You’ve already heard a lot of rumors about priests molesting boys in the Catholic church and now we’re hearing about it in the Black church, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church located in Lithonia, Georgia. Bishop Eddie Long of the church established the church back in 1987, with little to his name. Today, he is a millionaire with a 240 acre stadium-style church that has 25,000 members (big turnaround from the the prior 300 members he started out with). He now owns various businesses, houses, charities and fitness center. He is a very influential black preacher, with broadcasts of his sermons throughout the country and internationally in 170 other countries. You may have also seen him with various celebrities and democratic and republican political figures.
As of late, he has been accused of sexually abusing 4 young men (now there are supposedly 30 members). All were over 18 years old, except for one who said he was 17 years old when the sexual abuse started. The four members said that to Bishop Long invited them to join his elite youth group at the church, so that he could groom them for sex. Then in exchange, they allege that Bishop Long took them on exotic trips, gave them money, housing and new cars. Bishop Long has vowed to fight against these accusations. The ironic part is that Bishop Long lead an anti-gay movement back in 2004 (it is very common in the Black church to be against homosexuality).
“I have never portrayed myself as a perfect man,” Bishop Long told his church Sunday. “But I am not the man that’s being portrayed on the television. That’s not me.”
He said his lawyers have advised him “not to try this case in the media,” adding, “I feel like David and Goliath, but I’ve got five rocks and I haven’t thrown one yet.”