Eddie Long, who once marched the streets of Atlanta to protest same-sex marriage, is considered a major figure in the black church. His New Birth Missionary Baptist Church has approximately 25,000 members, and sits on 240 acres in Lithonia, Ga.
It is the same church that hosted Coretta Scott King's funeral in 2006, a ceremony that some civil rights leaders refused to attend because Long is so anti-gay.
According to separate lawsuits filed in DeKalb County, Ga., by Robinson, Flagg and now Parris, Long conducted what they called private spiritual ceremonies in which he "coerced certain young male members and employees" into sexual acts and relationships.
Maurice Robinson, Anthony Flagg, Jamal Parris and Spencer LeGrange. The men, now all in their 20s, came forward with separate lawsuits alleging that Long lavished them with expensive jewelry, a private plane and luxury hotel rooms, and then used his status as a spiritual leader to force them into sex. The Bishop has denied all charges, but a big turn took place in the case when, according to reports, cell phone pictures show Bishop taking pictures in his bathroom while wearing tight spandex. Three of the males also have other text messages from the Bishop.
Jamal Parris 23
He is one of four gentlemen who have accused Long of making sexual advances. Parris alleged in the documents, obtained by ABC NEWS, that the bishop would request he be nude while in his presence and would request "sexual massages" and "oral sodomy" when they traveled. “I cannot get his voice out of my head. I cannot forget the smell of his cologne,” the young man said. He also went on to say that he is “not able to take showers long enough to get the smell of him off of his body.” Parris has said that he loved Long, and that he feels betrayed. "His presence alone is seduction to a young man without a father. You look at him and he's everything you want to be, he's everything you see and you dream to be and being around him, it's almost like a drug. You can't believe the places you've added to your life and the cars that you're driving and the people that you're meeting, so it becomes 'If I want to continue to feel this love and this power, I'll do whatever my dad wants me to..."(EVEN SEXUAL FAVORS?)
Maurice Robinson 20
Again, though this complaint is rife with moral questions and has the potential to completely ruin Bishop Long’s career as a trusted pastor, the defendant says he was 18-years-old.
Anthony Flagg 21
The above two claimed were part of a group Eddie Long called "Spiritual Sons". They had been part of the pastor's entourage, been taken on lavish trips, met with famous people, been given gifts, cars, money, places to live, and even college tuition. But all of that ended, the allegations attested, when Bishop Eddie Long grew tired of the relationship. Anthony’s lawsuit speaks of the distress the relationship caused him, and he blames those in the church who knew about what could have happened for not warning the young man, who, as an 11th-grade student, moved into a home allegedly related to Bishop Long. The lawsuit paints him as a troubled youth who was arrested for simple battery, and claims Bishop Long took him under his wing to help him, allowing him to drive a Mustang, and cashing his payroll checks after Flagg was put on the payroll.
Spencer LeGrange 22
Long convinced LeGrande to move to Atlanta where the New Birth Church furnished him with a free place to live, paid his tuition to attend Beulah Heights University and gave him a Dodge Intrepid. All the while Long allegedly continued with the shopping sprees, dinners and sexual encounters.
Eventually LeGrande would get a roommate while living in an apartment furnished by Long and the New Birth Church at which point he began to pull away from Long. LeGrande was asked to pay rent and Long refused to meet him at the apartment because of the roommate, but the two still had occasional sexual encounters at other locations.
All four of the accusers have alleged that Long used biblical scripture to explain and justify his sexual relationship with each of them. Also his accusers believe more young men will come forward from a youth ministry that numbered in the hundreds. The young men say that many people at the church who were close to Long knew what was going on but covered for him and kept quiet for years.
WHEN DID IT BECOME WRONG?
At 15, 17 years old, you know about sex, life and its advantages. These men claim no father figure in their lives and the Bishop was in place of that. But when did it become wrong? The fourth time after you received the car, the 7 time after Mr. Long placed your penis in his mouth or when you became too old and no longer an interest of Mr. Longs? I believe these young men knew exactly what they were doing. They loved the gifts, the attention and knew what came with that! At that age you do have choices and they put themselves in that predicament. Again, it can't be sexual abuse if you allow it to happen, especially more than once. Also what parent in their right mind lets a child internationally travel with a grown man? Bishop or not! I guess the parent was paid off in gifts as well.
A little gossip floating around online:
It’s funny how soon we forget that some years ago he was involved sexually with another well known gospel, who also attended New Birth, at a young age while attending Morehouse. The Bishop has been doing this since the ’90s before he became the popular figure that he is now. But, during that time, the church covered it up and sent him DC. So, this is nothing new for him. This was when I was singing and apart of GMWA at the time. I would be amazed if he gets out of this one.
Well, JT, this is what was rumored. Prior to Byron’s first live recording in Macon, with his group “Purpose” in 1995, he was the choir director of New Birth and attended Morehouse. During that time, word spread through the gospel world in Georgia that he and the Bishop had a sexual relationship. So, after Byron recorded his 3rd cd with the famous song, “The Presence of the Lord is Here”, in 2003, certain people at New Birth decided to send Byron to DC to where he is originally from. He is actually from Ft Washington, but who cares. They did this to calm the rumors. Now, if anyone remembers, the following year he got married in Charlotte. But, no one ever spoke of the rumors or knew about it. Only people in the gospel world new about it. I knew about it because I used to sing with GMWA and went to Georgia Mass rehearsals. Plus, various community choirs in middle Georgia. Actually, I know a lot of artists and preachers that have done or still doing things in the dark and hasn’t come to light. You would be surprised. So, if it is true, it will come to light. It was all speculation at that time
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