Eddie Long

Eddie Lee Long (May 12, 1953 – January 15, 2017) was an American pastor who served as the senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, a megachurch in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, from 1987 until his death in 2017.

When Long started as pastor for New Birth Church, there were 300 church members, which grew to 25,000.

During this time, Long was a subject of a Senate investigation, concerning whether he personally profited from his church's tax-exempt status, which eventually ended without a finding of wrongdoing.

Also, civil lawsuits were filed against him alleging sexual abuse of underage male members of his parish.

Long denied wrongdoing through his attorneys, and privately settled the lawsuits out of court, for undisclosed amounts.

Long was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 12, 1953, the son of the Rev. Floyd M. Long, Jr. and Hattie Long.

He attended North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina, where he received a bachelor's degree in Business Administration in 1977.

Long then worked as a factory sales representative for the Ford Motor Corporation.

He was fired after he submitted expense reports that included personal telephone calls.

Long claimed to hold a doctorate in "Pastoral Ministry" from the unaccredited International College of Excellence, which is not recognized by either the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or United States Department of Education, the two institutions responsible for recognizing educational accrediting institutions in the United States

Following his dismissal from Ford, he moved to Atlanta to study theology and became the pastor of a small Cedartown, Georgia church.

Long married Dabara S. Houston in 1981.

They were divorced in 1985.

The couple have a son, Edward Long.

Houston said she was the victim of "cruel treatment" and was afraid of Long's "violent and vicious temper," according to Fulton County Superior Court records.

She and her son allegedly "had to flee the couple's Fairburn home in order to ensure their safety".

Long vigorously denied the allegations and in 1985 Houston was awarded custody of the then 2-year-old son.

In 1987, he became the pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, which at the time had around 300 members.

Under Long, membership grew to 25,000.

The church may be considered part of the Bapticostal movement.

Long married Vanessa Griffin in 1990.

In 1994, Long was given the title "bishop" in the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, a group of black Baptist churches that embraced charismatic practices.

Long's sermons, writings and teachings emphasize a "chain of command" between certain superiors and subordinates characterized by "respect, submission and obedience".

Long saw the first link in the chain as being a man choosing to be respectful, submissive and obedient to God.

A woman chooses to be respectful, submissive and obedient to her father or husband.

To live otherwise is to be outside of the divinely established order, and will result in the loss of spiritual and natural benefits.

Long was considered a preacher of the prosperity gospel who taught that his followers would be blessed with material wealth.

In 2006, Long was chosen by the family of Martin Luther King Jr. to host and officiate the funeral of Coretta Scott King, wife of the late civil rights movement pioneer.

The event was attended by four Presidents, Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

Long was a prominent supporter of George W. Bush's faith-based initiatives.

His ministry received a million dollar grant from the U.S. Administration for Children & Families.

Rev. Timothy McDonald suggested a link between Long's anti-gay activity and the grant saying "If you look at the black pastors who have come out with the faith-based money, they're the same ones who have come out with campaigns on the gay marriage issue."

In 2008, he ended its partnership with the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship.

In 2008, Long donated $1 million to his alma mater, North Carolina Central University, to establish a professorship in his name, saying "I am making (the donation) from my own personal income," which comes from various real estate ventures and royalties from his books.

After he was accused of sexually molesting young fatherless boys in the church, she filed for divorce in December 2011.

On the same day New Birth's public relations firm claimed that she had rethought her decision and would withdraw her petition: "Upon further prayerful reflection Vanessa Long is withdrawing the divorce petition."

However Griffin's attorneys later confirmed that she would continue with the divorce.

In response, Long stated that he would be taking a leave of absence from his ministry in an attempt to save his marriage, and that "he needed time to take care of 'some family business.'" Later that month, New Birth Christian Academy, founded by Long, announced it was closing due to lack of donations and "sending hundreds of students scrambling to find a new school by the following week", in the wake of Long's marital and sexual problems.

On January 31, 2012, a video was released depicting a ceremony at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church wherein Messianic Jewish preacher Ralph Messer presented a Torah scroll to Long, wrapped him in it, and symbolically elevated him to a position of spiritual kingship before a cheering congregation.

Some Jewish leaders objected and characterized the ceremony as disrespectful to the Jewish faith and traditions.