Monthly Archives: September 2010

Bishop T.D. Jakes Speaks on Bishop Eddie Long Case

Last Sunday Bishop T.D. Jakes said he has been asked what he thought about the Bishop Eddie Long sex scandal.  So he took the liberty Sunday to speak to the congregation and the world on how we should be handling the allegations as Christians.

This post was written by admin | September 29, 2010

Bishop Eddie Long Accuser Jamal Parris Interviews For First Time – Says to Long, “You are not a man, you are a monster.”

 


Jamal Parris, one of the four accusers in Bishop Eddie Long sex scandal said, “That the Bishop turned his back on them when he had no more need for them.”  “This was our father and we loved him.”  His presence alone is seduction to a boy without a father.” 

When asked why he didn’t say no this is wrong?  Parris Says he was “Afraid to loose a father.”  “You finally have a father that you’ve always wanted for and always dreamed of,” Parris said. “He would just walk away from you if you don’t give him what he wants. So you end up turning into something you never thought you would be, which is now a slave to a man that you love.” 

Recalling the details of nights spent with Bishop Long, Parris said, “I cannot get the sound of his voice out of my head,”  “I cannot forget the smell of his cologne.  And I cannot forget the way that he made me cry many nights when I drove in his car on the way home, not able to take enough showers to wipe the smell of him off of my body.”

Jamal Parris spoke to Atlanta’s Fox 5 and told the station, “that man can not look me in my eye and tell me we did not live this pain,” Parris said. “Why you can sit in front of the church and tell them that you categorically deny it. You can’t say that to our face. And you know this. You are not a man, you are a monster.”

Bishop Eddie Long (left) Poses with Jamal Parris (right)

ALSO READ: Bishop Eddie Long Scandal Photos Released by Attorney

This post was written by admin | September 29, 2010

President Barack Obama Speaks About His Christian Faith in Backyard Talks

This post was written by admin | September 28, 2010

CNN Announces BLACK IN AMERICA Choir Project

This post was written by admin | September 28, 2010

Bishop Eddie Long Says He Feels “Like David against Goliath”: Televangelist Speaks to Church as a Fourth Accuser Comes Forward

Baptist televangelist Eddie Long said Sunday he will fight allegations that he coerced young male church members into having sex with him.”I am not the man that has been portrayed on television,” he told his congregation. 

This after a fourth lawsuit has been filed against Atlanta-area pastor Eddie Long, alleging he coerced a 17-year-old into a sexual relationship during a 2005 trip the two took to Africa.

The suit — filed, like the others, in DeKalb County, Georgia, State Court — claims Long invited Spencer LeGrande, now 22, on a trip to Kenya.

On the first night in Nairobi, Long asked LeGrande to come to his room, where the youth told the pastor he was having difficulty going to sleep, the suit states. Long provided Ambien, a sleep aid, and they both took the drug, according to the suit.

Long then gave LeGrande a hug, kissed and licked the youth’s lips and rubbed the teen’s chest, according to the lawsuit. They slept in bed together that evening and during the rest of the Kenya trip, the lawsuit states, adding they went on shopping sprees.

In a statement released by his spokesman, Long denied these allegations along with the other three.

Speaking publicly about the accusations for the first time, Long did not address the specific allegations contained in four lawsuits filed against him earlier this week.

“I’ve been accused, I’m under attack,” he said, lowering his head and softening his voice behind the pulpit at the New Birth Baptist Church in suburban Atlanta.

“I want you to know, as I said earlier, that I am not a perfect man. But this thing, I’m going to fight,” he said. “I feel like David against Goliath, but I’ve got five rocks and I haven’t thrown one yet.”

With that, the 57-year-old pastor put down his microphone and walked off stage, receiving deafening applause from the thousands who had come to hear him.

The lawsuits accuse Long of using his power and influence within the 25,000-member church to lure young male church members into sexual relationships. The suits allege that the relationships, which began when the men were in their teens, lasted over many months.

Long took the young men — all of them teens at the time — on trips, including to Kenya, according to the suits. Long allegedly paid for their hotel rooms, and gave the young men gifts, including a car, cash and jewelry — all in exchange for sexual favors such as massaging, masturbation and oral sex.

The accusations were particularly controversial because Long, who is married, has preached passionately against homosexuality over the years.

In 2004, he led a march to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s grave in Atlanta in support of defining marriage as being between a man and a woman. He once declared that his church had created a ministry that “delivered” people from homosexuality. He has a national presence, has been invited to the White House, runs a popular television ministry, and oversees a worship campus that includes a school.

In the parking lot after the services Sunday, church member Juan Davis told CNN affiliate WXIA that he was “very satisfied with what I heard.”

“It’s a very difficult moment for the church, for the pastor, but I know for sure they’re going to overcome it — overcome it in a big way,” Davis said.

Gabrielle Richards, 21, who has attended New Birth for nearly eight years, told CNN that after hearing Long’s sermon, “nothing has changed.”

“My love for the ministry, my love for [the] bishop and his family has not changed,” she said.

Richards also said she was proud of Long for “the way he came out with his head up. … He showed the strength that I’m accustomed to.”

On Saturday, New Birth members also voiced support. “I stand behind the bishop because of the leader that he is. He is a true leader. The word that he gives is so rich, it is so life-changing,” church member Gary Foster Jr. told CNN.

A former New Birth employee, Kevin Bond, said he hopes the allegations are not true. “The evidence … all of that is very troubling to many of us in the gospel community, the Christian community,” said Bond.

Long gave 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. sermons on Sunday. They were essentially the same. Eliciting chuckles from the audience, Long began both by joking, “I gotta talk to my family” of worshippers before addressing what other “folk” — meaning media — were there to hear.

Both sermons focused on “understanding painful situations.”

He quoted Isaiah: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”

Long encouraged congregants to think about natural disasters — tornadoes and floods. He specifically named Hurricane Katrina and other “painful situations.”

“Bishop Eddie Long will have painful situations,” he said.

Shouts of affirmation came from the audience.

“We will walk through this painful situation,” he continued.

Then, the bishop quoted the 23rd Psalm.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death …”

Worshippers were on their feet.

He urged them to stay committed to being “prayerful,” then briefly reminded them that it’s nearly election time in Georgia, that it was important to vote and be involved.

He then went back to speaking about himself. “Some people think I’m lost,” he said. It is those people, he said, who “will have an opportunity to come down to the altar.”

New Birth will continue to worship and thrive, he said.

“We ain’t gonna stop it,” he said.

More cheers. The camera panned to the pastor’s wife Vanessa Long. She smiled.

Each sermon ran approximately 20 minutes.

Between sermons, Long spoke briefly to reporters. “I want this to be dealt in the court of justice and not by public opinion,” he said. “I will say that I am going to fight, fight very vigorously against these charges.”

Also Read: Bishop T.D. Jakes Speaks on Bishop Eddie Long Case

 

This post was written by admin | September 27, 2010

Praise Fest 2010 Announces Free Concert in New Orleans: Presented by Versatile Entertainment October 1-3

Also Read: Bishop Eddie Long Scandal Photos Released by Attorney

This post was written by admin | September 24, 2010

Bishop Eddie Long Scandal Photos Released by Attorney

Bishop Eddie Long scandal photos (pictures below), on a cellphone, in his bathroom, were released by plaintiff’s attorney. Bishop Eddie Long’s scandal pictures don’t depict much, showing the Bishop fully clothed, and not validating any of the claims of the plaintiffs.

Plaintiff’s attorney released the two pictures in which the Bishop is dressing in a muscle shirt holding his phone up in the bathroom. One bathroom, while not verified by the attorney, appears to be a hotel bathroom. The attorney representing the plaintiffs is referred to by local news as a “prominent Atlanta” attorney, B.J. Bernstein. In releasing the pictures, Bernstein said the pictures were taken by Long and sent to young teen males who attended Longfellows Youth Academy. She would not specify who specifically received the photos or where the photos were taken.

In a statement read on a syndicated radio show earlier Thursday morning, Atlanta-based megachurch pastor Eddie Long denied he had coerced young male church members into sex, as alleged in three lawsuits filed against him.

“I have been through storms and my faith has always sustained me,” Long, pastor of the 25,000-member New Birth Missionary Baptist Church said in the statement, read by attorney Craig Gillen on the “Tom Joyner Morning Show.” “I am anxious to respond directly to these false allegations, and I will do so. However, my lawyers counseled patience at this time.”

“Let me be clear: The charges against me and New Birth are false,” the statement said. “I have devoted my life to helping others and these false allegations hurt me deeply, but my faith is strong and the truth will emerge.”

Long asked for patience “as we continue to categorically deny each and every one of these ugly charges” and requested prayers for himself, his family and the church. He said he will respond to his congregation from the pulpit on Sunday.

“These false allegations are an attack on Bishop Long personally,” Gillen said. “They are an attack on New Birth, the entire church and all of its 25,000 good people who attend that church, and it’s an attack on the mentoring program that has helped thousands of young men. It is deeply, deeply unfortunate that these allegations have been made. They will be met.”

ALSO READ: Bishop Eddie Long Says He Will Answer Allegations Sunday: A Third Defendant Makes Claims

This post was written by admin | September 23, 2010

Bishop Eddie Long Says He Will Answer Allegations Sunday: A Third Defendant Makes Claims

In a statement read on a syndicated radio show Thursday, Atlanta-based megachurch pastor Eddie Long denied he had coerced young male church members into sex, as alleged in three lawsuits filed against him.

“I have been through storms and my faith has always sustained me,” Long, pastor of the 25,000-member New Birth Missionary Baptist Church said in the statement, read by attorney Craig Gillen on the “Tom Joyner Morning Show.” “I am anxious to respond directly to these false allegations, and I will do so. However, my lawyers counseled patience at this time.”

“Let me be clear: The charges against me and New Birth are false,” the statement said. “I have devoted my life to helping others and these false allegations hurt me deeply, but my faith is strong and the truth will emerge.”

Long asked for patience “as we continue to categorically deny each and every one of these ugly charges” and requested prayers for himself, his family and the church. He said he will respond to his congregation from the pulpit on Sunday.

“These false allegations are an attack on Bishop Long personally,” Gillen said. “They are an attack on New Birth, the entire church and all of its 25,000 good people who attend that church, and it’s an attack on the mentoring program that has helped thousands of young men. It is deeply, deeply unfortunate that these allegations have been made. They will be met.”

Gillen was interviewed by Roland Martin, a syndicated columnist and CNN political analyst, during Martin’s segment on the Joyner show. Gillen said he is to blame for Long’s failure to appear on the radio show as scheduled. Asked about a Thursday press conference that was also canceled, Gillen said he thought the matter was a misunderstanding, as he had never committed to a press conference.

“That’s my call,” he told Martin regarding the interview and press conferences being canceled. “In assessing the situation, no lawyer likes to have his client in a situation where … charges are made and the lawyer doesn’t have control.”

The third lawsuit joined two that were filed on Tuesday, all of them in DeKalb County, Georgia. It was brought on behalf of Jamal Parris, now 23, who like the others was a teenager when he joined Long’s church.

The suit, which claims Long encouraged Parris to call him “Daddy,” also names the church and Long’s LongFellows Youth Academy as defendants.

The new lawsuit gives intimate details about Parris and his alleged relationship with Long.

Parris joined New Birth in 2001, when he was 14. Long counseled Parris when the latter talked about his strained relationship with his father and got him a job as a summer camp counselor at the church, the suit states.

The suit, which like the others was filed by Atlanta attorney B.J. Bernstein, claims Long engaged in sexual acts with Parris. The young man eventually became a church employee and served as personal assistant to Long and traveled with him, the suit says. The pastor continued to engage in sexual activity with Parris and gave him money, trips and gifts, the suit says.

It says Parris left the church in late 2009, “disillusioned, confused and angry about his relationship with Defendant Long.” The bishop manipulated and deceived Parris into thinking that the acts were a “healthy component of his spiritual life,” the suit states.

The allegations are similar to those contained in the Tuesday suits, filed on behalf of Anthony Flagg, now 21, and Maurice Murray Robinson, now 20. All three contend the LongFellows Youth Academy and New Birth knew or should have known of Long’s behavior and that they failed to warn the young men. The lawsuits describe LongFellows as an offshoot of New Birth.

Bernstein has alleged Long had a pattern of using his position as a spiritual authority and bishop to coerce young male members and employees of the church into sex. CNN was the first to report on the lawsuits.

But “this church and this bishop have been devoted to giving to the community and giving back to young men,” Gillen said Thursday.

Long is considered one of the nation’s top African-American preachers. His church was the site of Coretta Scott King’s 2006 funeral, attended by then-President George W. Bush and three former presidents. King was the widow of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

The three men claim Long took them on overnight trips to various locations within the United States and beyond, sharing a room and engaging in sexual contact with them, including massaging, masturbation and oral sex.

Bernstein, who represents Parris, Flagg and Robinson, said Wednesday that the youths’ accounts are “really strong.”

She said she has worked with sexual abuse victims and finds the two believable because of “the emotion. The intensity. The very strong description of what sexual acts occurred. … This is not just someone giving a vague thing, ‘Oh, yeah, one time he did this,’ or a couple of times.”

Gillen noted that Robinson was charged in connection with a June burglary of Long’s office, and said he is attempting to get tapes that have been turned over to the district attorney’s office.

Bernstein said Wednesday that about $100,000 worth of items were taken, including black diamonds. She said the theft stemmed from Robinson’s anger at Long and was an attempt to retaliate against him.

Asked the motive for the suits, Gillen said, “Let me put it this way. What is the motive of someone putting a ski mask over their face and breaking into your office to steal things? Money.”

He said the suits, “without a single piece of corroborating evidence, (have) ignited a firestorm against this good man.”

Long spokesman Art Franklin told CNN Wednesday the church employs many young people, and numerous people travel with Long. Gillen said the young men are taken on such trips to expose them to cultures and diversity they might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience.

Asked how she can prove that sexual contact took place, Bernstein said Wednesday, “I am ready to put them under oath. Bishop Long can spend money on the best attorneys in this world, and they can question those young men, and then I’ll get to question the bishop, and then we’ll really see what’s going on.”

Long frequently denounces homosexual behavior. A 2007 article in the Southern Poverty Law Center’s magazine called him “one of the most virulently homophobic black leaders in the religiously based anti-gay movement.”

The suits allege that Long chose the plaintiffs to be his “Spiritual Sons,” a program that allegedly includes other young men from the church.

“Spiritual Sons are taken on public and private jets to U.S. and international destinations, housed in luxury hotels and given access to numerous celebrities including entertainment stars and politicians,” the suit alleges.

Flagg’s suit says that Long presided over a spiritual “covenant” ceremony between the two of them. Bernstein described it as “essentially a marriage ceremony, with candles, exchange of jewelry and biblical quotes.”

The lawsuits are seeking unspecified amounts of punitive damages from Long on various counts, ranging from negligence to breach of fiduciary duty.

This post was written by admin | September 23, 2010

Bishop Kenneth H. Moales Dies of Heart Attack: Funeral Services & Celebration Musical Announced

 Bridgeport, CT – – The legendary Bishop Kenneth H. Moales, Sr., Presiding Prelate of the Pentecostal Churches of Jesus Christ and founding Pastor of The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit | Prayer Tabernacle Church of Love passed away on Monday, September 20, 2010, after suffering a fatal heart attack in Bridgeport, CT.  Bishop Moales, known as the Elijah of Gospel Music, recently celebrated his 65^th birthday with his family and a host of close friends.  Bishop Moales is a documented hero in the hallmark of preaching, music and leadership. There are few gentlemen that will live such a consecrated life of service for God and His people.

 Bishop Moales presided over the states of Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. His dioceses also includes the Kunjalo Diocese of Cape Town, South Africa under the leadership of Bishop Hezekiah X. Walker.  He also served as President of the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses, Inc. which recently celebrated 77 years of Gospel music ministry. He was inducted into the International Gospel Music Hall of Fame and Museum for his many years of committed work in Gospel music.

 A native of Bridgeport, Bishop Moales was most noted for his contribution to gospel music and dedication to choirs.  He served as pastor of Cathedral of the Holy Spirit for 42 years and was named President Prelate of the Pentecostal Church of Jesus Christ in 1995. Bishop Moales is also the author of the book Strategies for Spiritual Warfare: A Collection of Sermons.

Bishop Kenneth Moales, Sr. is survived by his wife of 43 years, Lady Peggy Ann Moales, three children, twelve grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

 

Bishop Kenneth H. Moales, Sr., D.D.

September 21, 1945 – September 20, 2010

Service Information:

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Community & Civic Service – 12noon – 6:00PM
Prayer Tabernacle Church of Love
1243 Stratford Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06607

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Morning Worship – 10:00AM

Bishop Moales will lie in state from 3:00PM – 9:00PM

Celebration Of Life Musical – 5:00PM – 9:00PM

Cathedral of the Holy Spirit
729 Union Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06607

Monday, September 27, 2010

Celebration of Life Homegoing Service – 10:00AM

Bishop Moales will lie in state at 8:00AM
The Arena at Harbor Yard
600 Main St, Bridgeport, CT 06601

Archbishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr., Eulogist
Presiding Prelate, Mt. Calvary Holy Church of America, Inc.
Best friend for 50 years

Live Streaming of Gospel Concert and Celebration of Life Services on
www.CATHEDRALOFTHEHOLYSPIRIT.com

 

Floral Arrangements:

Service in trusted to Morton’s Funeral Home

25 Margaret E. Morton Lane, Bridgeport, CT 06607 (203) 576-0326.  

In Lieu of Flowers those desiring may make donations to:

 The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, or Love Christian Academy.

 

General Inquiries – 203-366-5824

 

Hotel & Travel Information:

Holiday Inn: 1070 Main Street, Bridgeport, CT 06601 (203) 334.1234

Trumbull Marriott: 180 Hawley Lane, Trumbull, CT 06611 (203) 378.1400

Hyatt Place: 190 Old Gate Lane, Milford, CT 06460 (203) 877.9800

Absolute Travel: (203) 938.0000

Mention Bishop Moales/Prayer Tabernacle and receive discounted rate

 

Media Only Contact:
Larnel A. Satchell – 413-324-8466

lasproductions@gmail.com

This post was written by admin | September 23, 2010

The Bobby Jones Gospel Artist Retreat and New Artist Showcase Returns to Nashville, TN

By Sheilah Belle

Nashville, TN  (September 20, 2010) — It’s been almost a year since some of the top names in the Gospel Music Industry have come together to relax, reflex and revitalize ideas among one another in a setting just for them, but that’s about to change.

Dr. Bobby Jones, visionary, will be hosting the Bobby Jones Gospel Artist Retreat and New Artist Showcase in his NEW state of the art “Visions” Production Studio in Nashville, TN on October 15 – 16, 2010.  This follows several years of the event being hosted in Ft. Lauderdale and Las Vegas, NV.

“Visions” Production Studio is designed to produce television shows with several or different subjects and formats. It’s designed to also provide space for organizations to have meeting space for special events, to create and develop technical skills, administrative skills, artistry developmental skills and to provide an atmosphere for wholesome and religious values.

Dr. Bobby Jones says, “Television has become one of the main sources of providing immediate entertainment and information for consumers around the world.  Gospel Music is becoming one of the most listened to forms of music for the music lovers. This observation leads us to the desire to develop and make available more television productions suited for this need and desire. The approach to selecting an atmosphere conducive to quality mastery of the music genre is a masterful effort. Therefore, proceeding with this task at hand is a worthwhile endeavor.”

Additionally, the weekend will offer new and established artists national and international exposure during the taped for television segments that will appear on the “Word Network.”

A special Champagne V.I.P. Toast will also be held on Thursday evening, October 14th on the Patio Grande’ of Ambassador Bobby Jones of “Visions.”

Saturday morning “Round Table Discussions,” hosted by The Belle” a.k.a. Sheilah Belle, will address topics affecting the Music Industry and will include some of the top names from Music Labels to Production houses.

Simply said, THIS IS THEE EVENT, you’ve been waiting for and it returns in “4” weeks, so mark your calendars now.

For more information and participation on the “Round Table Discussion” e-mail thebellereport@hotmail.com

For artist showcase participation, e-mail danyelle19995841@aol.com .

This post was written by admin | September 22, 2010

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