[3] During this time, Long was a subject of a Senate investigation, concerning whether he personally profited from his church's tax-exempt status, which eventually ended without a finding of wrongdoing.
[3][6][7] Long claimed to hold a doctorate in "Pastoral Ministry" from the unaccredited International College of Excellence, which is not recognized by either the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or United States Department of Education, the two institutions responsible for recognizing educational accrediting institutions in the United States[8][9] Following his dismissal from Ford, he moved to Atlanta to study theology and became the pastor of a small Cedartown, Georgia church.
[11] Long's sermons, writings and teachings emphasize a "chain of command"[12] between certain superiors and subordinates characterized by "respect, submission and obedience".
Timothy McDonald suggested a link between Long's anti-gay activity and the grant saying "If you look at the black pastors who have come out with the faith-based money, they're the same ones who have come out with campaigns on the gay marriage issue.
"[18] On January 31, 2012, a video was released depicting a ceremony at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church wherein Messianic Jewish preacher Ralph Messer presented a Torah scroll to Long, wrapped him in it, and symbolically elevated him to a position of spiritual kingship before a cheering congregation.
Houston said she was the victim of "cruel treatment" and was afraid of Long's "violent and vicious temper," according to Fulton County Superior Court records.
[23] On September 5, 2012, during the Heart to Heart Women's Ministry Conference at New Birth, Vanessa Long stated that while she struggled with the decision to divorce Long following those accusations of sexual misconduct with male minors, she chose to return to her marriage and to the New Birth family so she could share her experience and offer guidance for others.
[25] In 2007 a three-year investigation by the United States Senate Committee on Finance into the tax-exempt status of six ministries, including Long's,[26] concluded that there were no definitive findings of wrongdoing.
"[31][32] In 2006, Long's appearance at Atlanta's Interdenominational Theological Center's spring graduation led to Black theologian James Cone—who was scheduled to receive an honorary degree—to boycott the ceremony.
Thirty-three graduating seniors sent a letter to the seminary's president "questioning Long's theological and ethical integrity to be their commencement speaker."
[33] A 2007 article in the Southern Poverty Law Center's magazine called him "one of the most virulently homophobic black leaders in the religiously based anti–gay movement.
"[29] In September 2010, Maurice Robinson, Anthony Flagg, Jamal Parris and Spencer LeGrande filed separate lawsuits alleging that Long used his pastoral influence to coerce them into sexual relationships with him.
[34][35] [36] The plaintiffs state that Long placed the men on the church's payroll, bought them cars and other gifts, including overseas trips.
[44][45] On May 30, 2011, an episode of the documentary series Sex Scandals In Religion aired on Canadian television network VisionTV.
[46] In August 2016, Long received major attention on Twitter when he posted a video on Facebook of himself showing his drastic weight loss.