Creflo Dollar steamrolls his congregation

Rev. Creflo Dollar

In a steamrolling sermon that sounded more like “don’t you dare desert me if I  have a wreck”, Creflo Dollar, pastor and CEO of World Changers Church International recently chided, criticized and confronted his own congregation in his zest to defend, and show absolute support for his friend Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. Over a year ago Long was accused of sexually taking advantage of four young male parishioners, all of whom filed a lawsuit against the flamboyant mega-church bishop.

Bishop Eddie Long
Died January 15, 2017

Long proclaimed his innocence, saying he would leave his fate in the hands of God. It looked like his congregation was going to stick with him in the beginning when the sexual rumors were more speculation than factual. When the rumors turned into truth, some of Long’s members left the church. 

Reportedly, Long has settled the lawsuits out of court, a promise he did not keep to himself or to his congregation. He said he would fight the lawsuits. He would be David and the four young men were Goliath. He had faith that he would win the courtroom battle. Somewhere along the way he had a change of heart.

Creflo Dollar, his sarcasm dripping with resentment, is very unhappy with Long’s members who abandoned the bishop because of the sexual scandals. He let Long’s members know that they are not welcome at his church. He did not want their membership.

The transcript below is testimony to Creflo’s angry. It was shocking is to hear his congregation laugh and applaud his scolding and manipulation of their devotion to him. He warned if he had a “wreck”, and they treated him the same way as Long’s congregation did him, God would punish them, and send them to hell. His "wreck" would be forgiven, but God would not forgive  Long's fleeing congregation. Creflo's sermon was geared at making his congregation feel guilty in advance, just in case he finds himself in trouble. I listened to him with my mouth open in disbelief.

The Creflo Dollar transcript

With the church, when you have a wreck (his reference to getting in trouble) you expect for God to forgive you and everybody else. Don’t let the preacher have a wreck now. When you become self-righteous and you become judgmental, and you gonna leave the preacher for his wreck, when you done had more wrecks . . . (the congregations applauds) . . . the preacher was still anointed to do what he was called to do, he just had a wreck. The blood will take care of his issue just like it will take care of yours. And I just can’t believe that people would leave their preacher ‘cause he had a wreck (applause) instead of praying for him (continued applause).

When I pray I don’t have a wreck that you’ll leave me cause I’m gonna get up in your face. . . I’ll . . . I’ll . . . forget you then! I’ll tell you about yourself! (applause). I mean . . .the pastor . . .he’s loved them, taken care of them, he’s given to’em, he done that and he done that, and now okay, so he had a wreck! We had some wrecks. I’m thinking man, the mercy God showed on you, and you couldn’t show it to the preacher? And the gossip that’s in the body of Christ over a preacher that had a wreck? He had a wreck! He’s a good man! Here’s the good news, he got his shoes! (loud applause of agreement).

Oh, you clap your hands now (getting angry) But let me have a wreck! I want to see how many of you “Negroes” gone still be here! (sustained laughter and applause). Okay. How many of you precious saints of God . . . See we love to be religious, but some of the same people in here clapping their hands hoping  I have a wreck just so they can say I told y’all so! See there! He wasn’t that perfect! I ain’t never told you I was perfect! You ought to know that (scattered applause). 

There are certain thing s that I have grown from and shouldn’t ever do, but if I have a wreck! I’m still gone go to heaven! Now you might mess some stuff up base on how you treat me! (applause) See the preacher in the city here, he’s still gonna go to heaven! He’s cleansed! He’s alright! And if you from that church that you gone talk about and you gone try and join here, I don’t want you to join here! (loud applause) You need to go and join where you supposed to be! (the megachurch erupts with approval of Creflo’s statement) I don’t want you here! That is my friend! That is my brother in the Lord! (applause and shouting hasn’t stopped)

If you came from there, you get on back over there where you supposed to be and do what you supposed to be doing! (his statement was for the benefit any of Long’s members who might have been in the audience. The applause grows louder and extended) Because he’s got insurance, and Jesus paid the premium! Hey! His insurance is paid up! (deafening applause and mumbling) He’s still going to heaven. Still gone be anointed and do what he was called to do. And if you don’t sit in the seat God will send somebody else to take your place. And then look at how you handle it. That’s the hypocrisy of the whole thing. Like you was flawless.

That man took them people...raised’em up, taught’em hot to tie they tennis shoes...all that kind of stuff. Who do we think we are?  See that’s when it’s testy. It’s not testy when you sitting in a seat, and everything is okay, and you’re saying “hallelujah, praise the Lord.” Let’s live this. Let’s live it. Forgive the thing that you say you can never forgive. Let it go! Forgive that relative you said “I ain’t never gonna speak to them.”  You ain’t doing nothing but hurting yourself.

I know it’s painful. I ain’t trying to take the pain out of it or the disappointment and all that, but at the end of it, you gotta act like Jesus. Ain’t nobody put you on no cross, beat you with a cat of nine tails. Oh, my gosh . . . imagine how he felt.
 “Peter, you know him?”
“I don’t know him.”
“I thought I saw you with him the other night?”
“Blink blink, I said I didn’t know him!” (extended laughter)
And imagine how he (Jesus) felt and he sitting right there, and he said, “Aw, man. You denying me? I thought you was my boy. You denying me?”

But you don’t know how it hurts. Sometimes you playing a game of football and you get into it, you gotta play hurt. 

Surely Creflo is not comparing Long to Jesus. His congregation slowly backed away from him because he is accused of molesting young men in his church.