One of the most successful black preachers in America has announced that he is stepping away from the pulpit following a series of sex scandals with men as young as 15

The news comes on the heels of another announcement: That his wife of 21 years is divorcing him. Bishop Eddie Long built up his New Birth Missionary Baptist Church from a few hundred members in 1987 to some 25,000 today, with a large television following and ministries in Kenya and around the world. In April 2011, Long settled with the five men who accused him of sexual coercion, for millions of dollars, but lawsuits with 10 former church members who claim that he took their retirement savings, and a $2 million real estate deal gone bad, further hurt Long. “He has a serious moral character flaw,” said a minister who was protesting outside Long's church, urging him to leave permanently. “It’s a moral question and he’s a religious figure. We don’t want that image as a role model for young men in the African-American community.”