Bishop Eddie Long

Three men have filed a lawsuit accusing Bishop Eddie Long, the outspoken pastor of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, an Atlanta-area megachurch, of exploiting his role as pastor to coerce them into sexual relationships when they were 17 and 18-years-old and enrolled in New Birth's ministry for teen boys.

The young men are members of Long's New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Ga. They say Long abused his spiritual authority to seduce them with cars, money, clothes, jewelry, international trips and access to celebrities.

Long was appointed pastor of New Birth in 1987. At that time the church had about 150 members. Less than four years later, the church had grown to more than 8,000 members. Athletes and entertainers claim membership at the church, which now boasts an over 25,000 strong membership, and among its prominent clergy is the Rev. Bernice King, the youngest daughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Long's church was among those named in 2007 in a Senate committee's investigation into a half-dozen Christian ministries over their financing.

Long has called for a national ban on same-sex marriage and his church counsels gay members to become straight. In 2004, he led a march with Bernice King to her father's Atlanta grave to support a national constitutional amendment to protect marriage "between one man and one woman." He also has released several gospel albums, authored books on relationships and spirituality, and hosts a weekly television program.

Three men have filed a lawsuit accusing Bishop Eddie Long, the outspoken pastor of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, an Atlanta-area megachurch, of exploiting his role as pastor to coerce them into sexual relationships when they were 17 and 18-years-old and enrolled in New Birth's ministry for teen boys.

The young men are members of Long's New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Ga. They say Long abused his spiritual authority to seduce them with cars, money, clothes, jewelry, international trips and access to celebrities.

Long was appointed pastor of New Birth in 1987. At that time the church had about 150 members. Less than four years later, the church had grown to more than 8,000 members. Athletes and entertainers claim membership at the church, which now boasts an over 25,000 strong membership, and among its prominent clergy is the Rev. Bernice King, the youngest daughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Long's church was among those named in 2007 in a Senate committee's investigation into a half-dozen Christian ministries over their financing.

Long has called for a national ban on same-sex marriage and his church counsels gay members to become straight. In 2004, he led a march with Bernice King to her father's Atlanta grave to support a national constitutional amendment to protect marriage "between one man and one woman." He also has released several gospel albums, authored books on relationships and spirituality, and hosts a weekly television program.

Three men have filed a lawsuit accusing Bishop Eddie Long, the outspoken pastor of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, an Atlanta-area megachurch, of exploiting his role as pastor to coerce them into sexual relationships when they were 17 and 18-years-old and enrolled in New Birth's ministry for teen boys.

The young men are members of Long's New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Ga. They say Long abused his spiritual authority to seduce them with cars, money, clothes, jewelry, international trips and access to celebrities.

Long was appointed pastor of New Birth in 1987. At that time the church had about 150 members. Less than four years later, the church had grown to more than 8,000 members. Athletes and entertainers claim membership at the church, which now boasts an over 25,000 strong membership, and among its prominent clergy is the Rev. Bernice King, the youngest daughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Long's church was among those named in 2007 in a Senate committee's investigation into a half-dozen Christian ministries over their financing.

Long has called for a national ban on same-sex marriage and his church counsels gay members to become straight. In 2004, he led a march with Bernice King to her father's Atlanta grave to support a national constitutional amendment to protect marriage "between one man and one woman." He also has released several gospel albums, authored books on relationships and spirituality, and hosts a weekly television program.

Three men have filed a lawsuit accusing Bishop Eddie Long, the outspoken pastor of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, an Atlanta-area megachurch, of exploiting his role as pastor to coerce them into sexual relationships when they were 17 and 18-years-old and enrolled in New Birth's ministry for teen boys.

The young men are members of Long's New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Ga. They say Long abused his spiritual authority to seduce them with cars, money, clothes, jewelry, international trips and access to celebrities.

Long was appointed pastor of New Birth in 1987. At that time the church had about 150 members. Less than four years later, the church had grown to more than 8,000 members. Athletes and entertainers claim membership at the church, which now boasts an over 25,000 strong membership, and among its prominent clergy is the Rev. Bernice King, the youngest daughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Long's church was among those named in 2007 in a Senate committee's investigation into a half-dozen Christian ministries over their financing.