Funeral held for megachurch pastor Eddie Long
Thousands of mourners, among them a former governor and an NFL Hall of Famer, came together Wednesday to say a final farewell to Eddie Long, a fiery preacher renowned for building a Georgia megachurch but whose final years were marred by sexual misconduct allegations.
Long, 63, was senior pastor at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in suburban Lithonia, about 19 miles east of Atlanta. He died on January 15 after battling cancer.
The funeral service, which began at 10.30am, concluded at around 4pm.
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Homecoming: Mourners arrive for a service to celebrate the life of Eddie Long, senior pastor at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church on Wednesday in Lithonia, Georgia
Standing room only: Thousands of people filled the main sanctuary, which sits 6,500, to capacity
Dead: Bishop Eddie Long died of cancer on January 15. He had preached anti-gay sentiment and encouraged tithes of 10 per cent to his parishioners in a wealthy Georgia community
'This man taught me how to face adversity, this man taught me how to stand in the midst of the storm,' former NFL player Deion Sanders said during the memorial. 'This man taught me so much of how to even be a man.'
Former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes recalled Long as a friend and confidant who was 'a force of nature,' The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
Global United Fellowship’s Bishop Neil C. Ellis of Nassau, The Bahamas, delivered the eulogy, praising Long as 'one of the 21st century generals of the kingdom of God.'
The funeral at the church, which was filled to capacity, was attended by the deceased bishop's family, including his wife, Vanessa, sons Edward, Jared and Eric, and daughter Taylor.
Long's grandson, also named Eric, delivered a touching and funny message, thanking the late preacher for giving him money, toys and taking him to school every day.
'I love you, big daddy,' the boy said. 'I hope you rest in peace.'
Long had been the church's senior pastor since 1987, and oversaw its explosive growth. Its membership soared from a modest 300 to 25,000 to become one of the largest congregations in the United States.
The church operated television and international ministries, and built satellite churches in several cities, including Miami, Denver, and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Strong words: Long was eulogized as 'one of the 21st century generals of the kingdom of God'
Long was known for preaching and practicing a 'prosperity gospel' in which the faithful would be rewarded with wealth
Two young mourners are pictured in the audience during Bishop Long's five-hour funeral service on Wednesday
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ShareLong, who was also an author and gospel singer, was known for preaching and practicing a 'prosperity gospel' in which the faithful would be rewarded with wealth, and encouraged worshipers to pay the church tithes of 10 per cent.
The bishop also stirred controversy by preaching the possibility of gay conversion.
In 2010, four young men filed lawsuits accusing Long, a married father and grandfather, of sexual misconduct. Lawyers for the four accused Long of seducing them into sexual relationships in exchange for trips, clothes and cars.
Two of the men accused Long of grooming them for sexual relationships through the church's LongFellows Youth Academy. The other two, one of whom attended a satellite church in Charlotte, made similar allegations in the legal cases.
A fifth teen later came forward accusing the preacher of sexual exploitation.
Mourning: Hundreds packed out the church to bid farewell to the controversial pastor
Long settled the cases out of court for an undisclosed amount and never admitted any wrongdoing.
As details of the lawsuits became known, some members of New Birth changed their opinion of Long. But many others continued to rally around their charismatic leader.
At Wednesday's service, Sanders defended Long, calling him brave, courageous and 'full of faith until the very end.'
'This man is real and just perhaps, perhaps, perhaps all the media, all the naysayers, all the doubters, perhaps, perhaps you were wrong about this man,' Sanders said.
Although she remained married to him until the end, his second wife, Vanessa, temporarily filed for divorce from the pastor in 2011 after stories emerged about him having slept with a succession of teenage boys.
Maurice Robinson, Anthony Flagg, Jamal Parris and Spencer LeGrande all filed separate lawsuits in 2010 and 2011, accusing Long of having used his position as a pastor to coerce them into having sex with him.
A fifth accuser, Centino Kemp, was later named in the press.
Robinson's suit alleged that Long had indoctrinated him into a group known as his 'Spiritual Sons', who were ferried around the world in jets with the pastor and given the chance to meet celebrities.
Accused: In 2010 and 2011 he was accused of grooming and sexually exploiting a number of teens, including (l-r) Maurice Robinson, Anthony Flagg and Jamal Parris
'Abused': Spencer LeGrande (left) was the fourth of the boys to initially come forward. Centino Kemp (right) was later identified as the fifth. Long settled out of court for a rumored $15m
They were also encouraged to have sex with him, according to Long's interpretation of scripture, CNN reported in 2010.
This came despite Long's claims that gay people could be converted to heterosexuality through faith in god, and repeated campaigns fighting gay marriage.
Flagg's suit accused Long of having taken part in a spiritual 'covenant' with him.
'It was essentially a marriage ceremony, with candles, exchange of jewelry, and biblical quotes,' Flagg's lawyer, BJ Bernstein, said at the time.
'The bishop [told] him I will always have your back and you will always have mine.'
Robinson's suit claimed that Long had taken him to Auckland, New Zealand, for his 18th birthday, and there they had engaged in oral sex.
The matter allegedly emerged after Robinson discovered that he was not the only 'Spritual Son', and broke into Long's office, stealing $1,300 of possessions in retaliation before being caught by police.
Vanessa Long removed the petition for divorce, and a spokesman for the bishop denied the claims, calling it a 'case of retaliation and a shakedown for money by men with some serious credibility issues.'
Famous: Long (seen here in 2006) was a celebrated and famous preacher and televangelist prior to the shocking claims. He had said that it was possible to make gay people straight
Long 'categorically and adamantly denies these allegations,' the spokesman said.
Nevertheless, Long eventually settled out of court in May 2011 for a figure estimated by some to be in the region of $15million.
Separated: Long's second wife, Vanessa (left) petitioned for divorce in 2011 after the rumors about sexual abuse came out against the pastor. However, she took the petition back and stayed married to him
Former DeKalb County Prosecutor J Tom Morgan told CBS News that he thought 'they had to reach a settlement if they did not want any statement by the bishop on record.'
Long, who preached that faith in god would make people rich, also faced accusations about his acquisition of money during his career.
In 2005 the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that from 1997-2000, Long received more than $3.07 million from his non-profit charity, Bishop Eddie Long Ministries Inc.
In 2007, an investigation was launched into the tax-exempt status of his ministries. Long did not cooperate with investigators and it concluded without any findings of wrongdoing.
Long's failing health was noted in August last year, after video emerged showing the formerly bulky and muscular pastor looking frail and emaciated.
Rumors began to swirl that he might have cancer, but Long said his weight loss was just down to his new vegan lifestyle. In September 2016 he said he was recovering from an unspecified illness.
'Bishop Long was known as one of the most influential faith leaders in the world. He stood strong as a Kingdom Builder, pioneering leader, and revolutionary mind changer,' the church said in a statement in the wake of his passing.
'Long was a family man and spiritual leader who was well respected and loved for his passion to unapologetically and courageously preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.'
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