Carlton Pearson

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Carlton Pearson

Bishop Carlton D'Metrius Pearson, D.D. (born March 19,1953) is an evangelical Pentecostal minister based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he is the founder and senior pastor of New Dimensions.^[1] He is also a gospel vocalist who has won two Stellar Awards and was nominated for a Dove Award.^[2]

After attending Oral Roberts University (and working with Oral Roberts, himself) he formed his own church, Higher Dimensions, which became one of the largest in the city.

Doctrinally, Pearson was very orthodox in his beliefs^{[citation needed]}, although his preaching style was described as very animated and charismatic.

After Pearson asserted that he had received an epiphany from God, he stated that he doubted the concept of hell as it has been traditionally taught. This caused many in his evangelical congregation to leave. Pearson began to call his doctrine—a variation on universal reconciliation—the Gospel of Inclusion.

In 2004, the Joint College of African-American Pentecostal Bishops formally named Pearson a heretic.^[3]

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.

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Pearson's belief in hell is stated on his website in the following words:^[4]

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.