaches about male headship, rulership, and power would deny these allegations with the same bravado that he defends his right to drive a $300,000 automobile.
Yet on Sunday we never heard the term "innocent," or a refutation of the charges. In fact, we witnessed a cowardly, rhetorical two-step that may mark the tragic end to this bishop's reign.
Video: Bishop Long breaks silence
Video: Fourth lawsuit filed against pastor
We witnessed a cowardly, rhetorical two-step that may mark the tragic end to this bishop's reign.
Milquetoast quotes like "I am not the man being portrayed on television," and "I'm going to fight this," are at best nondenials. Anyone familiar with these sorts of civil cases knows that such word selection is common among those trying to deflect a potential perjury charge down the line. Either Long engaged in inappropriate sexual acts with these young men or he didn't. To hide behind legal counsel, biblical metaphors and spiritualized acknowledgments of one's imperfection insults the intelligence of those who respect him and his ministry.
The question on the hearts and minds of parishioners is not whether he is a "perfect man." Nor does this story have anything to do with David and Goliath, as Long so irresponsibly alluded. The faithful just want to know whether Long used his authority (and their money) to maintain a teenage male harem under the pretense of mentoring. Is this too much to ask?
As a professor of social ethics who trains aspiring clergy, you pray religious leaders adhere to two important points. First, although we all fall short of our professed moral ideals, one should never spiritualize indiscretions. And no religious leader is fit to be called a leader unless he or she is willing to acknowledge when he or she is wrong.
Second, we must draw a line between our position and the institution that we are called to serve. The latter should always be considered more precious and important than the former.
Eddie Long had four days leading up to Sunday morning to address these charges. But aside from a brief yet legally broad statement through lawyers saying that "the charges against me and New Birth are false," he did not counter the boys' allegations.
He did choose, however, to invite the media and the world into the house of prayer on the Christian Sabbath. By doing so, he appears to be the kind of pastor who puts his own protection and self-preservation before the community of faith. And rather than courageously defending himself, he looked like a coward using New Birth's congregation as human shields.
If the bishop wants to take authority, he needs to begin by taking some responsibility. Maybe for the good of New Birth, Eddie Long should take that sword out of his golden ring and fall on it.
RE: another phony faggot-hating "pastor" sucks cocks and takes the cash
(09-23-2010 03:13 PM)Lady Cop Wrote: the pastor is going to answer the charges from his pulpit on sunday. i wonder if we'll get to see a weeping and wailing prayerful apology for falling into the debil's hands? you know, jim bakker style.
and trust me, this guy is going to milk the Coretta King connection to the last drop~
The claims are laid out in three separate civil suits which claim the pastor gave the teenagers cars, money, clothes and international trips. There are also details of occasions when the pastor and teens shared bedrooms.
Maurice Robinson, 20, Anthony Flass, 21, and Jamal Parris 23 are all represented by BJ Bernstein. The lawyer released photos of the pastor Wednesday in a tight tank top with what appears to be spandex shorts in a bathroom. She also said more emails, texts and phone calls will be released in court. She said, based on the boys' statements, there could be more victims who come forward.
Long was scheduled to appear on Tom Joyner's nationally syndicated radio show Thursday morning, but canceled after the third accuser came forward. His attorney, Craig Gillen, appeared in his place and read a statement on Long's behalf.
"Let me be clear. The charges against me and New Birth are false," Gillen said. He went on to say the pastor would address his congregation during Sunday morning services.
Long was appointed pastor in 1987 when the church had about 150 members, it has since grown to more than 25,000. In 2006 Bishop Long hosted four living presidents including George W. Bush and Bill Clinton for the funeral of Coretta Scott King, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s widow.
Long has a history of anti-gay activistism. In 2004, he led a march of 10,000 congregants through the streets of Atlanta to protest same-sex marriage.
love the photos of the godly pastor here>>>
he's praying.
nothing faggy about these shots~~
i am sure he's sending them to someone while doing God's work. heh
He looks really gay-----Would an eye for an eye be sensible? Castration without anesthetics? Or maybe the victims should decide his punishment. Public flogging, or stoning with dried out silly putty bombs just for hypocrisy's sake.
10-05-2010 10:01 PM
Maggot
Mr. Hard Nipples
Posts: 10,331
Joined: Jun 2008
I vote for unsterilized castration, with a slow epsom salt bath using large goldfish to nibble off the dead flesh.
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Sally 12/18/11 : Listen you little dirty bird, I was just going along minding my own business
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Ron Paul 2012......
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::devilban::
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