Also Read: 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

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.

 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

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 .

A huge blow to the public perception of Mega churches unfolded today. Two DeKalb County men filed lawsuits Tuesday alleging Bishop Eddie Long coerced them to having sex with him in exchange for lavish trips, cars and cash from New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.

The men’s attorney called Long a “sexual predator” and said she is now talking to other potential victims.

“It’s not just these two. There are young men around him at all times,” the men’s attorney B.J. Bernstein said. “There are kids at risk now.”  

Court documents filed earlier today allege that Bishop Long engaged in sexual massages, oral sodomy, and other inappropriate contact with boys from the church.  The investigations were reportedly investigated for a year, when attorneys felt that the evidence was irrefutable.  One of the boys said that Bishop Long even tried to block his relationships with girls by increased calling and presence in the young man’s life. 

Court documents also state that the young men were told by Long that, “Engaging in a sexual relationship is a healthy component of a spiritual life.”  Reportedly telling the boys, “I will be your spiritual father.”

The men, Anthony Flagg, 21, and Maurice Robinson, 20, began having inappropriate relations with Long at the age of 16, which is the legal age of consent in Georgia, Bernstein said. Bernstein said she has not contacted DeKalb law enforcement because of Long’s ties to so many DeKalb officials.

Both men filed lawsuits Tuesday against Long and the church, alleging the bishop breached his pastoral duty.

Atlanta attorney Craig Gillen, who represents Long, said his client “adamantly denies the allegations in these two lawsuits and it is unfortunate that these two young men have chosen to take this course of action.”

While Long likely cannot be charged with a crime in Georgia because the men consented, he could face charges in other states, Bernstein said. The sex acts occurred while the men were between the ages of 16 and 20, the suit alleges.

The attorney said she has asked the FBI to investigate allegations that Long had sex with the men in hotels in New York, Dallas, Tennessee, New Zealand and other areas.

Long took Flagg to New Zealand for his 18th birthday, Bernstein said.

In separate trips, Bernstein said, the men flew on Long’s personal jet and shared a bed with him at the hotels. Long used the alias “Dick Tracy” when he checked into the hotel, the suit alleges.

However, the bulk of the relations occurred on the mega church’s property, including inside Long’s “guest house” on Snapfinger Road in south DeKalb, Bernstein said.

Flagg and Robinson’s parents both moved to DeKalb specifically to attend Newbirth. The two men met while enrolled in the church’s Longfellow Academy, which is for teenage boys age 14-17.

While at the academy, Flagg and Robinson developed relationships with Long, Bernstein said. They began spending more time with him and were placed on the church’s payroll, the suit alleges.

By the time they turned 16, Long began taking them on separate trips and inviting them to his home, Bernstein said. At one point, Flagg and Long held a private “marriage-like” ceremony where they exchanged vows, Bernstein said.

In exchange for Flagg’s love, Long bought the teenager a Ford Mustang, the suit alleges.

Robinson received other gifts, including introductions to T.I. Chris Tucker, Tyler Perry and other celebrities who met with Long, Bernstein said. The bishop also let Robinson drive his Bentley.

Bernstein said she has emails, text messages and photographs between the men and Long.

“The bishop used biblical verses to coerce them. He out front being homophobic and making all these remarks when at the same time, he is leading a double life,” Bernstein said. “They [the plaintiffs] aren’t gay. They just wanted to be loved and cared for by a powerful man.”

In June, Robinson was charged with breaking into Long’s home, stealing jewelry, an iPad and other items.

Robinson committed the burglary in retaliation after learning that Long was involved with other men, including Flagg, Bernstein said.

“He lashed out,” Bernstein said. “But if it weren’t for that act, we wouldn’t know about this. He talked to his friends and learned Long had other ‘spiritual sons.’”

Bernstein said the church is named in the suit because several other members were aware of the allegations and “protected” Long.

In June, DeKalb County police arrested two men, Anthony Boyd, 19, of Decatur, and Maurice Robinson, 20, and charged them with burglary, according to the police report obtained by the AJC.

A security camera at the church on Woodrow Road in Lithonia caught most of it on videotape.

Two men wearing dark hooded shirts, dark pants and white gloves were recorded using a key to enter the church during the night between June 13 and 14.

The men’s attorney B.J. Bernstein, said Robinson committed the burglary in retaliation after learning that Long was involved with other men, including Flagg, Bernstein said.

“He lashed out,” Bernstein said. “But if it weren’t for that act, we wouldn’t know about this. He talked to his friends and learned Long had other ‘spiritual sons.’”

Long was named 21 years ago as pastor of the  then 300-member church that would become New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.

It has expanded beyond its Lithonia home and has satellite churches in other cities. The 240-acre Lithonia campus is like a small town; the church claims 25,000 members and promotes a myriad of ministries, such as the annual Hosea Feed the Hungry and help for the homeless and addicted.

The Rev. Al Sharpton has been quietly forming his own media company to launch a nationally syndicated Sunday-morning TV show that will focus on education, he told The Hollywood Reporter on Monday.  “Education Superhighway,” scheduled to premiere Sept. 26, consists of news and roundtable discussions primarily about education. Guests already lined up include Bill Gates, Newt Gingrich, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and president of the American Federation of Teachers Randi Weingarten.

The 30-minute show is already cleared in 150 markets, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The civil rights advocate will premiere it Thursday at the Congressional Black CaucusFoundation’s 40th Annual Legislative Conference.

Sharpton’s media company, ESH Holdings (named after the series’ initials) will produce the TV show as well as a planned print magazine.

Sharpton said that if there is anything controversial about his new show it will come from those who “want education to remain mediocre.”

“If Newt Gingrich and I could tour the country together … at the request of President Obama, and they are like oil and water … then that shows that this is one issue that all Americans should unite over,” Sharpton said. “Newt and I don’t agree on anything at all — not even that today is Monday — but we do agree that we have an education problem.”

The Event premieres on NBC today.  The Event is part of the barrage of new shows on the NBC fall line-up that stars Blair Underwood.  The first episode was premiered to a test audience in Houston, Texas, where we caught a sneak peek of the ‘The Event’ along with NBC’s other new drama ‘Undercovers.’   Blair Underwood was brilliant in The Event, fitting into a role as a U.S. President of Cuban decent named Eli Martinez.   Jason Ritter was also great playing the role of Sean Walker.  The all-star cast made it hard for The Event to do anything wrong.

From beginning to end, ‘The Event’ was non-stop action.  Literally bringing you into the middle of a plot that has you glued to the television trying to figure out why the characters environment is out of balance.  The inciting incident is revealed when a plane crashes towards the ground, setting the tone for the show that never lets up.  With a brisk pace similar to Fox drama “24,” The Event leaves the viewer wondering what the “THE EVENT” is that caused all of the mayhem that un-folds scene by scene.   The drama uses frequent flashbacks over a 13 month span to bring you up to speed on what happened before we get to a certain point.  I won’t spoil it for you, but the shows big event wasn’t completely revealed in episode 1, so I’m really curious to find out what exactly the characters of this drama are in conflict with.  To find out the scope and size of the big event, you will have to tune in to Episode 2.  Whatever it is, it’s something that C.I.A knows about and the president doesn’t.  The Event is a Cliff-hanger that could have you addicted to Monday nights in no time.

On the downside, you may not want to change your remote because missing just a few minutes of this show could have you searching for answers.  Creator of the drama Nick Wauters, never lets you catch your breath.  It will be interesting to see if the show can keep up with the pace it set in episode 1.  If it can’t, the viewer maybe in for a let-down, and NBC could find fans jumping off the thrill-ride if the storyline doesn’t have enough depth to sustain itself.  The Event premieres Mondays at 9/8c.

Critics have gone back and forth about Tyler Perry bringing his version of Ntokage Shange’s seminal work For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf to the big screen.  Perry’s loyal fan base continues to support the Producer who was made popular by his Gospel stage plays.  Now impacting Hollywood, Perry’s films have broad appeal but are often critiqued for having flat characters and story lines and low production values, is taking a stab at a play that is considered high art. Executive produced by Perry and Nzingha Stewart, For Colored Girls will be out in theaters in November.  It features heavy hitters like Whoopi Goldberg, Kerry Washington, Loretta Devine, Anika Noni Rose, Thandie Newton, Kimberly Elise and Phylicia Rashad.  Janet Jackson and Macy Gray round out the cast.  Check out the official trailer below.

Gospel music’s dynamic duo has done it again. Black Smoke Music Worldwide CEO, Kerry Douglas, and his superstar protégé, James Fortune, have racked another smash with “I Believe.” The inspirational ballad features James Fortune & FIYA, Shawn McLemore (who has made a full recovery from a recent stroke) and Zacardi Cortez. Douglas orchestrated Fortune’s 2009 breakthrough smash, “I Trust You,” that spent 29 weeks at #1 on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart and Earnest Pugh’s recent #1, “Rain On Us.” Now, Douglas and his ace radio promoter, Tawanda Shamley, have pushed “I Believe” to #1 while also taking it to #41 on the Urban AC airplay chart.

“This is America’s song,” Douglas says of its success. “It’s #1 because America is going through hard times. People are out of work, people are sick, the economy is bad but we all want to believe that things will get better and this song reminds us that with God’s help, things will get better sooner than later. That’s why I keep saying this isn’t just a gospel song. This is a song for all of America.”

The song is available exclusively on the CD/DVD, Kerry Douglas Presents Gospel Mix Volume IV, Douglas’ hit up-and-coming artists compilation that introduced artists such as Earnest Pugh and James Fortune to the public. The package has just debuted at #4 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums sales chart. Six of the CD’s 17 songs are in rotation on the BDS Top 100 Gospel Playlist. The package also includes a 14-track DVD of live performances or concept videos of the various artists on the audio CD such as James Fortune, Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson, and The Brown Boyz. “We’re doing something no one else is doing,” says Douglas. “We’re not taking old hits and repackaging them. We’re taking new songs by new artists and making them today’s hits.”