Georgia

Two men are finally speaking out about their homosexual experiences with Bishop Eddie Long, even though it could mean losing millions in settlement money.

Jamal Parris and Spencer LeGrande, two of the four men who accused Long of luring them into a sexual relationship, are breaking their silence despite promises to remain quiet after settling their lawsuit against the megachurch pastor out of court earlier in May.

Long had purportedly given the young men cash payments in exchange for their silence, hoping to put the matter behind him. more >>

Bishop Eddie Long said he wanted to run his Atlanta megachurch “without distractions” after two of the four youngsters who accused him of luring them into homosexual sex acts declared they were writing a book about their experiences although they had withdrawn all lawsuits.

“Unfortunately, we are in the media again and people are wondering what I am going to say,” Eddie Long, senior pastor at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, Ga., said in a statement Thursday. “All I have to say is what we stated earlier. All parties involved decided to resolve the civil cases out of court. The decision was made to bring closure to this matter and allow us to move forward with the plans God has for this ministry.”

Long’s statement came a day after two of the accusers, who withdrew their lawsuits in May as part of a settlement deal, told Atlanta’s SWB-TV that they were writing a book to express what they had been through and to warn others. more >>

A group of pro-life activists launched a billboard campaign to voice what its members see as a failure on the part of African-American leaders to address the rate of abortions among black Americans.

"Something is wrong," says Catherine Davis, president of the Restoration Project located in Georgia, "when those elected to protect the interests of their constituents turn a blind eye to the horrific impact that abortion is wreaking on the black community."

Davis and a handful of other pro-life groups, have put their support behind a billboard campaign called "Betrayed," which calls on African-American politicians to take a serious look at the rate of abortions among black Americans. more >>

The Rev. Dr. Howard W. Creecy Jr., the leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, was remembered for his spirituality and his impact on people’s lives as civil rights leaders, friends and family gathered at his funeral in Atlanta Saturday.

Among the hundreds of mourners at Jackson Memorial Baptist Church was former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young, who urged the gathering to “celebrate the wonderful spirit of this spiritual giant that we all love,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Saturday.

Young’s statement as well as that of other dignitaries, friends and colleagues showed that Creecy, pastor of the Olivet Baptist Church in Fayetteville, was a man of relationships. more >>

Bishop Eddie Long, who recently avoided trial in a sexual misconduct case against him, could be called to testify about a break into his office at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church if a burglary case goes to trial.

Anthony Boyd, who formerly worked at the Atlanta megachurch as a security guard, is accused of breaking into Long's office on June 12, 2010 and stealing $100,000 worth of jewelry and electronics, including an iPad and iPhone. On Tuesday, he appeared with his lawyer David Fife in court to enter a not guilty plea to the burglary charges.

Fife said that if the case goes to trial, which he expects it to, Long will likely be called to the stand. more >>

Bishop Paul S. Morton, founder of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship that ordained Eddie Long as Bishop, has openly rebuked the Atlanta megachurch pastor and called him to repent of any sins committed in sexual coercion lawsuits that were settled last month.

In a Sunday sermon that was posted online earlier this week, Morton called on Long to apologize to his church, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, and those who have stood with him.

"If you have repented, show me some signs. Show me some humility. You can't just come and tell me nothing. Tell me something. Those that have stood with you, tell us something. Tell your church something," Morton told his congregation, Changing A Generation Full Gospel Baptist Church, which is located just 28 miles away from Long's church, on June 19. more >>