Bishop Long's accusers speak out after settlement

Apparently two of Bishop Eddie Long's accusers are speaking out even after they settled with the embattled minister earlier this year.

Jamal Parris and Spencer LeGrande have come forward and a piece has been aired on Channel 2 Action News. You can see more of the story by clicking here.

What is puzzling about this is that by speaking out, Parris and LeGrande risk losing undisclosed monetary rewards outlined in the settlement, which is sealed.

It's also very telling that these two men are doing this and in the O.A.W. Report's view it quite possibly shows that they are more interested in keeping this conflict alive than settling on the money. Perhaps it is for some measure of revealing the truth; perhaps it is for therapy, or maybe it's for both reasons, that is unclear.

The O.A.W. Report has spoken briefly about the subject of Bishop Long and really hasn't ever taken it on directly ... until now.

Even though legal documents say that this is settled, clearly it isn't. When two of the accusers are willing to risk their settlement to go into detail about what Bishop Long allegedly did to them, it shows that this whole saga is going to go into a different realm.

It's clear that there is pain here, and there is more pain to come, especially after this piece airs later on today. It will be painful because it picks open a wound that has barely had time to scab up, let alone heal.

New Birth is coming under attack because of this, and it might be time for the church and Bishop Long to come to some terms where he can step down for a bit until this cools down, or until it is resolved.

But it can't just cool down. Recent events have shown us this.

News reports still have been streaming in, since news broke on the settlement at the end of May. In late July, a 5th accuser was revealed, a man by the name of Centino Kemp. One of New Birth's elder's Bernice King, the youngest daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. left the church shortly after news of the settlement was announced. (She said that the two weren't connected but you can read that story here.)

Look, at some point this has to end and it might be best for all involved if Bishop Long could step down until all this is sorted out. If not, then how much longer will the stories continue and serve as distractions for God's word?