The scandal surrounding Bishop Eddie Long continues now that the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church head is being called out by an entrepreneur.
The entrepreneur is not tied to Long’s still ongoing sexual coercion lawsuits however, but to an investment scandal at Long’s Dekalb County church.
On Sunday night, Long posted a YouTube video asking Eprhen W. Taylor, the former CEO of City Capital Corp., to return investments to church members.
According to Long, his congregation hosted a “Wealth Tour” financial seminar several years ago at New Birth and a number of members invested through City Corp.
Several of those investments failed however and member’s money was not returned reportedly leaving them financially strained and one facing home foreclosure.
In Long’s video he asks Taylor and City Capital “to do the right thing” and return the money with interest.
Obviously feeling attacked by Long’s public appeal, Taylor has issued a statement of his own.
He writes,
“Due to many inaccuracies, and based upon what I view as a direct character assassination and an attempt to paint a picture of an inability, on my part, to take responsibility for the actions of City Capital Corporation during my tenure as CEO, I am extending facts relative to the aftermath of the Wealth Tour at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.
I visited with Bishop Eddie L. Long in late 2009 prior to bringing my Wealth Tour Live to New Birth, with hopes of inspiring and empowering the congregation in business through seminars, and to make my book, Creating Success from the Inside Out, available to all attendees.
The church received a percentage of product sales, and stated their intent to sell videos from the presentations.
I also operated on Bishop Long’s behalf to secure certain media opportunities for him.
Members of the City Capital team were in attendance, and subsequently, members of the church elected to partner with the company on community service opportunities across the country that aid in creating jobs.
Even after my departure last year as CEO of City Capital Corporation, there has been consistent communication between myself and Elder Maurice Waddell, Chief Operating Officer at New Birth, of which there is a significant amount of documented phone and e-mail correspondence…
Paralegals confirmed that each member received a resolution package, and I personally reviewed an updated report on which clients were contacted, and when contact was initiated…”
[For the full statement click here]
Ephren W. Taylor
Long and his parishioners also released a statement of their own Tuesday night,
“New Birth and Bishop Long are not personally attacking Ephren Taylor. … New Birth and Bishop Long are merely supporting New Birth members, who contacted their pastor regarding their concerns about their relationship with Ephren Taylor and City Capital Corporation. It was clear that the New Birth members expressed dissatisfaction with Ephren Taylor and City Capital Corporation with what they deemed was a lack of response and a lack of results.”
