"I feel like David against Goliath.” – Bishop Eddie Long
 

 

SERIOUSLY? Let’s take a closer look at “the Bishop”. First and foremost, Eddie Long is a SUPERSTAR to 25,000 adoring followers at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, located in an Atlanta suburb. His boasts such a lavish lifestyle that his was one of six ministries (in the entire nation!!!) investigated by Senator Charles Grassley’s committee (see the first link in yesterday’s post). According to a recent New York Times article, Long is LIVING LARGE. Check out this description of his extravagant lifestyle. 

 

“Bishop Long cuts a flashy figure in Lithonia, the Atlanta suburb where he lives and had 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.

 

“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.”

 

Now let’s be honest, does Eddie Long appear to be a “David” or a “Gucci Goliath”?

Perhaps Long’s congregation gets some satisfaction out of their Bishop’s lavish lifestyle. It would be interesting to know the median income of New Birth attendees. If Long’s annual income and fringe benefits total $1,000,000, then the average church member is contributing a meager $40 per year to suppport him. Not a bad deal, I suppose, to support their own king…. Long’s income is probably paltry compared to his Atlanta rival – Creflo Dollar. Gotta keep up with the Dollars (OOPS – Joneses).
 

What do we know about Eddie Long? The NYT article gives us a brief explanation.
 

“Bishop Long was born in Charlotte, N.C., where his father, Floyd Long, was a Baptist minister and owned a service station. In interviews and his books, he has described his father as a drinker and emotionally distant.

 

“To be candid, I’ve been working to remove the tentacles of 40 years’ worth of pain and complications that came my way against my will during the first 12 years of my life, and my father was a preacher, he wrote in his 2002 self-help book, “What a Man Wants, What a Woman Needs.”
 

He studied business at North Carolina Central University (a historically black college in Durham, NC), then went to work as a sales representative for the Ford Motor Company, but was fired over inaccuracies in his expense accounts. He moved to Atlanta to study theology and became the pastor of a small church in Jonesboro, Ga.

 

In 1987 when he took over New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, it had only 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.

 

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 that 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.

Bishop Long has been married twice and has four children.”
 

Now let’s turn our attention to the young men who have accused Eddie Long of using his spiritual authority and lofty position to lure and coerce them into having sex with him.
 

According to the referenced NYT article:

 

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

The four complaints filed in court describe how Bishop Long arranged for the church to provide cars to the young men and put them on the church payroll. Two of them also said they received free lodging in church-owned houses, where, they said, Bishop 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.

 

“There are biblical and spiritual passages that were given to them to make them comfortable and make them believe that they were not gay,” Ms. Bernstein said. In a letter to the radio station, Bishop Long called the accusations false. “We continue to categorically deny each and every one of these ugly charges,” he said.
 

Out of respect for the young men involved, TWW has decided to withhold their names because they were teenagers when the alleged events occurred; however, we admire their courage in consenting to make their identities public.
 

Last Saturday DON LEMON, a news anchor at CNN (based in Atlanta), interviewed three young members of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church who staunchly defend the Bishop. At the 5:07 mark, Lemon made a surprise confession to not only them but to a watching world by stating:
 

"I have never admitted this on television. I am a victim of a pedophile when I was a kid. Someone who was much older than me… I didn’t tell my mom that until I was 30 years old," the 44-year-old newsman added.
 

After the interview, he expressed appreciation for the support he received from his Twitter followers, stating:
 

“I had no idea I’d say that on national TV. It just came out. Sadly, it’s the truth for so many young men.”
 

We encourage you to watch this informative 7-1/2 minute interview, which can be accessed here. 
 

During the interview, New Birth member Gabrielle A. Richards made the following statement:
 

“When I look at different pedophiles as you said, I don’t see the Bishop as one. If you look at the various things that he’s done for the community and for young people in general, none of it boils down to him looking like a pedophile.”

 

Dee and I are passionate about exposing pedophiles, especially those in the pastorate. Shortly after we began The Wartburg Watch, we became concerned that many Christians don’t know much about pedophilia. In an effort to educate ourselves as well as our readers, we researched pedophilia and posted the following articles. We hope they will be of benefit to you.

 

A Public Service Announcement: What is Pedophila?

 

 

Profile of a Pedophile

 

While Eddie Young is accused of coercing these young men beyond the age of consent (16) in the state of Georgia, we would not be surprised to discover that he had been grooming them, as the above links explain. As a mother I am sickened by this terrible mess, and my heart goes out to everyone involved. My fervent prayer is that God’s truth will be revealed.
 

There is so much more to share regarding this “Long” saga. Stay tuned…

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 Lydia's Corner: Read through the Bible in one year. Verses are linked to Bible Gateway for   convenience

 

Genesis 3:1-4:26    Matthew 2:13-3:6    Psalm 2:1-12   Proverbs 1:7-9  (Tuesday)

Genesis 5:1-7:2 Matthew 3:7-4:1 Psalm 3:1-8 Proverbs 1:10-19 (Wednesday)