Bishop Eddie Long Update: Trial Date Now Set for Next Summer

Bishop Eddie Long appeared in a courtroom Friday to deal with accusations of sexual coercion being brought by four young men who were once members of his church. The judge decided that the trial should begin by next summer, unless the case is settled via mediation before that time.

Attorneys in the DeKalb County courtroom gathered for both sides to determine the status of the case. A tentative trial date has been set for July 11, 2011. There will be mediation before that time, set to take place in February.

Anthony Flagg, Maurice Robinson, Jamal Parris, and Spenser LaGrande are arguing that Bishop Long used his influence over them to coerce them into sexual relationships. They claim that the relationships took place during their teen years, and that inappropriate contact occurred during some of their trips together. Long's church, the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, hasn't argued for Long's innocence or guilt. Instead, they've simply acknowledged that Long did share hotel rooms with some of the young men and that they did take trips together.

Long's case is further complicated by the fact that he has preached against homosexuality for a very long time. In fact, his anti-gay marriage campaign was one of the cornerstones of his ministry. The black community's response to Bishop Long's allegations has been mixed, with some people supporting him and some arguing that he is a hypocrite. To date, Long has not specifically stated that he is completely innocent. A consistent denial of the stories being told by the young men would put Long in an awkward spot if it is proven that he did indeed have an extramarital affair with any of the men in his church.

Long's allegations of hypocrisy are also quite telling in light of the some other things going on around the country. Pastor Cedric Miller of New Jersey was found to have had a four-way affair with his wife and male assistant after condemning his congregation for using Facebook. Bishop Steven Arnold in Little Rock, Arkansas was asked to resign after it was revealed that he'd had an affair with the wife of a young man he was mentoring. It seems that 2010 has become the year of exposing corrupt pastors in African American churches, so perhaps this represents a new day in the black church community.

While we don't know what's going on in every church across America, we do know that what's been unearthed is probably the tip of the iceberg. Many of us in the African American community know of the pastor who sleeps with a slew of young women, young men or even young children in the church. I am an advocate of the New York City campaign against terrorism, which says "If you see something, say something." So, rather than sitting idly by as some of our spiritual leaders engage in egregious abuses of power, it's important that we open our mouths.

All the while, it must be remembered that not every pastor is corrupt or sexually irresponsible. Also, most of us make mistakes or bad choices in our lives and pastors are no different. While our human short-comings can't be used as excuses for socially-deviant behavior, we can't write off the good works of seasoned pastors just because their flaws are exposed. I will always be convinced that Bishop Eddie Long has done some good things for others in his life, and that is why so many people still support him. But even if he turns out to be a good man who made some bad decisions, he must be held accountable like the rest of us. Perhaps he will get his day in court and his congregation will get the truth that they deserve, but deep down, I sincerely doubt it.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.