Bishop Eddie Long Vows to Fight Lawsuit Accusations

Long, speaking to the massive packed into the Congregation of the Atlanta-area New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, Said That "this is Probably the Most Difficult time 'of His Entire Life, But they intends to Fight the allegations against him. 

Prominent U.S. Evangelical leader Bishop Eddie Long vowed on Sunday to Fight accusations they coerced four young male Members of his passion for mega-church Sexual Relationships. 

The men filed civil lawsuits alleging Long last week used his status as Pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Thurs coerce into Relationships Them When They Were in Their late teens. 

"I'm not a perfect man But this thing I'm going to fight. I feel like David against Goliath: But I've got five rocks and I have not thrown one of Them yet," Long Told His Congregation of around 6.500 In his first public comments on the scandal. 

Long said they was "under attack," urged his church Thurs pray for him and said they Would Not Let the case be tried in the media. The church members a Gave him a standing Ovation. 

Long built his church from just 300 in 1987 Thurs Members More Than 25.000 today, Giving him a position of national prominence, Especially Within the strand of Evangelical Belief That says God intends MaterialScience Blessing for his followers. 

The church, set on a campus east of Atlanta, runs a Global Network of Ministries and businesses. It hosted the funeral in 2006 of civil rights leader Coretta Scott King. 

Plaintiffs Anthony Flagg, 21, Maurice Robinson, 20, and Jamal Parris, 23, filed lawsuits on Tuesday in DeKalb County, Georgia, seeking unspecified damages. A suit by a fourth man was added on Friday. 

"Long has a pattern and practice of singling out a select group of young male members a church and using your authority as his bishop over Them Thurs ultimately Bring Them Thurs Engage in Sexual Relationships," According to the lawsuits filed on Tuesday. 

A Spokesman for Long categorically denied the accusations in comments to the media. 

Other WHO ProMinent Protestant Pastors Have Been ensnared in Sex Scandals include Ted Haggard, the politically Influential head of a Colorado mega-church Until they was felled in 2006 by allegations of an affair with a Male Prostitute....