Bishop Eddie Long declares himself healed from "health challenge"

Bishop Eddie Long came back to the pulpit on Oct. 9 for the pastoral anniversary service at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and declared that God healed him from his "health challenge."

"I've been on a journey and just recalibrating myself and like I said I had some health issues and God has healed me. The manifestation is coming through and we stand in that," Long said during the service.

Long went on to conduct a healing service for the members of the congregation who are experiencing chronic illnesses.

"When I woke up this morning, God expressed to me that there are some of you who suffer in this congregation of chronic pain. You have to be controlled by painkillers. If I'm speaking to you jump in the aisle. There's a healing balm in here," the megachurch pastor told the congregation.

The church just concluded a conference known as the Kingdom Power Glory Summit last Wednesday. During the summit, Bishop Neil C. Ellis of Mount Tabor Union Baptist Church told members of New Birth that Long is enduring health problems for his congregation.

"Understand that his latest bout of health challenges was not about him. He is paying a price for you," Ellis declared.

Last August, Long posted a video of himself showing a significant loss of weight. He stated that this was caused by a vegan diet that he had adopted. He went on a month-long sabbatical for an unspecified health condition last September.

Gospel music producer Larry Reid had speculated in his show that Long could be suffering from cancer. He claimed that some cancer clinics recommend a raw food diet as part of a treatment program.

It was rumored that Long went to the Oasis of Hope Hospital Cancer Research and Alternative Treatment Center in Mexico before he appeared at the pastoral anniversary service at New Birth.

According to the The Christian Post, Long's older brother, Pastor James "Joe" Long, died in 2010 after a 13-year battle with prostate cancer.