Share this @internewscast.com

OKLAHOMA CITY — The founder of a former megachurch in Oklahoma who was branded a heretic and lost one audience — but gained a new one — after he rejected the idea of hell and supported gay rights has died, his agent said Monday.

Bishop Carlton Pearson died Sunday night in hospice care in Tulsa due to cancer, said his agent, Will Bogle.

Pearson was 70.

Early in his ministry he was considered a rising star on the Pentecostal preaching circuit and frequently appeared on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, bringing him to an international audience.

From a ministry he started in 1977, Pearson in 1981 founded Higher Dimensions Family Church in Tulsa — later known as New Dimensions Church, whose membership numbered about 6,000 by the turn of the century.

Membership plummeted to a few hundred by 2008 after Pearson began teaching what he called “the gospel of inclusion,” a form of universalism, which does not recognize hell.

Bogle said Pearson told him that he did not believe he had made a mistake with his theological change.

“People were forced to question what they were saying” about salvation, Bogle said. “And as polarizing as Bishop Pearson has been his whole life … he was a really good guy, he didn’t take himself seriously, he cared about people.”

In 2007, Pearson helped lead hundreds of clergy members from across the nation in urging Congress to pass landmark hate crime and job discrimination measures for gay people.

Pearson was shunned by other evangelical leaders, branded a heretic and later became a United Church of Christ minister. Higher Dimensions ultimately lost its building to foreclosure and Pearson preached his final sermon there in September 2008 as the church was absorbed into All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa.

After the collapse of his old ministry, his story was chronicled in a lengthy episode of public radio’s “This American Life,” which became the basis for the 2018 Netflix movie, “Come Sunday,” starring Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Pearson’s beliefs also led to his resignation from the board of regents of his alma mater, Oral Roberts University, and a split with the university’s founder and his mentor — evangelist Oral Roberts.

Pearson ran unsuccessfully for Tulsa mayor in 2002, a defeat he blamed on public reaction to his teachings.

He most recently was a life coach with New Dimensions with a weekly live broadcast on Facebook and YouTube.

Pearson, in August, posted a social media video from what appeared to be a hospital room and he said he had been fighting cancer for 20 years.

In a September video, he said was diagnosed with prostate cancer two decades ago, but was diagnosed with bladder cancer over the summer.

“I am facing death … I’m not afraid of death, I’m not even afraid of dying,” Pearson said.

“I don’t fear God and if I was going to fear anybody, I’d fear some of his so-called people because they can be some mean sons of biscuit eaters, as my brother used to say,” Pearson said.

In 1995, Pearson called Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” for preaching the opposite of Martin Luther King Jr. and criticized the upcoming “Million Man March” to Washington, D.C., that Farrakhan organized to promote African American unity and family values.

Pearson in 2000 was among a group of 30 clergy who advised then President-elect George W. Bush on faith-based social programs.

Pearson also authored books, including “The Gospel of Inclusion: Reaching Beyond Religious Fundamentalism to the True Love of God” and was in the documentary film American Heretics: The Politics of the Gospel.

Pearson is survived by his mother, a son, a daughter and his former wife, Bogle said.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Florida man who killed 2 people outside a bar is scheduled to be executed

Execution Date Set for Florida Man Convicted of Double Murder Outside Bar

A man who shot and killed a couple outside a Florida bar…
(FILES) This file handout photo provided by Saudi Arabia's NEOM on July 26, 2022 shows the design plan for the 500-metre tall parallel structures, known collectively as The Line, in the heart of the Red Sea megacity NEOM. - Saudi Arabia was chosen to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games at a $500 billion futuristic megacity in the desert that planners say will feature a year-round winter sports complex. The Saudi bid was "unanimously approved", the statement said, noting that the megacity known as NEOM will be the first West Asian city to host the event. (Photo by NEOM / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / NEOM" - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS (Photo by -/NEOM/AFP via Getty Images)

The Future of Saudi Arabia’s $1 Trillion Megacity “The Line” Uncertain as Leaders Assess Feasibility Amid Controversy

The ambitious $1 trillion megacity, The Line, faces uncertainty as Saudi leaders…
Will There Be a Season 2 of ‘Ballard’ on Prime Video?

Is ‘Ballard’ Getting a Season 2 on Prime Video? Here’s What We Know

We’re currently watching a ton of new television. Like, an embarrassing amount.…
Woman rock climbing.

34-Year-Old TV Host Tragically Passes in Base Jumping Accident; Show Honors ‘Adrenaline Woman’ Marta Jiménez

A POPULAR TV presenter known as “Adrenaline Woman” has died in a…
President Trump speaking at a podium.

Trump Issues Stern Warning to Putin, Declares Lack of Trust While Ukraine Unleashes Drone Attack

DONALD Trump has warned Vladimir Putin he’s “disappointed but not done” with the…
Photo of Nilton Vieira Junior.

Husband Allegedly Mutilates Romantic Rival Before Fatal Attack, Apprehended in Chains

A MAN accused of cutting of his wife’s lover’s penis off with…
FBI captures former Marine Corps reservist accused of shooting at ICE officers at Texas detention center

Former Marine Corps Reservist Arrested by FBI for Allegedly Shooting at ICE Officers in Texas

Federal authorities apprehended a military veteran on Tuesday afternoon, who was sought…
Historic Grand Canyon Lodge destroyed in wildfire, which closes North Rim for season

Wildfire Destroys Historic Grand Canyon Lodge, Forcing North Rim Closure for the Season

A wildfire ravaged the Grand Canyon’s North Rim on Sunday, demolishing the…
Headshot of a man wearing a kufi.

Israeli Airstrike Eliminates Hamas Member Responsible for Holding British Hostage Emily Damari

THE Hamas terrorist who held Brit hostage Emily Damari captive has been…
Camp Mystic Recreation Hall damaged by flood.

Heartbreaking Story of How a 9-Year-Old Camp Mystic Victim Was Identified After Floods, Revealing Her Bravery

ONE of the youngest victims in the Texas floods was identified by…
Judge says Trump administration can't use travel ban to keep 80 refugees out of the US

Court Blocks Trump Administration’s Use of Travel Ban to Exclude 80 Refugees from Entering U.S.

A federal judge has prohibited the Trump administration from applying its travel…
Waldorf-Astoria brings back NYC’s 'grand hotel' style

Waldorf-Astoria Revives the Iconic ‘Grand Hotel’ Atmosphere in NYC

The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel’s September reopening, five years later than first planned, will…