Rest in Peace our Beloved Bishop Carlton Pearson

Being raised in, and being named successor of, America’s original mega church, I saw both the ugliness of religion and the disingenuous nature of many preachers. As a young minister, I became disenchanted and disillusioned with the church world as I knew it. Bishop Carlton D. Pearson made me believe again…not in the church. But rather, in myself, my soul, and in a bigger and better vision and version of the Ultimate Reality we call God. Through his unfaltering friendship and unfailing loyalty, I sat at the feet of this brilliant mind, revolutionary spirit, and modern day church reformer for the last twenty years. C. D. P. (As I affectionately called him) would ask me regularly, “What will a man give in exchange for his soul?” When Jesus asked this question he used the word soul in context with the mind (soul in Greek is “psuche” where we get the word psyche or mind). As a proud and loyal son of Carlton Pearson, and as an architect of the Inclusive Movement, I honor a man who neither exchanged nor sold his soul for fortune, followers or fame. We lovingly called Bishop Pearson “Carly Moses.” He truly delivered us from the bondage of fear and the baggage of religion. He guided us away from the idolatry of creating God in our own image and removed the obstacles that kept us from seeing and sensing our own divinity. And, he reminded us to take our joy seriously. God broke the mold when Carlton Pearson was created. Only history will reveal the impact of this eternally pure Spirit that took on flesh for seventy years. In his own prophetic words we will all live to know that “Today’s heretic is tomorrow’s hero!” Well done my friend, family and father. I love you with my whole heart. The man may be gone. However, the message, mission and mandate remains. We will stay the case and course. -D.E. ‪@CarltonDPearson‬