On March 7th of 2002 Charsima News Service announced that Carlton Pearson, well-known Charismatic preacher in
Tulsa, OK and frequent minister on TBN, had a different gospel.
Pearson said that he knew some of his views-- such as his belief that homosexuality should be "tolerated
but not celebrated"--would raise some eyebrows, the newspaper said. "The religious folk want these people
to go to hell," he said.
After that announcement Pearson's doctrine was denoucned:
Three well known black Pentecostal preachers have denounced Tulsa, Okla., pastor Carlton Pearson's "Gospel
of Inclusion," which questions the existence of a literal hell and espouses that everyone is already saved.
(CNS 3-27-02)
The three were Bishop Charles Blake, pastor of West Angeles (Calif.) Church of God in Christ (COGIC), and Bishop
G.E. Patterson, head of COGIC, and T.D. Jakes. Blake and Patterson have dismissed "any knowledge or support
of Pearson's doctrine."
And Jakes said he "emphatically and unequivocally" repudiated inclusionism -- also known as universalism
-- as "heresy." (CNS 3-27-02)
Despite a mass exodus of his congregation and a large drop in numbers at his annual Azusa summer conference,
Bishop Carlton Pearson of Tulsa, Okla., has said he will stand by his commitment to preach a "more appealing
and attractive message of God's unconditional love for all." . . .
Although he does not like the term "inclusion," Pearson said he does believe that Jesus' death and resurrection
paid the price for all the world to spend eternal life in heaven, without the requirement that people repent, confess
and receive their salvation. (CNS 9-6-02)
Pearson is not the only one that preaches that message, it has been around a long time and is called, "Universal
Reconciliationism" or just "Universalism." They believe that Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Unitarians
-- will go to heaven.
Even though Pearson is not a member of the World Bishops Council (WBC), he agreed to appear before them to have
his doctrine examined. In November they declared him to be a heretic.
"We issued a correction of the teachings and have clearly stated that we cannot support the gospel of inclusion
as it stands," WBC president Timothy Paul Baymon told Charisma News Service. Baymon noted that the decision
was based on the Canons of the Altogether Apostles, which have been used for centuries. (CNS 11-18-02)
Even though the majority of the WBC voted against Pearson, some of the members
voted for him. Pearson said that "several from the panel of about 12
leaders asked him to join the WBC and invited him to speak at their churches."
Apostasy is growing, and it will continue to grow. You might have noticed
that even though many pastors across the country believe Pearson is a heretic,
he can still be seen on TBN. Apparently, the only thing that will get you
kicked off TBN is preaching against the get-rich gospel.
Jesus said that broad is the way that leads to destruction and many will find
it, but narrow is the way that leads to life and few will find it (Matthew
7:13). There are supposedly over two BILLION Christians currently alive on
this planet today. If the words of Jesus are correct, and they certainly are,
then most of those two billion are not on the narrow path.
The Bible also says woe to the man that is responsible for leading others
astray! How many people will continue their sinful lifestyle because of teachings
like Universalism??
