▁moved ▁to ▁Dec atur ▁and ▁adopted ▁its ▁current ▁name . ▁Edd ie ▁Long ▁took ▁over ▁as ▁past or ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁the ▁church ▁had ▁only ▁ 3 0 0 ▁members . ▁Since ▁his ▁installation , ▁membership ▁has ▁grown ▁to ▁ 2 5 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁New ▁B irth ▁was ▁chosen ▁to ▁host ▁the ▁live ▁recording ▁of ▁Dor inda ▁Clark - C ole , ▁and ▁was ▁chosen ▁by ▁the ▁family ▁of ▁ra pper ▁and ▁R & B ▁super star ▁Lisa ▁Left ▁E ye ▁L op es ▁to ▁host ▁the ▁fun eral ▁for ▁the ▁ra pper , ▁who ▁was ▁killed ▁in ▁a ▁car ▁accident ▁in ▁La ▁Ce iba , ▁H ond uras . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁New ▁B irth ▁plant ed ▁a ▁branch ▁called ▁" New ▁B irth ▁Charlotte " ▁in ▁Charlotte , ▁North ▁Carolina . ▁ ▁That ▁church ▁no ▁longer ▁exists , ▁and ▁has ▁since ▁sold ▁its ▁building . ▁Me ck len burg ▁County ▁records ▁show ▁the ▁church ▁default ed ▁on ▁its ▁pay ments ▁to ▁Evangel ical ▁Christian ▁Cred it ▁Union ▁for ▁a ▁$ 1 0 ▁million ▁loan . ▁ ▁On ▁ ▁August ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁the ▁church ▁opened ▁a ▁branch ▁called ▁" New ▁B irth ▁M emph is " ▁in ▁M emph is , ▁Tennessee . ▁The ▁church ▁has ▁since ▁closed ▁and ▁New ▁B irth ▁M emph is ▁no ▁longer ▁exists . ▁