BISHOP CARLTON D. PEARSON March 19, 1953 – November 19, 2023

Bishop Carlton D’Metrius Pearson, one of the most popular and influential preachers in America and around the world, who sacrificed everything for a message of unconditional love and acceptance by God, died peacefully the night of November 19, 2023, at the age of 70, after a brief battle with cancer that had returned after first defeating it 20 years ago. He was surrounded by his family.

Moving to Tulsa in 1971, to become a student at Oral Roberts University, Carlton was invited by Oral Roberts himself to join the World Action Singers on his nationally-aired TV specials, eventually becoming an associate evangelist with the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association in 1975.

In 1977, Carlton launched his own ministry, Higher Dimensions, Inc., traveling the country with a small ministry team. In 1981, with the help of his college roommate, Gary McIntosh, Carlton started Higher Dimensions Evangelistic Center, with 75 people attending its first service in Jenks, Oklahoma. Quickly outgrowing the small, storefront location in Jenks,

Higher Dimensions eventually settled at 8621 South Memorial Drive in Tulsa, becoming an integrated, multi-ethnic, cross-cultural congregation of more than 5,000 members.

A national television program launched in the mid-1980s, “Everything’s Gonna Be All Right,” expanded Carlton’s outreach to a national and international audience, becoming at that time one of only two African American preachers with a nationwide television ministry.

His annual AZUSA Conference, begun in 1988, became an international movement, giving national exposure to a number of preachers and gospel singers, bringing together believers of all denominations, cultures, races and walks of life. The annual conference attracted as many as 70,000 people to Tulsa each year, generating tens of millions of dollars to the Tulsa economy during the week-long conference, as well as smaller weekend conferences held across the country each year, such as Los Angeles, Atlanta, Philadelphia, San Jose, Tacoma, Buffalo and even Durban, South Africa.

His “Live at AZUSA” albums were nominated for multiple Dove and Stellar Awards, winning three Stellar Awards for “Carlton Pearson Live at AZUSA 2: Precious Memories.”

On the opening night of AZUSA ‘96, a group of pastors and bishops recognized his leadership by declaring him “a bishop in the Lord’s church.” The opening night of the following year’s conference, Bishop Carlton Pearson was officially consecrated in an ecclesiastical ceremony as the Presiding Bishop of the AZUSA Interdenominational Fellowship of Christian Churches and Ministries, establishing oversight of thousands of churches and ministries all over the world.

He 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.

At the height of his popularity, Bishop Pearson had a shift in his theological beliefs, and began to preach that Jesus did not just die for and save Christians, but for all mankind, and that no one goes to hell as we’ve known it. This became known as “The Gospel of Inclusion,” a form of Christian theology known as universalism. This shift in belief caused churches, upon whose stages he once frequented, to close their doors to him, shut down his annual conference and caused his church to dwindle from thousands to only dozens.

His theological shift was dramatized in a major motion picture, Netflix’s “Come Sunday,” starring Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave), Danny Glover (The Color Purple, Lethal Weapon), LaKeith Stanfield (Judas and the Black Messiah, Atlanta) and Martin Sheen (Apocalypse Now, The West Wing).

Carlton’s message and example of unconditional love, though it gained him the moniker of “heretic” by some in the Christian church, had a whole new world opened to him as a result. Non-Christians, as well as Christians who had left the church as a result of church hurts, abuse, hypocrisy, etc., loved the new message of love, healing and restoration. He leaves a legacy of love through the multiplied thousands of lives he touched during his time on earth and the impartation of grace and mercy he preached and exhibited to everyone he encountered.

Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, after “Three Score and Ten years,” transitioned from Mortal to Immortality on Sunday evening, November 19, 2023 from Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Carlton was preceded in death by his father, Adam Louis Pearson. He is survived by his son, Prince Julian Pearson; his daughter, Majeste Amour Pearson; his former wife Gina Marie Gauthier; his mother Lillie Ruth Pearson; his brother, Elector Pearson; his sisters, Antonya Robinson, Renee Godbey, Gail Moore and Monica Pearson; and numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of sending floral arrangements, please consider sending donations through CashApp: $NewDimensions2

Public visitation will be on Wednesday, November 29, 2023 between the hours of 4:00 PM until 8:00 PM at All Souls Unitarian Church, and then on Thursday morning, November 30, 2023 beginning at 9:00 AM until 10:30 AM at All Souls Unitarian Church.

An Interfaith Celebration of Life will commence on Thursday morning at 11:00 AM at All Souls Unitarian Church. The final hours of public visitation will be on Thursday, between the hours of 12:30 PM until 4:30 PM, The final closing and sealing of the Casket will begin at 4:30 PM.

A Musical Celebration of LIfe will be held on Thursday evening, beginning at 6:30 PM in the Greater Grace Temple in Tulsa.

The Episcopal Celebration of Life will commence on Friday, December 1, 2023 at High Noon at Transformation Church.