Born in 1953 and growing up in North Carolina, Eddie Long would start his career in marketing and sales, graduating in 1977 from North Carolina Central University with a degree in Business Administration. After leaving Ford Motor Sales, Long moved to Georgia. After studying theology, he took a position as pastor of a small church in Jonesboro, then in the 80s he became the pastor for New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, growing the congregation from 300 to 25,000. Long died on January 1st, 2016, after a fight with an "aggressive form of cancer."