Recent allegations of sexual coercion surrounding Eddie Long deserve some serious analysis involving the organizational structure of black megachurches.

Black churches were once a staple and powerful institution in the African American community. But then a new movement of black megachurches developed over the past couple of decades, which has in many ways devolved the church into a myopic place fueled by capitalistic values with corporate interests.

Mr. Long has been at the forefront of this movement. He has transformed his Atlanta church – the 25,000-member New Birth Missionary Baptist -- into a multinational corporation with satellite churches literally around the world.

This situation, I believe, should force us to examine how black megachurches are organized and the lack of accountability that exist in some, including New Birth. By appointing himself Bishop, Mr. Long is just one of many examples of mega black churches gone wrong. Theologically, he is not accountable to any organized body but himself. In political terms his dynasty can easily be compared to Saddam Hussein’s reign in Iraq. Thus, what we have in many mega black churches are theological dictators who are not held accountable by any governing body or even the parish they serve.

A few years ago, while I was in graduate school, I recall vividly a protest by the 2006 graduating class at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta over Mr. Long becoming their commencement speaker. Their concerns were based on statements Mr. Long made belittling denominational heritages (and theological education as a whole), his questionable charitable practices and his stance on the role of women in the church. Likewise, esteemed theological scholar Dr. James Cones also showed his support for the students by not accepting an honorary degree out of protest of Mr. Long’s invitation.

When a group of his very peers raises such critical concerns about him and his ministry, it should not be shocking when we hear that these types of allegations have surfaced. Whether the allegations are true or not is not my concern. However, if they are true, who has the power to remove Mr. Long from his post? What happens to his spiritual enterprise and the powerful institution that has been created?

Ironically, Mr. Long’s critique of organized denominations has come full circle; he is now in a situation where he himself gets to decide his own fate, which is absolutely absurd!

If we can agree that we, as a society, do not want to live in a political system organized under a dictatorship, then why do we think it is okay for our churches to be run in such a fashion? How can we as a body of Christ truly argue that megachurches like Long’s and others that have no accountability to their parishes or an impartial governing body should exist without checks and balances? I believe it is time for African Americans to take serious stock in the churches they attend and ask the question: Do I belong to a spiritual institution that is democratic or authoritarian?

For those zealots out there who would argue that Mr. Long is an ordained man of God and should be held accountable only to God and not man, I would seriously disagree. One of the main thrust behind the protestant movement, lead by Martin Luther, was to get away from Catholic priests who were abusing their power by arguing that salvation could be bought.

It seems we are going backwards, and black megachurches are utilizing some of those same tactics through a theology that focuses on prosperity and running a church where all power is centralized around an individual. I strongly believe that a revolution needs to take place in these churches, with power distributed back to the people who make up the body of Christ, not consolidated in the hands of dictators posing as saints.

(This article is dedicated to the memory and activism of Dr. Ronald Walters)
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Joseph L. Jones, Ph.D., is assistant professor of political science at Johnson C. Smith University.

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