TULSA, Okla — Bishop Carlton D. Pearson died Sunday night at the age of 70 after a battle with cancer.
Pearson moved to Tulsa in 1971 and studied at Oral Roberts University. Oral Roberts then invited Pearson to join the World Action Singers on his nationally aired TV specials.
In 1977, Pearson launched his own ministry, Higher Dimensions, Inc., and traveled the country. In 1981, with the help of his college roommate, Gary McIntosh, Pearson started Higher Dimensions Evangelistic Center, with 75 people attending the first service in Jenks. The church grew into a multi-ethnic, cross-cultural congregation of over 5,000 members.
"He also gave counsel to multiple U.S. Presidents, as well as a number of international presidents, kings and other leaders, who were won over by his intelligence, charm, humor, and kindness," his obituary reads.
Pearson reached national crowds in the mid-1980s with the TV show, "Everything's Gonna Be All Right." He also founded the AZUSA conference to give national exposure to gospel singers and preachers. The conference grew to bring 70,000 people to Tulsa yearly.
Around this time, Pearson had a shift in his beliefs. He preached a sermon that no one goes to hell. This became known as “The Gospel of Inclusion. ” After this shift, churches closed doors to Pearson, his annual conference ended, and his church denomination shrank to only dozens of people.
2 News Oklahoma talked to Pearson about this shift in beliefs and the impact on his ministry:
In 2018, a film about Pearson's rise and fall in the Christian world called "Come Sunday" came out on Netflix. Academy Award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor portrayed Pearson.
The Pearson family posted on social media, thanking everyone for prayers and continued support. Services are pending.
All Souls Unitarian Church released this statement about their affiliate minister's passing:
"The community at All Souls Unitarian Church is mourning the death of Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, our Affiliate Minister and a cherished member of the All Souls family. Bishop Pearson's brave journey toward a theology of universal love and acceptance resonated deeply with our values and tradition of inclusivity and compassion.
In 2008, Bishop Pearson joined All Souls and became an affiliated minister of the congregation. We are incredibly grateful for his thought leadership, healing community work, and countless examples of inspiring, compassionate, and deeply restorative ministry. His breaking barriers and embracing a message of unconditional love has been a beacon of hope and inspiration for many within our congregation and throughout the world.
“He helped people of all cultures and faiths know that God loves us beyond belief. In an era of division, he stood out as a voice of unity and reason,” said Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister of All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa.
“In spite of our broken hearts, we celebrate a life that was truly well lived,” remarked Rev. Randy Lewis, Assistant Minister. “He left us an incredible body of work, through which we will continue to hear his incredible sense of humor, breadth of knowledge, and transcendent wisdom echoing in our hearts. He will be deeply missed.”
“Bishop Carlton Pearson’s life was one that embodied love and grace. Part of his legacy, besides his love for God, his curious intellectual pursuit and his natural humor, is simply the way he loved human beings,” said David B. Smith, Executive Director of Worship. “May his example live on in our hearts always.”
Our heartfelt condolences go out to Bishop Pearson’s family and all his friends. The legacy of his courageous work will live on through all those his remarkable life touched."
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