Megachurch leader vows to fight accusations
Pastor accused of sexual impropriety
LITHONIA, Ga. – Casting himself as the Bible’s ultimate underdog, Bishop Eddie Long went before thousands of faithful supporters at his megachurch Sunday and promised to fight accusations that he lured four young men into sexual relationships.
“I feel like David against Goliath. But I got five rocks, and I haven’t thrown one yet,” Long said in his first public remarks since his accusers filed lawsuits last week claiming he abused his “spiritual authority.” He stopped short of denying the allegations but implied he was wronged by them.
“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.
Long’s brief addresses to the congregation at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church were met with thunderous applause and an outpouring of support during services that were equal parts rock concert and pep rally. The sanctuary was nearly filled to its 10,000-seat capacity for both the 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. services. Many lined up two hours before the doors of the church opened.
Long became one of the country’s most powerful independent church leaders over the last 20 years, turning a suburban Atlanta congregation of 150 to a 25,000-member powerhouse with a $50 million cathedral and a roster of parishioners that includes athletes, entertainers and politicians.
It is unclear whether Long faces any risk of being removed by his church’s board, but the allegations at the very least guarantee months of scrutiny as the lawsuits move forward.
Long is a father of four who has been an outspoken opponent of gay marriage and whose church has counseled gay members to become straight. Two young men say he groomed them for sexual relationships when they were enrolled in the church’s LongFellows Youth Academy, a program that taught teens about sexual and financial discipline. Two other young men – one of whom attended a satellite church in Charlotte, N.C. – have made similar claims.
The men say they were 17 or 18 when the relationships began. Federal and state authorities have declined to investigate because Georgia’s age of consent is 16.