Bishop Eddie Long Absent from Christian Rally in Atlanta
Bishop Eddie Long, the Atlanta megachurch pastor who is facing allegations of sexual misconduct, did not appear at the large Christian rally in the Georgia Dome Saturday night despite being listed as a speaker on event materials.
Earlier this week, there were conflicting reports on whether Long, minister of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, would show up at the 40,000-strong Stand Campaign rally.
The minister is facing a string of lawsuits filed by four young men who accused him of coercing them into sexual relationships. Long has denied the allegations while his church has said that although he did take the four men on trips it could neither confirm nor deny the allegations.
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The rally in Atlanta on Saturday was a culmination of a series of Jesus Rallies held by the Stand Campaign across the nation. The event, organized by Cory "Coco Brother" Condrey, aimed to unite Christians as one body in Christ.
In a letter to participants, Cory Condrey and his wife Joanna, said the body of Christ has become so divided that the only time the world gets to see great numbers of diverse people is at football games.
"Sunday has become the most segregated day of the week," writes the Condreys. "It's time to pull together as one and join forces with one another to make a Kingdom impact on this earth."
During the rally, Bernice King, daugther of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., honored her father's legacy but told the audience that the Kingdom of God movement is much greater than the civil rights movement.
"God is calling His body back to the church," said King. "Now is the time to go beyond the wall and make the Kingdom of Christ. But it can't be done without repentance."
She urged listeners to make a movement for Christ's Kingdom that extends beyond the wall of the church to influence other areas of society including the government and local neighborhoods.
The Stand Campaign was launched in 2007 at Bishop Long's church. Bernice King had also attended the event in 2007.
