Bishop Eddie Long: Ga. Church Members Support Pastor, Call Sexual Allegations "Lies"

By: Naimah Jabali-Nash
Topics: Daily Blotter

Bishop Eddie Long (AP Photo/Gene Blythe, File)

LITHONIA, Ga. (CBS/WGCL) Bishop Eddie Long's flock of parishioners spoke out in in support of their pastor Wednesday morning, after reports of allegations made by two men, Anthony Flagg, 21, and Maurice Robinson, 20, Tuesday that Long abused his position by coercing them into sexual relationships when they were teenage members of his congregation.

"We don't believe it," says Tonia Sawyer, a member of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church where the outspoken, anti-gay pastor presides.

Flagg and Robinson filed a lawsuit in DeKalb County Court Tuesday accusing the pastor of seducing them with lavish gifts such as cars, money, clothes, international trips, jewelry and access to celebrities when they were 17-and 18-year-old members of the pastor's Lithonia, Ga., church reports CBS affiliate WGCL.

But some churchgoers of Long's 30,000 member congregation seem to think the lawsuit has no validity.

"I know it's all lies," member Warren Allen told the station.

Attorney BJ Bernstein , who is representing the two plaintiffs in the civil lawsuit against Long, claims there could be more victims and says she can prove the allegations.

"Some of these sexual relations not only occurred on these trips, they occurred in that church," said Bernstein.

Long's attorney, Craig Gillen says he "categorically denies the allegations."

"We find it unfortunate that these two young men would take this course of action," Gillen said.

Gillen believes the men's accusations are linked to a break-in that Robinson was arrested for, allegedly stealing items out of Long's office back in June, reports WGCL.

Long was appointed pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in 1987 when the church had about 150 members. In less than four years, the congregation grew to more than 8,000 members, many of whom reside in DeKalb County, home to many affluent African-Americans. Athletes and entertainers claim membership at the church, and among its prominent clergy is Rev. Bernice King, the youngest daughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

A church spokesman said there could be a press conference Wednesday afternoon.

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by PittDave June 2, 2011 8:58 PM EDT: Wow, such a man of integrity! Bilk people out of millions of dollars, dress in flashy clothes and drive expensive boys, then seduce and abuse young boys sexually. So the anti-gay preacher has a thing for young boys. Worse yet is that he denies the accusations, settles out of court with money given to him by parishioners, and leaves the VICTIMS to suffer in shame. I love the classy photos he made in a hotel bathroom; such Godly behavior. I'd personally rather SEE a sermon than HEAR one.; Reply to this comment


by sduncan24 October 1, 2010 10:43 PM EDT: I am really sick that you so call christians call a sin, a sin, depending on who is doing the sinning. This is not a private affair, DAAAAAA....where do you live? If this was any average person, the black community would be horrified but you make excuses because he has done some good things. The evil one does not come out and let you know he is evil!! he hide behind doing good things. NO TRUE MAN OF GOD would ever do such a thing. Wake up people you also are being tested. What are you going to do with wrong? We are to hate the things that God hates and speak on it. Bowing your head in the sand will not make it go away, these allegations are not new. this man does not represent God with such evil acts. People just don't get up one morning and decide that they are going to write a book about a pastor, or his forment wife make allegation about him just to be nasty. at least don't call everyone else a liar. Usually it is not everyone else, it is you. You defenders/ Long worshipers, the man could not even say that he was innocent! what the devil are you defending? The members that knew something was just not right, and turned their head because they wanted to be in the click is held just as responsible as he is. That was somebody's child whose life you help ruin and I hope it eat away at you. I will pray for you because you did not have the guts to defend a child.
Condemnation was written all over his face, all he said was that he was not perfect. he could not even say, I AM INNOCENT OF THESE CHARGES. wHAT THE HELL ARE YOU PEOPLE DEFENDING? AND TO HIRE AN INVESTIGATOR. God will leave you and let you operate in you when you continually ignore the truth, that is what has happened here.
Would you be less concern about Long if the child he molested was your child?,; Reply to this comment


by PastorLRichardson September 23, 2010 3:32 PM EDT: The first concern is the continual progress of the body of Christ and the healthiness of this local church and when ensuring that Pastor Eddie Long is being handled both biblically and spiritually and fairly as a Senior Pastor of a local Ministry. We must deal with people fairly. This must be handled by his peers or those who has mentored him personally.
In St. John 8 there is a woman caught "in the very act" of sin and Jesus Christ response is important. He that is without sin cast the first stone. This is a matter that spiritually mature within the Body ought to be judging rightly and keeping the opinions of the wordly at by - only those that have experienced the Great Grace are able to deal with these type of situation rightly considering their ownselves first.

L. Richardson
Senior Pastor
Living Waters Ministries
Baltimore, MD; Reply to this comment


by maryderricotte62 September 23, 2010 2:32 PM EDT: Crap, on your body of Christ, you are a hipocrit by not even investigating before giving your last rite. Did you read the court PDF allegations, so you are just a follower a person who here's something and does little investigating.; Reply to this comment


by maryderricotte62 September 23, 2010 2:28 PM EDT: I think that the Attorneys for the accused is going to have to follow the bread crunmbs, If you face book the plantiffs you will find a picute of the paster. Then if you look at the articles written and pictures posted theis is a media lynching and exstortion of mammouth porpotions, what is not beong said is that one of the three plantiffs broke into the office of Paster Long. Now if I broke into paster office and was able to have my case on the internet most likely I got ino the computers and website browsers, I would be able to send pictures to any from that browser. These guys are tech heavy and the defense is going to have to get the best IT investigator, I would want to supeona their phone records, and computer hard drives. I can see that this is a high tech shake down with a trial of public opinion.; Reply to this comment


by maryderricotte62 September 23, 2010 2:26 PM EDT: I think that the Attorneys for the accused is going to have to follow the bread crunmbs, If you face book the plantiffs you will find a picute of the paster. Then if you look at the articles written and pictures posted theis is a media lynching and exstortion of mammouth porpotions, what is not beong said is that one of the three plantiffs broke into the office of Paster Long. Now if I broke into paster office and was able to have my case on the internet most likely I got ino the computers and website browsers, I would be able to send pictures to any from that browser. These guys are tech heavy and the defense is going to have to get the best IT investigator, I would want to supeona their phone records, and computer hard drives. I can see that this is a high tech shake down with a trial of public opinion.; Reply to this comment


by reasoningthinking September 22, 2010 8:31 PM EDT: Here's more great info on the "Pastor" Mr. Long.
http://gcmwatch.wordpress.com/2008/06/08/letter-to-bishop-eddie-long-et-al-re-soulforce/; Reply to this comment


by reasoningthinking September 22, 2010 8:29 PM EDT: Paul stated that all sorts like fornicators, idolaters and so on so forth will be moving out of what they were doing and it is what 'they once were'. However, when one thinks they have never done anything wrong how can you leave it behind?

A pastor near my region just this past month same thing... Take a gander at this freakishly similar situation. The creepy bold nature of denial and blaming the victims. The link is below.

http://www.wpxi.com/news/24816623/detail.html; Reply to this comment

by sspsllc September 22, 2010 7:04 PM EDT

Yeah. I can't wait until they find out about all those misappropriations with church funds that he used to invest in Brian Jordan's "Le Jardin" property in Atlanta. He used fake names to file deeds for real estate in Atlanta and invest in Le Jardin. The lawyer who helped him ought to be investigated, too. I saw the fake deeds myself when I was working in that office trying to audit the real estate account because a million dollars in deeds never got filed and a million was missing from the trust account. The deed with Eddie Long's signature on it and that $900,000 escrow check suddenly "disappeared." They didn't think I would get to the bottom of it, but I did and they covered it up. I left shortly thereafter, but I saw the evidence of it for myself.

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by OhioRobin September 23, 2010 3:50 PM EDT: go and sit your little butt down sspsllc


by TrampledRights September 22, 2010 4:30 PM EDT: Will you continue to support him "now and always" if he's convicted?? How can you make such a broad statement at this time?; Reply to this comment