New Birth Ministries Bishop Eddie Long Embroiled in Sex Scandal

According to many followers at New Birth Missionary Church, Bishop Eddie Long, with his husky physique has portrayed the man that men wish they were-and the man that women wish they had. This is the image that Bishop Eddie Long has presented to his congregation. Long is the senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Church in Lithonia, Georgia which boasts a congregation of over 30,000 members. Bishop Eddie Long also serves on the Morehouse School of Religion Board Of Directors and on the Board of Directors for the Safehouse Outreach Ministries. But in addition to his numerous successes, awards, and public accomplishments, Bishop Eddie Long is also known for his persuasive swagger behind the pulpit-a persona highlighted by tight-fitting shirts and flamboyant suits.

But the façade has come crumbling down with recent reports of sexual misconduct. At the present time, there are three plaintiffs (Anthony Flagg, Murray Robinson, and Jamal Parris), all of whom are young black men in their 20s who have for the most part, spent much of their youth at New Birth Missionary Church.

In one of the biggest scandals to hit Metro Atlanta, Bishop Eddie Long has been accused of enticing these young men into sexual acts - at times, having sexual relations on church grounds. Some of the incidents supposedly occurred on overnight trips that the pastor would initiate. On one occasion, Murray Robinson accompanied Long to New Zealand, where he allegedly engaged in oral sex with the pastor.

These accusations come after years of participating in a relationship (with Long) that ultimately resulted in the acquisition of material goods - cars, clothes, cash, and other trinkets that many would consider particularly enticing to impressionable black youth.

But this isn't the first time that Bishop Eddie Long has faced controversy. In August of 2005, Long was accused of mishandling monies that were to be appropriated through charity. This alleged "mishandling" consisted of millions of dollars in salary money paid to him from the years 1997 to 2000. And then again in 2006, more than two dozen graduating seniors from the Intercontinental Theological Center took issue with Long's insinuation that people could be "delivered" from homosexuality. Thus, it is ironic that the clergyman is at the center of a scandal that involves the very issue that he attempted to address with members of his congregation.

Flamboyance in Southern African American churches isn't particularly unusual. People in the South are accustomed to theatrical, fire and brimstone performances. Ministers like Bishop Eddie Long are often assumed to be greedy, unctuous individuals preying on members of the congregation, rather praying for them. This latest scandal involving Long appears to be evidence of the beliefs people have held in their hearts for quite some time.

Bishop Eddie Long is scheduled to offer his first public response to these accusations on Thursday, September 23, 2010.

SOURCES:

www.cnn.com
www.madamenoire.com
www.bossip.com