Scandal-Plagued Megachurch Pastor Dies

Bishop Eddie Long, who rose to prominence with the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and whose well-documented fall came about when young men in that church accused him of sexual misconduct, has died at age 63, reports CNN. "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," wife Vanessa Long said in a statement. A statement put out by New Birth says that Long died early Sunday after "a gallant private fight with an aggressive form of cancer," reports the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Long faced lawsuits filed in 2010 by four former male parishioners who alleged that he coerced them into sex; he later settled the lawsuits out of court.