Bishop Eddie Long (PICTURES): Pastor Pledges to Fight Sex Charges, Says He's Not "Perfect"
LITHONIA, Ga. (CBS/WGCL/AP) Bishop Eddie Long, the nationally known pastor accused of luring four teenage boys into sexual relationships, addressed his 25,000-member congregation and the media Sunday morning in his first public remarks since his accusers filed lawsuits last week.
Casting himself as the Bible's ultimate underdog, Long went before his faithful supporters at his megachurch and promised to fight the accusations.
"I feel like David against Goliath. But I got five rocks, and I haven't thrown one yet," Long said.
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 outpouring support, CBS affiliate WGCL reports. The sanctuary was nearly filled to its 10,000-seat capacity for both the 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. services.
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. And there was almost no sign Sunday that his flock wanted to turn him away.
"We know and we love Bishop," said Annie Cannon, a seven-year member of New Birth. "We love our place of worship. My son goes to school here. We do everything here."
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 years old when the relationships began. Federal and state authorities have declined to investigate because Georgia's age of consent is 16.
Complete Coverage of Bishop Eddie Long on Crimesider
