Protestant Pastor Vows to Fight Sex Allegations Like David Against Goliath

Bishop Eddie Long's church stands by their pastor

Likening himself to David against Goliath, the mega-church pastor declared, "There have been allegations and attacks made on me. I have never in my life portrayed myself as a perfect man. But I am not the man that's being portrayed on the television. That's not me. That is not me."

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - Bishop Eddie Long stood before thousands of his followers at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church on Sunday morning and vowed to fight accusations of sexual abuse filed against him in a lawsuit by four men- three from Georgia and one in North Carolina.

The 10,000 seat auditorium was filled nearly to capacity at both the 8:00am and 11:00am morning services. People began lining up for admission two hours before.

The enthusiastic crowds applauded, shouted, sang and prayed in support of their pastor. Long and his wife, Vanessa, at one point walked the aisles together, hand-in-hand, taking time to embrace and chat with those nearby.

Likening himself to David against Goliath, the mega-church pastor declared, "There have been allegations and attacks made on me. I have never in my life portrayed myself as a perfect man. But I am not the man that's being portrayed on the television. That's not me. That is not me."

Amidst applause from the congregation he continued, "I want you to know one other thing, I feel like David against Goliath. But I got five rocks, and I haven't thrown one yet."

The pastor's attorneys had cautioned him against trying the case in the media. At the services, Long never specifically referred to any of the charges levied against him but primarily spoke of being wronged.  He has not granted any interviews.

Only one small incident occurred on Sunday. At the 11:00am service, a young man in a blue shirt was quickly escorted from the auditorium after he stood and shouted, "We just want the truth, man!"

The recent allegations of sexual abuse came as a shock to the 25,000 member parish, as their pastor had been an outspoken supporter of marriage only between and man and woman. One of the church's ministries works with those caught in the gay lifestyle who seek to free from homosexuality.

One of the areas of focus regarding Long's alleged involvements is the LongFellows Youth Academy, the church's program where teens are taught sexual purity, manners, physical fitness and finances.

Support for their pastor is running strong among members. One single mother with a daughter and two sons, Daphene Mayfield, told the Wall Street Journal that New Birth had given structure to her family. "I can raise a son but I can't tell him how to be a man; I had to give that area up," said Ms. Mayfield, an analyst for a software company.

"There are areas where boys can relate to men. Bishop Long filled a lot of voids."

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