The Bishop Eddie Long Gay Scandal That ROCKED the Church

[Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] before we jump into today's video we got to give you a little reminder in case you forgot our snacks aome snacks they're busting from heaven above with jur G Licorice and nuts are snacks aome snacks now turn to your neighbor and say neighbor scoop me up something to munch on at R RG snacks.com our online concession stand that has an assortment of beef and bacon jerky gummy sour bears and blue raspberry licorice for you to enjoy while watching our videos or in church girl you got to have church candy at church everybody got church candy we wanted to ask you about Bishop Eddie long oh oh no cont come here can we just talk to you for a second Eddie Lee long was born on May 12th 1953 a damn Taurus I knew it I knew it he was raised in Charlotte North Carolina by his parents Reverend Floyd imong and hady long after graduating from North Carolina Central University where he received his bachelor's degree in business Administration he worked as a sales rep for Ford Motor Company according to the New York Times he was fired over inaccuracies that were listed on his expense accounts even and scheming he moved to Atlanta to study Theology and became the pastor of a small Church in 1981 he married a woman named debara Houston according to court docks obtained by several media Outlets she accused him of cruel treatment and was afraid of his violent and and vicious temper he allegedly put his hands on her during their marriage including when she was 7 and 1/2 months pregnant with their son Edward after a few years of marriage they separated and Eddie filed for divorce their divorce was finalized in 1985 and she was awarded custody of their son while Eddie received visitation rights every other weekend in 1987 he became the senior pastor at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church 3 years later he married a woman named Vanessa and they went on to have three children New Birth sits on a massive 240 acre complex just outside of Atlanta as the head of the church Bishop long was known for his blend of social conservatism materialistic worship and anti-gay rhetoric his sermons became televised in over 170 countries and he routinely met with celebrities and political leaders just like Bishop TD Jake whom we covered in a previous video Bishop long preached the Prosperity Gospel also called name it and claim it a style of preaching that states the power of the Holy Spirit can be put to use for whatever the believer wants and that God blesses those he favors with material wealth and health his message that God wants people to prosper attracted celebrities professional athletes and social lights according to the New York Times people affectionately call the church Club New Birth because it attracted so many young black singles who were looking to hook up oop I mean looking to link up and go to Bible study to together turn to First Corinthians and open them legs Bishop long built a religious and financial Empire from scratch and the church went on to include a multi-million dollar network of Charities and businesses a private school and a health and fitness center where he would work out with young men in his congregation y'all remember them selfies with them tight ass shirts he be wearing nipples just all out in the pool pit I used to get on my damn nerves so bad he drove a 350,000 Bentley and in 2005 he bought a $1.1 million home for his family he was frequently seen in gold necklaces Rolex watches and spandex shirts to show off his bulging muscles see I told you tick old bitties with the increased attention on his church the media began looking more closely at his finances a writer for the Atlanta Journal Constitution discovered the bishop received up to $3 million from the church and its Charities over a threeyear time period when asked about the payments the bishop defiantly responded we're not just a church we're an international corporation I Pastor a multi-million doll congregation okay Bishop chill out now dang by 1999 his Atlanta mega church had reached 25,000 members he had been invited to the White House and built a global television Ministry he believed it was his special calling to reach out to men and he wrote several books including one called Gladiator the strength of a man that teaches men how to be Warriors for God but apparently there was something weighing heavy on the bishop CNN reported that when a visitor was invited to write about the pressures of being a high-profile Pastor Bishop long responded you don't want any of this you don't want any of this any of what Bishop hell he talking about to his congregation he could do no wrong but others began to notice the problematic side of the bishop it's unsurprising that he leaned on the Bible as to why he denounced homosexuality however Bishop long was loud and bold in his condemnation of the lgbtq community my Grandmama used to say a hit dog a holla every time he created a Ministry to help deliver people from homosexuality and in 2004 he led the reigniting the Legacy March alongside Dr Martin Luther King Jr's daughter Reverend Bernice King who was an elder at New Birth Church the main goal of the March was to promote a constant constitutional amendment to protect marriage between one man and one woman the bishop also called for a national ban on gay marriage the March began after Dr King's Daughter lit a torch at her father's grave and passed it on to Bishop long who carried it on the twm March through the city Dr King say now why am I in it now you're probably wondering why they chose to meet at Dr King's grave site well this is where things get complicated for decades conservatives have attempted to sanitize Dr King's Legacy in order to fit right-wing agendas I think when you get to a point for example where one School uh in Washington state wanted to have a day where no whites were allowed on campus that's the opposite of Dr King shut your one of the first leaders to invoke Dr King's message in support of conservative ideas was former US President Ronald Reagan what you do girl according to CNN Reagan cited Dr King's content of our character line from his I Have a Dream speech to to argue that affirmative action and racial hiring quotas aren't needed in Dr King's vision of a colorblind Society your ass nobody as Ronald Reagan nothing quote somebody white quote somebody white Ronald conservatives have also argued that Dr King believed in a fixed moral law Traditional Values and traditional families based on misconstrued excerpts from Dr King's letter from Birmingham Jail however Dr King never rebuked homosexuality and his widow ketta Scott King publicly Den anounced homophobia boom so to sum things up a writer for NPR stated that Bishop Long's decision to begin his anti-gay March at Dr King's grave site was nothing more than a right-wing misappropriation of Dr King's Legacy in an attempt to deepen political wedges between black people and the lgbtq community the Southern Poverty Law Center which tracks hate groups called Bishop long one of the most virulently homophobic black leaders in the religiously based anti-gay movement the center also quoted one of Bishop Long's sermons called Back to the Future the sermon goes a little something like this take your time take your time it's the most unattractive thing I have ever seen when I see women wearing uniforms that men would wear and women fighting to get in the military Hallelujah the woman gets perverted to turn towards woman and everybody knows it's dangerous to enter and exit God says you deserve death [Applause] damn reach on it now hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah in his book I don't want Delilah I need you Bishop long even blamed some women for turning men into homosexuals I know you're lying now how we catch a straight one year Bishop long extended an invitation to gays and lesbians looking for a pure to attend a conference at his church to help deliver them from their unwanted desires did he go huh he probably need to sign up himself you need to be the first one at the registration table when ketta Scott King passed away in 2006 her memorial service was held at Bishop Long's church I know she didn't agree to that because of Bishop Long's teachings several people refused to attend the service those who supported him continued focusing on his positive attributes he gave cars and money to Strang at church services he built Ministries to help the poor AIDS patients and young people and he talked proudly about being young men's spiritual daddy oh here we go I think you meant zaddy zaddy he even paid some men's college tuition including Pastor Jamal Bryant wait hold up now I told you zaddy I told you after his parents returned to Georgia after serving as am missionaries in Africa Pastor Bryant claimed his parents didn't have enough money to pay for his education Bishop long came to the rescue to help them out Pastor Bryant announced during a Church sermon I am eternally grateful for him making that deposit and that impact in my life deposit with absolutely no Fanfare he never announced it from his pool pit over a microphone even to this day Bishop long purchased business suits for young men played basketball with them and lifted weights with them he once told the AJC that mothers at his church even trusted him enough to bring their badass teenage boys to him for some paddling paddling huh wait a minute now why didn't them Mas just whoop their asses at the house that don't seem strange to y'all this don't feel right Bishop long said when I say bend over even on Sunday they bend over Fix It Jesus the bishop stepped up to be a father figure to black boys who were lacking that parental figure but did he have Superior motives you betcha allegedly as he continued being laser focused on the lgbtq community critics wondered why he was so stuck on that agenda why wasn't the bishop addressing other things in the black community such as racism colorism and gang violence why the hell did he see homosexuality as such a threat to Black Americans well it all boiled down to Bishop Long's pinent for paring right-wing propaganda here we go again here we go Bishop long and other black pastors appear to take cues from conservative media outlets and Conservative Christian organizations for example the late Lewis Sheldon who was the chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition sat on Tucker Carlson's show in 2006 and called homosexuality the biggest problem facing inner city black neighborhoods why you say that leis you ain't got nothing else to talk about Louis but should anti-gay pastors take all the blame absolutely not Bishop long was preaching to a segment of the black population who agreed with every word that came out of his mouth on one hand black Americans are more likely to support anti-discrimination legislation however they are more likely than any other group to disapprove of homosexuality and why is this well it all boils down to the Deep level of religious conviction that has been passed down from generation to generation in black families according to recent studies black Americans have the highest religious engagement of of any group of Americans and nearly half of all black Americans say they attend church at least weekly and yep that's where they are more likely to hear anti-gay sermons absolutely fed up with black preachers who had it out for the lgbtq community activists Keith boyin and Jasmine KCK kicked off a five-part series called outing black pastors L this is getting messy in the series Keith and Jasmine wondered if Bishop TD Jake Bishop Eddie Long and other black pastors were constantly condemning gay people because they themselves were struggling with their own sexual orientation Keith and jasman started soliciting information about the pastor's private lives in order to prove their Theory they were able to collect uncorroborated tips but were unable to obtain any solid information to confirm if the Bishops were gay but apparently they were on to something allegedly in 2009 Bishop long was done with the negative images he was witnessing on TV and film so he partnered with Robert Townsen to form Bell toown productions their plan was to produce films TV shows and mobile content that was uplifting and positive but before they could get the ball really going God said Bishop long you got some explaining to do I cannot get the sound of his voice out of my head and I cannot forget the smell of his cologne and I cannot forget the way way that he made me cry many nights when I drove in his cars on the way home not able to take enough showers to wipe the smell of him off of my body in September 2010 four men claimed the bishop used his position as their spiritual Daddy to coerce them into sexual relationships I was 14 when I moved to Atlanta take my number down call me me I'm 14 years old I'm new to the state you're I can't like what do we got to talk about when I got in trouble at school I called him and the next day the teacher was actually saying can I keep my job I apologize that's how I actually got caught up into it let me just do everything the church do let me do everything he say do because I want to be like that you got that much power the men stated Bishop long used a private spiritual ceremony to Mark a covenant between them one of the men said the bishop would even cite scripture to justify their relationship the men claimed they were teenagers when they joined the Bishop's church when the the alleged incident started three of them were older than 18 and one said he was 17 they alleged that the bishop encouraged them to join the church's Elite youth group so he could groom them for intimate acts in exchange for money new cars housing and exotic trips jewelry and electronics Bishop long was accused of taking them on overnight trips where they shared a bedroom and engaged in Intimate acts What trapped us was you know we were just addicted to the lifestyle we we was addicted to the love that we got cuz I was I didn't have a dad my whole life I I I was I was I was fatherless and to have a man love me just for who I was I just had to be me I just had to to love him back and the gifts kept pouring in as long as they continued to follow their Master now the parents didn't think this was strange that these little boys was coming home with all this money and gifts and cuse one of the men told CBS news that the pastor wanted intimate acts per performed at his house in hotels in condos and in the church before and after service the bishop also sent him suggestive photos of himself in spandex workout clo and expected to receive pictures in return one of the men stated that when some of them found girlfriends the bishop would attempt to block those relationships by increased contact and spiritual talk about the Covenant between the spiritual son and himself so yeah the married Pastor who preached so passionately against homosexuality was allegedly on the down low the entire time did he have so many terrible things to say about the lgbtq community because he was battling his own demons some people completely wrote him off for allegedly taking advantage of young black boys who were seeking love and guidance from a father figure but since his church was independent he didn't have to answer to anyone however a writer for CNN encouraged him to sit himself down which is a term used in the Christian church that means he needed to stop his ministerial duties to protect the Integrity of the word of God sit your ass down instead of sitting himself down he addressed his congregation a few days after the allegations were made public he said he would continue leading the church and would fight the allegations he also turned to biblical terms to portray himself as an underdog he said I feel like David against Goliath but I got five rocks and I haven't found one yet stop lying amen Pastor sit your ass down Hallelujah God is stop lying sit your ass down a fifth accuser later came forward and revealed he had the bishop's name tattooed on his wrists along with the words never a mistake always a lesson he was included in the case when the bishop settled the lawsuit in May 2011 for an undisclosed amount since it was a civil case he didn't have to admit guilt so why did you settle the case the the old gambling song got know when to hold it no when to fold it no when to walk away so I had to make a decision to save me save my family and save the church Bishop long went from declaring he would fight the allegations to throwing in the towel and still his supporters continue to think highly of him and they turned a blind eye to the allegations a woman named Camilia Hinson told told to AJC that the settlement hadn't shaken her faith she added it doesn't make me think he's guilty or anything I decided when this came out that I loved my pastor unconditionally this is what's wrong with the black church hold these Mo FES accountable hell his wife Vanessa stood by his side the entire time up until December 2011 when she filed for divorce bye ashy as much as I love my husband I couldn't take another minute pretending that I was okay after the divorce filing the bishop announced he was taking leave from the church but the same day his wife filed she changed her mind and decided to withdraw her petition damn girl you was on the right track with the case behind them the bishop had some time to reflect we took one for the team and read his final Memoir which we've Linked In Our description box thank you girl cuz I don't think I could have got through that in his book he admits that he got caught up in the trappings of being a celebrity famous people wanted to be in his presence and vice versa it fed his ego and slowly the attention was more on him than it was on Jesus after the allegations were made public none of his celebrity friends wanted to be seen with him the only person who checked up on him immediately after the Scandal was Dion Sanders Dion jumped on a flight straight to Atlanta just to tell the bishop face to face I'm here if you need me his calendar went from being completely full to completely empty he wondered if it was worth it to keep living what kept me is that every time I showed up up here you were [Applause] here he went to counseling to deal with what he called the emotional trauma he credited his wife for putting her emotional needs on hold to keep their marriage and their family intact the curse of a black woman honey we always sacrifice he had to uproot his family because the media circus in front of their home was too much and he expressed regret for ruining his daughter's senior year of high school Ninja you just [ __ ] up everything huh by February 2012 he had been hit with more lawsuits and was the subject of a senate investigation concerning whether he personally profited from his Church's tax exempt status in court transcripts long under oath has said basically Bishop Edy long Ministries is Bishop edty long and that his tax exempt nonprofit bought him this house on Hunt Valley Drive the assets that charity have to go to a charitable purpose or at the end of the life of that charity have to go to another charity records began to show that The Bishop's assets had been intertwined with the church's assets for years including the church paying $200,000 in property taxes for his private residence and $85,000 for a plane in February 2014 13 former members of his church filed a lawsuit against him law just keeps getting Messier in their lawsuit they claim the bishop introduced them to a man named Efron Taylor who the bishop described as his friend and brother during a financial seminar in October 2009 now efon just sound like a name that's a scammer don't it but let's see what they say e erfon managed to convince members of the church to invest nearly a million dollars into Ventures that were essentially non-existent see I told you it was a small piece of a gigantic Financial scheme that you can learn more about in the link in our description box although though the bishop wasn't involved in Efron's Ponzi scheme he still settled with his former church members for $1 million as for Efron well he was sentenced to 19 years behind bars for victimizing over 400 people across the US bye as the bishop popped back up at his church in July 2016 his bulging muscles had deflated and he looked frail a Blog reported he had been admitted to the hospital in Atlanta and had only been given months to live the Blogger claimed a member of The Bishop's congregation revealed that he was suffering from stage 4 gastrointestinal cancer the bishop shared a video of himself in the gym and said he was on a new diet I said to my congregation I'm going to live to be 100 years old maybe add a few more years but you know what I wasn't going to get there stopping by Popeyes in August 2016 he admitted he was recovering from a health challenge but he believed God would deliver him from his ailment Kim barell with her messy self stated The Bishop's illness was a result of his choices 5 months later Bishop long passed away at the age of 63 his church confirmed that cancer was the cause of his passing at his service his son Edward who was a minister at New Birth at the time acknowledged that he knew not everyone was there to mourn he knew a lot of people showed up just to make sure Bishop long was really in the casket Edward also extended forgiveness to the people who spoke against his father despite transitioning the IRS wasn't done with the Longs in July 2017 they were hit with a tax bill totaling a little over $300,000 and what happened to New Birth after the bishop passed away well the church was in shambles debts totaled about $30 million and membership dropped from 25,000 parishioners to about 8,000 bye Ash the church was built heavily around its charismatic leader and it's kind of hard to teach about the Prosperity Gospel and the belief that God rewards the faithful with wealth and health when The Bishop's Health failed him in his final years Bishop Steven A Davis who called Bishop long his spiritual father was announced as the church's new pastor but after just 16 months on the job Bishop Davis resigned and revealed he left the congregation because of the politics of corrupt leaders he described as fools oh L here we go here we go in a cryptic announcement during a Facebook live broadcast Bishop Davis explained how he worked for free the entire time he led the church after Bishop Long's death for free where they do that at he also stated he paid for his own housing and even gave the long family $3,500 a month to pay for one of The Bishop's condos he also said he gave the long family $85,000 all while still giving the church tithes every month oh he got money is he single girl I can be his first lady okay I look good in hats in November 2018 it was announced that Pastor Jamal Bryant was replacing Bishop Davis when Pastor Bryant opened the doors of the church to new and returning members in December 2018 he announced they could use cash app and credit card swipers to make offerings how about I offer you my foot up your ass how about that take this sweaty ass $1 bill and get your ass on following the news that Pastor Bryant would be taking over Bishop Long's son Edward took to the pull pit at New Birth and revealed the pain of being repeatedly overlooked as his father's successor according to Christian Post webbsite Edward said that everyone expected him to fill the role that his dad left vacant however church leaders kept going in a different direction they don't want no more Longs in the pull pit okay you a long way off from ever being in that pool pit okay blame your daddy he [ __ ] it up for everybody sure did as of this video we can confirm that Edward is no longer with New Birth Church following his passing people continu to mock Bishop Long's life and death death but not everyone chooses to focus on the scandalous aspects of his life a writer for huff post wrote as for me Bishop long will always be remembered as the gifted charismatic and complex preacher who did a lot of good and built a mega influential Ministry but tragically ended up getting drunk off the wine of his own power and influence and in 2022 Usher revealed he attended New Birth as a child Lord he got Usher too oh l oh l not Usher Usher said Bishop long would always say watch this watch this during his sermons now watch this I got to read this I got to read this now watch this please hear this please hear this watch this watch this Usher then thank the bishop for inspiring him to say the words watch this on his hit song Confessions Part Two well damn now I can't listen to confessions no more damn based on his final Memoir Bishop long made right with God before his passing but some people are still torn on how to grieve the passing of someone who was so problematic a writer at unfit Christian said it best we should still choose Grace and in no way shape or form does grace mean a denial of truth I simply choose to accept that Bishop long was complex flawed and human because of that it is okay that we express a range of emotions towards his legacy if you enjoyed this video let us know down below and thanks for watching a [Music] G

Channel: RRG

Views: 501,212

Keywords: realrealitygossip, real reality gossip, rrg, Eddie long, bishop long, bishop eddie long, new birth, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, vanessa long, edward long, bishop stephen davis, usher, deion sanders, what happened to eddie long, eddie long sequence, new birth pastor, pastor jamal bryant, what happened to new birth after bishop eddie long

Id: 6QJjHWF5_h8

Length: 27min 39sec (1659 seconds)

Published: Sun Jan 07 2024