New Birth Missionary Baptist Church pastor Bishop Eddie
Long died Jan. 15, 2017, after a battle with an aggressive form of
cancer. He was 63.
In an official statement from the church acquired by WGCL in Atlanta, First Lady Elder Vanessa
Long, Bishop Long's wife, said,
"I am confident through my belief in God
that my husband is now resting in a better place. Although his
transition leaves a void for those of us who loved him dearly, we can
celebrate and be happy for him, knowing he's at peace."
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| Eddie Long and his daughter |
Long
reportedly struggled with health issues for much of 2016. In August, a
video clip appeared with a slimmed-down Long, who told the camera he was
on "God's medication."
"No medications. I'm on the
medication that God gave to feed your immune system, to build you up,
because you know what?
If you really want to move through this world and
have influence, you gotta be spiritual, you gotta walk by His
commandments and you know you have to be health
You know the Bible
says, 'Behold I want you to be in health,' and the prosperity and all of
that, and so I want to be in good health because I know God's given me
something for me, for the church, for the kingdom and He's given you
something," Long said.
But later that year, Long was hospitalized for a mystery illness, which some claimed was cancer.
"I
am recovering from a health challenge that I trust God to deliver me
from. It is unrelated to the eating for life diet consisting of mostly
raw vegetables that I am continuing as part of a holistic approach to
good health," Long said in a statement at the time.
Long
was born in Georgia in 1953 and stepped into the pastoral role at New
Birth in 1987. According to his biography, membership flourished to
25,000 under the bishop.
The pastor was involved in a handful of scandals that ranged from a Ponzi scheme to sexual allegations.
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