VIDEO: Eddie Long Accuser Speaks Out: You Be The Judge (UPDATED)

I've made some updates this post to include not just the first video of Jamal Parrish, one of the [alleged] victims of Eddie Long, but also the videos of comments by his second accuser Spencer LeGrande, and also comments from Long himself, as well as from the plaintiffs' attorney:

The first of the accusers in the emerging Eddie Long scandal has spoken to the media for the first time. In a brief interview outside his home in Colorado, the young man, Jamal Parrish has broken his silence.

Considering the impromptu nature of this interview, and the pressure he must be under with these recent circumstances, I found this man's words to be articulate, courageous, and credible. Yet the video was also somewhat gut-wrenching to watch. To my mind, either this kid is a tremendous actor, or this is someone who's still dealing with a lot of pain. May he and the other 3 alleged victims be in our prayers.

This is my third post regarding the Eddie Long story, and there almost certainly will be more as it unfolds, because this is a story that resonates with me for two main reasons.

I've been personally captivated by this story from the beginning partly because I'd been aware of such accusations against Long for some time, and had solid reason to believe convinced they were true. So to watch this unfold now in the media is intriguing, so say the least. But beyond that, there's the simple fact that is a story that may impact all of American Christianity for some time to come. Anyone who remembers the Jim Bakker/Jimmy Swaggart stories from 20+ years ago will tell you that those stories did serious damage to the image of the church and to  the cause of Christ. The Eddie Long case today has the potential to do the same. For years, skeptics, mockers, and those who hated the church would invoke the names Bakker and Swaggart as they would paint the church and the gospel in the most negative light they could. My fear is that the name Eddie Long will be used similarly; quite simply, he could end up becoming the Bakker & Swaggart of this decade... but with a gay twist -- a prospect that is already causing many church-bashers in the gay community to salivate with anticipation and glee. If you're a Christian in the USA, this story might end up affecting you more than you even realize right now.

There are some who insist that these accusations against Long are just a trick of the Devil. My take on it is this: it's only a trick of the Devil if it's not true. Those who have read my previous posts on this matter can already tell where I stand regarding the truthfulness of these accusations. At this point I'll just post the video here, let the [alleged] victim's words speak for themselves, and let the reader come to his/her own conclusions on this.


The [alleged] victim, Jamal Parrish speaks:


The second accuser tells his side:


Eddie Long speaks to his church Sept 30, 2010.
The attorney for the young men,BJ Bernstein, makes her comments to CNN after the Jamal Parrish video interview.

Further Thoughts on the Eddie Long Situation...

So I decided to see what Eddie Long had to say for himself Sunday morning. After days of waiting, in what had turned out to be a story of national interest, millions were interested to hear what Bishop Long would say regarding the scandal that broke lat week. What we ended up with, however, was sort of a non-denial denial.

Well, maybe it's just me.... But if someone had accused me of multiple counts of gay sex with young men who were under my mentorship, (essentially making me not just an adulterer but a gay/bisexual sexual predator) I would be looking for first camera and microphone I could find to get this message out loud and clear:

"I didn't do it. I am completely innocent of these charges. These charges are lies. I have not engaged in sexual activity with these young men or any other men..." (etc, etc.)

I was waiting to see if Eddie Long would say that, but of course he didn't. Mr. Long, I don't want to hear you tell me that on the advice of counsel you will not be addressing these charges in public, but only in court. I'm sorry, but that's weak.

If you didn't do it, your church members, your flock, are waiting for their shepherd to say "I'm innocent and did not do these things." Forget what your lawyer advised you; speak to your flock and declare your innocence... if indeed you really are innocent.

Then again, some folks following this story might think this is all just a scheme from the Devil. I don't.

...Or that the man of God is being set up. I don't think so.

Or they think these young men are all lying. I don't believe that at all.

No, I'm not an enemy of Eddie Long. I don't know the man.
I simply believe a pastor should be clean. He doesn't have to be perfect... just clean. And there are some of us who have very good reason to believe Eddie Long is far from clean in this matter.

I actually wish I could say more, but I'm trying to be restrained here. All I'll say for now is this: there have been whisperings about this situation for years now. Now would be the ideal time for any first-hand eyewitnesses to speak up...whether they be family members, present or past New Birth staff members or whomever. There are long term, even eternal consequences at stake here --- for the 25,000 New Birth church members, for the four young men involved (and perhaps more to be revealed), and yes, even for Eddie Long himself.

May the will of the Lord be done.

Thoughts on the Eddie Long Scandal

Much of Atlanta, where I live, and the internet church world has been abuzz since the revelation less than 48 hrs ago that Bishop Eddie Long is being sued for sexual coercion by 3 young men he had been mentoring. Long is pastor of one of America's largest churches, the 25,000 member New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, in the Atlanta suburb of Lithonia, and is probably one of the top 10 most influential preachers in our nation. Initially, I was going to put up a quick post here with my thoughts on the issue, but when I learned Eddie Long was going to make a public statement today on the matter, I decided to wait till he did so before posting. I figured it would be good to at least hear what Bishop Long had to say regarding these serious allegations.

I guess I shouldn’t have bothered even waiting. The latest news this morning is that Eddie Long canceled the radio interview and press conference that were scheduled for today. This is after a third lawsuit was filed yesterday in addition to the two originally filed on Tuesday. He is adamantly denying the claims, however, and of course most of his church members are supporting him through this ordeal, which is understandable I suppose.

But frankly, my concern is for Eddie Long’s soul. And trust me when I tell you I believe there’s good reason to be concerned. Indeed there have been rumors and whisperings about Long for a while now, which I used to immediately dismiss whenever I heard them. I know that ministers, and especially prominent ones, are susceptible to lies from the devil in order to bring them down or bring reproach on the Lord’s name. Thus, without something substantial to hang my hat on, I figured I should give Eddie Long the benefit of the doubt. That changed some time ago.

I received some information last year from an unimpeachable source here in Atlanta that convinced me that the whispers were not just empty rumors. It made me sad to hear it, but it was persuasive enough for me to become convinced that Eddie Long indeed had a problem in terms of same sex attraction. This source, who works in the media and spent some time around Long for a news article, witnessed some --- shall we say--- questionable interactions, first hand. And when he/she (I’m being ambiguous regarding the gender to shield this person’s identity and privacy) mentioned to one of Long’s staff members what he/she saw, the staff member sheepishly conceded that they, his inner circle, were aware of his “struggles” in that area, but still had faith in him.  I’ll just leave it at that without going into further detail.

It immediately made me wonder how many people knew this, and how long something like that could stay under wraps without exploding into the public arena.

Suffice it to say that from that moment on, not only was I convinced that the rumors were true, but I’ve been concerned that this issue was a ticking time bomb that could one day explode all over Bishop Long, having a negative effect not only on his church, but the body of Christ as a whole, since the fall of high profile ministers (Bakker, Swaggart, Tilton,etc) always hurts the image of the church as a whole.  Well, with the news from 2 days ago, I’m thinking the bomb may have finally gone off. Only time will tell how bad this could all get, but I have a very uneasy feeling about where this could all lead.

There’s a lot at stake here.  Even if the allegations are true, from what I’ve seen so far, the accusers might have a tough time proving their case. Yet even if Long is exonerated in this, he could still be end up being viewed as guilty in the court of public opinion.

Of course, there is still the possibility that these 3 accusers are lying here, the case could get thrown out of court, and Eddie Long and his church put it all behind them and move on. That still would not negate the fact that Bishop Long has a problem in this area, if, as it appears to me, he actually does. I’m sure it’s hard for any preacher to admit to gay attractions and/or activity, and the natural impulse is to deny, deny, deny all accusations, and hope it all goes away. Still, for any preacher to lie about their sexual misdeeds, whether homosexual or heterosexual, is like putting a band-aid on a bullet wound. It just doesn’t deal with the underlying problem. Besides, since all liars will have their part in the lake of fire (Rev. 21:8), it would be a horrible thing for a person to depart this life with unrepented sin in their souls as they go to meet their Maker.

There’s still a part of me that hopes this is all not true. But, based on the information I was given, there seems to be little reason for me to believe it’s not. However this all plays out, I do hope the body of Christ does not get too badly damaged by the fallout. Furthermore, if Bishop Eddie Long is innocent in all this, I do hope the truth comes out and his good name is cleared. But if indeed he has had this secret life on the down low, I hope he uses this as an opportunity to come clean, get it right with God, and start afresh, even if he loses everything he’s built up over the years at New Birth. Indeed, what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul (Mk. 8:36)?

This is serious stuff. The lives, souls, and eventual destinies of tens of thousands of people could well hinge on what develops as a result of this case. May God’s hand be at work in this situation.

Malinda Sapp, Wife of Gospel Singer Marvin Sapp, Dies at 43

Dr. Malinda Sapp, wife of Dr. Marvin Sapp, gospel singer and pastor of Lighthouse Full Life Center Church, has died of colon cancer at age 43. Pastor and First Lady Sapp were married for 15 years and had three children.
Personally, I've been very blessed by the music ministry of Dr. Sapp over the years. Our condolences and prayers go out to Bro. Sapp and his family at this difficult time. May the peace of God be with them.

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From examiner.com:


Gospel music artist Marvin Sapp has lost his wife and best friend, MaLinda Sapp to colon cancer. Marvin and MaLinda had been married for 15 years and have three children. Marvin and his church, Lighthouse Full Life Center Church, had previously launched a 24 hour prayer campaign for the complete healing of MaLinda. Marvin recently curtailed his travel and recording plans in order to be with his wife during her time of sickness.

MaLinda Sapp was Administrative Pastor alongside Marvin Sapp at their church, Lighthouse Full Life Center Church in Grand Rapids, MI. According to MaLinda's bio she was a limited licensed psychologist, licensed professional counselor and served as a college professor. She also served as manager for Marvin Sapp and had Executive Producer credits on many of his audio and video recordings.

Full article here.

God no longer male, Scottish Episcopal Church rules

As a former Anglican/Episcopal it has saddened and dismayed me for years to watch as Anglican churches as a whole, with some exceptions, have descended further and further into apostasy, particularly on the issue of dealing with homosexuality. 

However, now we're beginning to see more descent into doctrinal depravity as the Scottish Episcopal Church has decided to neutralize God's male-ness, and remove all male references to God in their worship. 

This is just political correctness run amok, being perpetrated by people who clearly do not know God or His word. Only God knows what will be the next step the Episcopals -- and the other mainline denominations-- will take next as they continue to lurch headlong into more and more error.


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From: Telegraph.co.uk 

A new order of service produced by the Scottish Episcopal Church has caused controversy by removing masculine references to God.

The new form of worship, which removes words such as "Lord, he, his, him" and "mankind" from services, has been written by the church in an attempt to acknowledge that God is "beyond human gender".

Episcopalian bishops have approved the introduction of more "inclusive" language, which deliberately removes references suggesting that God is of male gender.

Traditionalists have criticised the changes on the grounds that they smack of political correctness and because they believe they are not consistent with the teachings of the Bible. The alterations have been made to provide an alternative to the established 1982 Liturgy, which, like the Bible, refers to God as a man.

The new order of service, which can be used by priests if they have difficulties with a male God, has been produced by the church's Liturgy Committee in consultation with the Faith & Order Board of General Synod and the College of Bishops.

The controversial changes were discussed at the church's General Synod recently. The minutes of the synod reveal that female priests had asked why God was still referred to as a man.
The altered version of the 1982 Liturgy sees masculine pronouns removed when they refer to God and the new approach has even been extended to humans. For example, the word "mankind" has been taken out and replaced with "world".

Full article here: