Bishop Eddie Long, pastor of New Birth Missionary Church in Lithonia, Georgia, has settled out of court with the four young men who accused him of sexual abuse and coercion in September. Both sides spoke out on Thursday and agreed that the matter is settled. The four young men have also agreed not to discuss the allegations again, now or in the future. The amount of the settlement will not be made public. According to the CNN Belief Blog, one of Long’s spokesman, Art Franklin, said that the settlement was made because it “is the most reasonable road for everyone to travel.” However, the verdict is still out as to whether the people of New Birth Missionary Church will be able to put the accusations behind them and move forward under Long’s leadership. Church attendance has dropped since the accusations went public, and a settlement still leaves a cloud of doubt about Long’s actions.
