Eddie Long Saga Continues... Creflo Dollar Jumps Into the Mix. (He shouldnt have)

I thought I was done with the Eddie Long story. I really did. I wanted to be done with it. I really did. But here we go again. This story isn’t quite done.  I figured there’d be an epilogue to this story at some point, but I didn’t expect to see it so soon. It now turns out Rev Creflo Dollar, Pastor of World Changers Church here in Atlanta, has jumped in with his two cents. Frankly, I think he should have kept his two cents in his pocket.

I’ve never been a fan of Creflo Dollar, although I’ve never gone out of my way to speak him. As a matter of fact, Im pretty sure this is the first time I’ve had an on this blog that focused on him or even mentioned him.  I’ve personally had some issues with Creflo Dollar for some fairly outrageous statements he’s made in times past. But my respect for him has diminished even further now that he’s decided to speak out in support of Bishop Eddie Wrong/ Long, telling people at his church who came from New Birth Ministries that they need to go back to Eddie Long’s church. Insane. Simply insane.

Dollar repeatedly refers to Eddie Long's deeds as a wreck. But being an adulterer, homo/bisexual predator, and liar who covers up his misdeeds and pays off his accusers is not having “a wreck”! To simply refer to all that as a wreck is to trivialize the serious nature of the transgressions in question here. God only knows the spiritual damage this whole ordeal has inflicted upon thousands of New Birth members and former members.

However, Mr. Dollar is almost making it seem like those who’ve left the poisonous spiritual atmosphere at Eddie Long’s church are the ones who’re wrong… rather than Eddie Long himself.

“If you from that church that you know what I’m talkin’ bout and you tryin’ to join here I don’t want you here! That is my friend! That is my brother in the Lord! And if you came from there, you get on back over there where you s’posed to be and do what you s’posed to be doin’!”"

Really? Defending your “friend” is more important than looking out for those who’ve been damaged by this shady behavior??

In case Creflo Dollar (or his defenders) is missing the point, let me make this clear. Pastors have constant access to children and young people. And many of the parents in at New Birth, especially single mothers of sons, considered it a good thing that Eddie Long took a special interest n their sons. Now many of them are horrified to think of what Bishop Long did, orr may have done, to their child. It's about potential child abuse! Why's it so hard for people to see that that's the whole point here?  If a pastor is questionable when it comes to his possible sexual interactions with young people, that is a  big problem. I bet you Creflo Dollar wouldn't feel comfortable having his son doing a sleepover over at Eddie Long's house; I can guarantee you that. 

Sure. Blame those who feel like they need to leave an unhealthy spiritual environment, Creflo. Focus on them rather than on Eddie Long’s shady behavior. Real smart. 

Two words for you, Creflo: NOT. HELPING!

Eddie Long... Thoughts On The Aftermath

 

Well, I’ve been away for a while, bogged down by some business-related commitments that have kept me away from the blog. It’s good to be back, and I’m ready to jump back on the horse again, so to speak.

The Eddie Long settlement story has been out for about ten days now, and in today’s fast moving news cycle that’s kind of a long time. However, since I’ve had a lot to say about this case from the beginning (see here, here, here, and here) I figured I’d at least have some concluding thoughts on this matter before I blog about some other stuff in the days and weeks to come.

As I’ve mentioned previously on this blog, I’ve been fully convinced of Eddie Long’s homo-dealings for a while, being made aware of his extra-curricular shenanigans long before these accusations became public last year. If I was 100 percent sure he was guilty then, I’ve become 150 percent sure now, based on:

 1) his actions since the accusations became public, which to me are not the actions of an innocent man, but of a guilty man trying hard to make sure the truth doesn’t come out, and…

 2) other information I’ve been made aware of concerning Long and his down-low dirt,  -- and I’m talking about stuff that doesn’t even involve these four men who accused him.  Part of me wishes I could say more on that, because there’s a part of me that really, really wants to see this man exposed. All I’ll say on that is, Eddie’s dirt has been known here in Atlanta for a while, and he’d better hope no more of his dirt goes public.

Long would have been vindicated by the truth if he had nothing to hide. But paying off an accuser only conceals the truth. Why would an innocent man pay money to someone who has supposedly spread lies about him? Essentially he’d be rewarding liars and scoundrels. That by itself would be ungodly and unprincipled, since a true prophet of God would wait for the Lord to vindicate him.

David waited, while he was subject to persecution by Saul and other enemies, and he was vindicated by God. Of course, we know about Daniel and the lion’s den. God vindicated Daniel too, and caused his enemies to be destroyed. Joseph was thrown into an Egyptian prison over a false accusation, but God delivered him and elevated him to become the governor of Egypt. 

Indeed ,God says touch not my anointed, and do my prophets no harm (Psalm 105:15). If Eddie Long was this mighty and holy prophet of God. as his supporters have claimed for so long, he would have let this go to open court, let the accusers testify, given his supposedly truthful side of the story, and been vindicated in court. Then he could stand on the courthouse steps after the not guilty verdict and exult, rejoicing in this great victory delivered unto him by his God.

Of course that never happened, because Long, who famously claimed he had five stones and was getting ready to use them, decided to drop the stones and reach for the checkbook instead.

In reality, Eddie Long didn’t have any stones to throw. He knew it, and those of us who know about Eddie’s dirt knew it too. Long knew full well that there were people who could provide damaging testimony in court if they were every called to the witness stand. Therefore this case was never going to get to a court of law. Never.  I’ve been saying that from the very beginning.

These men accuse him of being an adulterer, liar, and homosexual/bisexual predator… and he ends up agreeing to pay them money??!!! Really?

No true prophet of God pays hush money to those who are making false accusations against him. None. It just doesn’t happen. What we’ve seen here is just damage control plain and simple.

Furthermore, do church members want their money to be paying off [supposedly] false accusers? No. Even if, as it’s believed, the bulk of the reported multi-million dollar settlement is paid by insurance money, that would still normally cause the insurance company to increase the church’s future insurance premiums – causing the church members to be paying more over time to offset the significant payout being given to these supposed liars. Would church members want that? Of course not. And no shepherd would want that for his flock either. Either way, it’s an increased financial burden on the church. Why would an innocent “man of God” even want his church to take a financial hit over some scurrilous false accusations that damaged his reputation and dragged the church’s name through the mud? (Maybe because the accusations aren’t false?)

So now, money is being distributed; and confidentiality clauses are in place so both sides will just keep quiet and move on; and essentially the truth is concealed. And now it’s over. At least Eddie Long hopes it’s over. Frankly he’d better hope it really is over. Unfortunately, I personally would not be surprised if we later see another chapter in this story later on. I have rock solid reason to believe there are more than just these 4 young men that have had “dealings” with Eddie Long, so to speak. If even one more person comes out and sues, or even just tells his story to the media, then what? Will Long just say this person is lying too? Is everybody lying except Eddie? Or is Eddie the one lying?

Essentially, this man’s words have said one thing, but his actions have said another. Not only has he brought shame on himself, but his actions have put Christianity as a whole in a negative light. He's simply given the enemies of God more reason to mock Christianity and the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the end, what’s done in the darkness will come to light. Time reveals all things. I just feel bad for the sheeple at New Birth who still support this man. May God pour out a spirit of discernment on all among them who really have a heart to seek God.

Of course, at the end of the day, one can’t help but be concerned with Eddie Long’s soul. If Eddie Long is lying, as many of us are convinced he is, then he’s still got to get it right before he leaves this world. Any man who takes a lie with him to the grave and into eternity is going to have to give account for himself, and will find himself staring into the face of an angry God on that great day. At this time, Eddie Long doesn’t seem inclined to confess or repent of anything. And that could be the biggest tragedy of all in this whole story.

Eddie Long Case: Hush Money on the Way?

Well, now. I had a feeling this was going to happen.

Bishop Eddie Long had his first hearing Friday regarding his sexual coercion case brought by 4 young men. And, not surprisingly, it looks like an out of court settlement is an increasingly strong possibility in this case.

As reported by Fox 5 News Atlanta:

ATLANTA, Ga. - The first court hearing in the Bishop Eddie Long sexual misconduct case was held Friday, and the case is headed for settlement talks. Lawyers for the bishop and the four young men who have filed suits against him said they want to avoid a trial and resolve the dispute in mediation early next year.

During a status conference held Friday, lawyers for both sides gave a road map of what's going to happen throughout the case, when it's going to happen and why it's going to happen.

On the way into the courthouse, Bishop Eddie Long's attorney Craig Gillen, and the young accusers' attorney, B.J. Bernstein, had little to say. But after a short status conference, one thing was clear: Both sides were ready to resolve the case.

 Link to full story below.

My thoughts on this? Bottom line:

If an out of court settlement does take place, it would be a travesty. Eddie Long would just go on conducting “business as usual”, breathing a sigh of relief that this thing is finally put behind him. Still, he’d be damaged goods – and he should be. His “ministry” and his reputation would never be the same; and frankly, it would be fully deserved.

(Pardon me if this all sounds a bit blunt, but I’m saying this with good reason. There’s a lot that I’m not at liberty to say on this blog regarding some specifics I’m aware of. But suffice it to say that I don’t have a shred of doubt that this man is guilty… and I’ve felt this way since over a year ago, long before this case became public)

Of course, Eddie Long should hope that no other accusers come against him. Now that this talk of out-of-court settlements (read: “big checks”) is in the air, other accusers just might come out of the woodwork. Although four men have sued him so far, let’s just say “Bishop” Long is somewhat fortunate that only 4 have sued him. It actually could have been worse, and – (who knows?) – by the time this thing is all over it actually might.

Eddie Long and his gay/down-low dirt has been known here in Atlanta (and elsewhere) for some time. It hasn’t really been a huge secret. Perhaps the only person who thought his dirt was actually a secret was Eddie Long himself; if so, the man is just deluded, blinded by his sin and his own ego.

That’s why it would irk me to no end to see him dodge the proverbial bullet by settling out of court. Still, it’s in God’s hands. In the end, one thing is for sure: Eddie Long will be exposed, either in this life, or in the next. One can only hope he decides to get it right before he departs this world. But frankly, from what I’m seeing and the stance he’s taken on this so far, I’m not very optimistic. 

However, at the end of the day, Eddie Long deserves our prayers, as do the 20,000+ sheep at his church who are following a tainted shepherd.

See full article: First Hearing Held in Bishop Eddie Long Case.

Rally Calling for Bishop Eddie Long Resignation Causing Death Threats

Interesting developments.
A rally coming up this Sunday against Eddie Long is generating death threats.

The rally will take place on October 31st and is being lead by Bishop Walker from the True Light Pentecostal Church. Bishop Walker will be joined by Reuben Armstrong, the controversial talk show host and best selling author...

Reuben Armstrong has also been getting death threats for his part in promoting this rally. People have been very adamant about trying to get this rally from not taking place. No one has taken credit for these threats, they have all been anonymous to both Walker and Armstrong.

Reuben Armstrong wrote a best selling book in 2006 called, "Snakes in the Pulpit." This book came out four years before the young men brought these allegations towards Bishop Long. Armstrong's book was written after two youth pastors had reached out to Armstrong for help. They described the sexual abuse of the young men in Long's church, New Birth Ministries.

The stories about the sexual abuse of teenage boys was very similar to the charges being levied against Bishop Long today. Armstrong was met with accusations that he was just starting rumors, and no one took these allegations seriously at the time the book was published. Maybe they should have. 

Full story here 

See also. 
News Story: Pastor Gets Threats Over Calls For Long To Resign
SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- A Spartanburg pastor said he is getting death threats because he's called for another church leader's resignation...

Full story here.

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.