So far there are 4 lawsuits against Atlanta area Pastor Eddie Long for sexual abuse. It’s going to be interesting to see which way this goes. If you aren’t familiar with the New Birth Church it’s not your hometown small church. This is a mega church with it’s own magazine, podcast, trips, etc. Eddie Long has written 10 books and according to his web site is happily married. He also fits the profile of many sex offenders. Powerful man, well educated, well respected and married. One major difference? Child predators in the US also tend to be white. Clearly sexual abuse crosses all race and gender lines, but it’s rare that you see a case this prominent in the African American community.
So what’s likely to happen next? If the allegations are true, I think you will see the list grow. The average pedophile has 70+ victims when they are first caught. As victims come forward, others often feel empowered to come forward as well. And if this is an unfounded witch hunt it will be interesting to see how things are spun going forward. I’m predicting more people coming forward.
Fast Forward
The lawsuits were eventually settled out of court for an undisclosed sum. Eddie Long continued to preech for several more years before dying from cancer in 2017.
Let us know if we can help you dealing with your family’s sexual abuse situation. For ideas to get started please check out our book on what to do during the early days after disclosure.
