Eddie Long | |
---|---|
Born | Eddie Lee Long May 12, 1953 |
Died | January 15, 2017 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | (aged 63)
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | North Carolina Central University International College of Excellence |
Occupation | Pastor |
Years active | 1985–2016 |
Employer(s) | New Birth Missionary Baptist Church (1987–2017) |
Spouse(s) |
Dabara S. Houston
(m. 1981; div. 1985)Vanessa Griffin
(m. 1990; "his death" is deprecated; use "died" instead. 2017) |
Children |
|
Awards | Trumpet Award |
Eddie Lee Long (May 12, 1953 – January 15, 2017)[2] was an American pastor. He was 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 found not guilty in Senate investigations concerning whether he personally profited from his church's tax-exempt status.
Also, civil lawsuits were filed against him alleging sexual abuse of multiple underage male members of his parish. Long has denied wrongdoing through his attorneys and privately settled the lawsuits out of court for undisclosed amounts.
Long died from cancer-related causes on January 15, 2017, aged 63.