It appears Bishop Eddie Long can’t seem to get a break in regards to legal trouble. The old saying “when it rains, it pours” appears to be an accurate way to describe the Bishop’s life over the past few years. According to our good friends at The Christian Post, ten members of Bishop Eddie Long’s New Birth Missionary Baptist Church have filed a civil suit against the megachurch pastor for allegedly using his influence to force them into investing in a million-dollar Ponzi, or pyramid, scheme.
The lawsuit, according to The Wall Street Journal, claims that Long and New Birth “marketed, sponsored and hosted ‘Wealth Tour Live’” seminars in October 2009. It was through these seminars that congregants were encouraged to invest in a scheme that promised 20 percent yearly returns, according to the lawsuit.
Instead of getting returns on their investments, claimants allege that their money, totaling more than $1 million, was instead diverted to a failing company.
Long and New Birth Missionary Baptist Church are reportedly listed as defendants in the lawsuit, which was filed Wednesday in DeKalb County State Court.
Long’s spokesman, Art Franklin, told WSJ that the New Birth Missionary Baptist minister has already asked Taylor “to do the right thing by quickly resolving this matter with a positive outcome.”
According to the WSJ, the civil lawsuit filed against Long and New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is “one of the highest-profile accusations to date of so-called religious affinity fraud, in which potential investors are targeted through a faith-based organization.”
Long, linked to the Word of Faith “prosperity gospel” movement, often encourages the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church congregation to “be fruitful, multiply, replenish, subdue, rule and take dominion.”
This current lawsuit is just the latest in a string of legal battles for Long, who in late September, requested repayment of settlement money from three men who have accused him of abusing his spiritual authority to lure them into sexual relationships.
Most recently, Long has said that he wants back some of the settlement money he gave Jamal Parris, Spencer LeGrande and Centino Kemp, who have all accused him of abusing his spiritual authority to engage them in sexual acts. The settlement had a confidentiality agreement, which Long’s attorneys say the young men violated when they spoke publicly about the allegations. Long was reportedly seeking at least $900,000 in repayment from the young men.
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