Carlton Pearson

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Bishop Carlton Pearson

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Img_capt = Carlton Pearson
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Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Carlton D'Metrius Pearson
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Born = birth date and age|1953|03|19
Oklahoma, United States
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Genre = Gospel
Occupation = minister, singer
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Notable_instruments = Bishop Carlton D'Metrius Pearson, D.D. (born March 19, 1953 in San Diego, California) is an American singer and a minister in the United Church of Christ religious denomination. citeweb|url=http://www.ucc.org/news/ten-minutes-with-carlton.html|title=Ten Minutes with Carlton|accessdate=2007-11-29]

Early career

Bishop Pearson attended Oral Roberts University, and was mentored by Oral Roberts. He was licensed and ordained in the Church of God in Christ. [citeweb|url=http://www.newdimensions.us/content.cfm?id=2008|title=New Dimensions Information page|accessdate=2007-11-29] Pearson formed his own church, Higher Dimensions, which became one of the largest in the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma. During the 1990s it grew to an attendance of over 5,000 and in 1997 Pearson was ordained a bishop. In 2000 he campaigned for George W. Bush and following the presidential inauguration was invited to the White House.

Controversy in ministry and resulting media coverage

rquote|right|A person who spends every day getting drunk, will ruin their health, marriage, family and career; they will make their lives a living Hell. But that still falls far short of the chronic alcoholic being condemned by a just God to literally burn in Hell forever and ever. For others it may very well be that the punishment merited by their sins is greater than what they receive in this life. For those people perhaps there will be some kind of punishment after death, but we believe that it will be remedial and corrective rather than just punishment for punishment's sake. Exactly what that will be and how long it will last we don't know. Will Hell for some people last 10 minutes or 10 million years... we don't know. But this we do know; Hell will not last for eternity; it will not be endless... Don't sin. Be reunited with God now, rather than after you have put yourself (and those you love) through Hell.|Bishop Pearson's belief in hell as stated on his website [ [http://www.inclusion.ws/faq1.htm Frequently Asked Questions about Inclusion ] ]

Then after viewing a television program which depicted the wretched conditions of people dying in Rwanda, and considering the teaching of his church that non-Christians were destined for hell, Pearson felt he had received an epiphany from God, and stated that he doubted the concept of hell as it has been traditionally taught. In February 2002 he lost a primary bid for the mayorship of Tulsa. [ [http://charismamag.com/articles/index.php?id=5807 "Pearson's Gospel of Inclusion' Stirs Controversy"] Charisma Magazine, May, 2002] By then Pearson had begun to call his doctrine—a variation on universal reconciliation—the "Gospel of Inclusion", and many in his began to leave.

In March of 2004, after hearing Bishop Pearson's argument for inclusion, the Joint College of African-American Pentecostal Bishops reached the conclusion that such teaching was heresy. Officially recognised as a heretic, the once very popular Bishop Carlton Pearson rapidly began to lose his influence. [ [http://www.beliefnet.com/story/143/story_14370_1.html Group Says Pentecostal Bishop Pearson a `Heretic' for `Inclusionism' Views - Beliefnet.com ] ]

Bishop Pearson's story was the subject of an episode entitled "Heretics" on Chicago Public Radio's "This American Life", which aired on December 16, 2005. [ [http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=304 This American Life] ] This was followed by a profile on Dateline NBC on August 13, 2006. [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14337492/ To Hell and Back] , Dateline NBC story on Pearson's evolution]

Pearson was the subject of a CNN story on June 24th, 2007 which covered his change to a more inclusive policy (including acceptance of LGBT people into his church) and the resulting negative backlash from the evangelical community. [ [http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0706/24/cnr.01.html CNN story] ]

Current ministry

Bishop Pearson was accepted in the United Church of Christ and is now the founder and senior pastor of New Dimensions Church in Tulsa.

Musical career

Bishop Pearson is also a gospel vocalist who has won two Stellar Awards and was nominated for a Dove Award. [citeweb|url=http://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/pentecostalconference/pentecostal_profiles.html|title=Pentecostal Profiles|accessdate=2007-11-29]

Books

*"The Gospel of Inclusion: Reaching Beyond Religious Fundamentalism to the True Love of God", 2007. Azusa Press/ Council Oak Books, ISBN 0979168902. [ [http://www.newdimensions.us/content.cfm?id=2010 First two chapters of "The Gospel of inclusion"] , from the New Dimensions website]

References

External links

* [http://www.newdimensions.us/ New Dimensions Worship Center] , Pearson's church
* [http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=1111 Pearson's life story] , as told on "This American Life", with numerous quotes from Pearson