Recently, there has been a re-emergence of the Bishop Eddie Long story. For those who are not familiar, Bishop Eddie Long, a well-known African-American minister, was accused of inappropriate sexual contact with young adult male members of his congregation. At the time the allegations surfaced, Bishop Long reported that he could not address the issue fully at the advice of his attorneys, but did declare that the allegations were of a persecutory nature. Since that time, Bishop Long has made a financial settlement with his accusers with the terms not being disclosed. The story has returned to the front page, not only because of the settlement, but due to the admonishment of Bishop Long’s detractors by another famous African-American minister, Creflo Dollar. In a sermon at his own church, Pastor Dollar declared that Bishop Long would be going to heaven and that those who left Bishop Long’s church should be ashamed of themselves.
Being a provider of treatment for people who engage in sexually inappropriate behavior as well as treating those who have been sexually abused, the actions of both Bishop Long and Pastor Dollar are disturbing to me. In both of their responses to the allegations, I see the major issues that contribute to the issue of sexual abuse within the African-American community not being addressed and the African-American Church’s failure to be at the forefront of this issue. In his denial of the allegations, Bishop Long focused on being persecuted. In our African-American community, we have grown weary of “systems” and distrustful of them, often citing how the government has not looked after our best interests a’la the Tuskegee Experiment. Therefore, when the banner of persecution is raised or the flag of “the system” is mentioned, we automatically close ranks and are unwilling to delve any further for the truth. It is even more difficult when our leaders are “targeted” and we cluck our tongues and declare “It’s nothing but the devil” to dismiss any hint of impropriety. The other issue is that of offering forgiveness when it is (1) not sought and (2) having it be synonymous with not permitting consequences. In our Christian faith, we are often taught Romans 3:23 “We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. It is in this statement that we are urged to forgive those who do wrong. Yet, forgiveness occurs when wrong-doing is acknowledged, which has not been the case with Bishop Long as he has not publicly stated wrongdoing. In addition, forgiveness does not mean that a consequence is not appropriate. In the story of David and Bathsheba (II Samuel 11-12), David clearly begged for forgiveness from God, but was still given the consequence of losing the child that was a result of his wrongful act with Bathsheba. Afterwards, he still found favor with God. Yet, David did what we are not often willing to do in our African-American Church or our African-American community----insist upon accountability and not be shamed when we require a consequence to occur. In his admonishment of those who had left Bishop Long’s church along with his assertion that they were not “welcomed” in his church, Pastor Dollar sent the message to the 1 in 3 females who are sexually abused and 1 in 6 males who are sexually abused that (1) they should keep silent as their needs are not as important as those of their abuser (2) forgiveness is bestowed upon the abuser while they are punished for sexual acts that they did not want. Even in the silence of other prominent African-American ministers who have not come to the defense of Bishop Long, one wonders if their silence is a sign of discomfort at addressing the issue of sexual abuse within our community, or a lack of awareness of how their silence may be viewed by those who need them to speak for all sexual assault victims.
The African-American Church has been identified as a place that our community goes to for support and understanding. It is often the “first-line of defense” when seeking help in all issues, including sexual abuse. It is imperative that the African-American Church embrace its role and examines the messages we are sending about its willingness to address sexual abuse within our community and truly be a place where accountability and dialogue occur. How do we begin to do this? (1) Re-post this article to your own social networking pages and encourage others to respond (2) Encourage your ministers/religious leaders to provide workshops on sexual abuse prevention and intervention (3) Talk to a friend or your individual church ministries about sexual abuse. Let the healing begin.
Dr. Tyffani Monford Dent is a licensed psychologist/motivational speaker/author. She lectures and trains on issues of mental health disparity in minority communities, children’s and women’s issues, and sexual abuse intervention and prevention. Dr. Dent is also the Executive Director of Monford Dent Consulting & Psychological Services, LLC and the author of the book Girls Got Issues: A Woman’s Guide to Self-discovery and Healing available on Amazon.com and her website www.MonfordDentConsulting.com. Follow her on twitter: drtyffanimdent
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