Bishop Eddie Long didn't step down in the face of allegations that he coerced four young men into sexual activity.
Instead, he told a packed house at his church, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, that he was innocent of the charges and that he was determined to fight them:
Georgia pastor Eddie Long took to the pulpit to tell his side of the story on Sunday, days after four lawsuits were filed claiming he coerced young males into sexual relationships.
Speaking to the massive congregation packed into the Atlanta-area New Birth Missionary Baptist Church for an 8 a.m. service, Long said that "this is probably the most difficult time" of his entire life, but he intends to fight the allegations against him.
He said his first responsibility was his family, and the members of his Atlanta-area church. However, he added that he would be "remiss" not to address "the world."
"I've been accused, I'm under attack. I want you to know, as I said earlier, that I am not a perfect man," he said. "But this thing, I'm going to fight."
Long added that he's "not the man that has been portrayed on the television. That's not me."
"And I want you to know one other thing," he told the cheering crowd Sunday morning. "I feel like David against Goliath, but I've got five rocks and I haven't thrown one yet.
He then turned on his heel and walked away from the pulpit, ending a 20-minute address that was peppered with references to Scripture and often interrupted by loud standing ovations from worshippers.
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