Eddie Long
Eddie Lee Long (May 12, 1953 – January 15, 2017) was an American pastor who served as the senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, a megachurch in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, from 1987 until his death in 2017.
Eddie Long | |
|---|---|
| Born | Eddie Lee Long May 12, 1953 |
| Died | January 15, 2017 (aged 63) |
| Alma mater | North Carolina Central University International College of Excellence |
| Occupation | Pastor |
| Years active | 1985–2017 |
| Employer(s) | New Birth Missionary Baptist Church (1987–2017) |
| Spouses | Dabara S. Houston
(m. 1981; div. 1985)Vanessa Griffin
(m. 1990; death 2017) |
| Children | 4 |
| Awards | Trumpet Award |
When Long started as pastor for New Birth Church, there were 300 church members, which grew to 25,000. During this time, Long was a subject of a Senate investigation, concerning whether he personally profited from his church's tax-exempt status, which eventually ended without a finding of wrongdoing. Also, civil lawsuits were filed against him alleging sexual abuse of underage male members of his parish. Long denied wrongdoing through his attorneys, and privately settled the lawsuits out of court for undisclosed amounts.