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 Heresy in the Cathedral Carlton Pearson’s ‘gospel of inclusion’ is now headed to a prominent pulpit in Atlanta Since he became a Universalist in the late 1990s, Carlton
Pearson has lost almost all the support he once enjoyed among
charismatics and Pentecostals in this country. His 5,000-member
church in Tulsa, Okla., has shrunk to a few hundred, forcing his
building into foreclosure. But that hasn’t stopped the
discredited preacher from spreading his quirky “everybody
is saved” doctrine on secular television programs,
including National Public Radio, Fox News and the National
Geographic Channel.
And now Pearson has announced that his next major theological
summit—called Inclusion 2006—will be held in
October at Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, a charismatic church
founded by Bishop Earl Paulk in the Atlanta suburb of
Decatur.
“Inclusionism,” in case the term is new to
you, is the idea that God does not exclude anyone from heaven. It
is ultimate extreme in liberal heresy. If Jesus died for all, then
all automatically receive eternal life. No matter how people choose
to live their lives on Earth, or whether they respond to Christ
through repentance and faith, they get free admission into a
glorious afterlife.
In other words, you can live any way you want to. There is no
hell. The worst sinners—and maybe even the devil
himself—will wind up in heaven.
Pearson actually believes the concept of hell is rooted in
pagan beliefs. “My ministry will be inclusive, not
exclusive. I’m no longer preaching and living under that
fear-based gospel,” Pearson told the
Dallas Morning News in March.
On his Web site, Pearson announces that he is releasing his
most important book this year,
God Is Not a Christian. He also tells his Web site visitors
to prepare for an international theological reformation based on
his “revelation.”
“Don’t miss out on the newest shift in
religious sensibility!” Pearson’s Web site
announces.
It was one thing for Pearson to preach his heresies to a small
and dwindling crowd at his Higher Dimensions Family Church in
Tulsa, which meets in a borrowed Episcopal sanctuary. It is another
thing for him to take his message on the road and preach it at
Paulk’s church, which was at one time the most prominent
charismatic congregation in the Southeast.
Today most of the Cathedral’s seats are empty. The
congregation has been losing members steadily, especially in the
last year after former church employees Bobby and Mona Brewer filed
a lawsuit alleging that Paulk lured Mona into an ongoing adulterous
affair.
Why is Paulk allowing Pearson in his pulpit? Why is he going
so far as to host this heretical gathering in his neo-Gothic
cathedral?
It’s no secret that Pearson has already preached in
the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit at least twice since he was
officially labeled a heretic by a group of African-American bishops
in 2004. It appears that Paulk has thrown his hat in the ring with
his Universalist friend. Deception has spread its web.
You might be tempted to say, “Paulk and Pearson have
just gone off the deep end. No one is going to listen to
them.” I’m not expecting long lines at the
Inclusion 2006 event, but don’t underestimate the
spiritual forces behind this deception. There are lots of people in
the ranks of charismatic churches today who are dangerously close
to embracing the idea of a God who can’t or
won’t send an unrepentant sinner to hell.
One of Pearson’s supporters, in showing his support
for inclusionism, writes on Pearson’s Web site:
“Any God who would cast away the majority of mankind, as
your critics insist, is not deserving of anyone’s worship
or praise.”
In other words: We don’t like the God of the Bible.
We want to fashion a new god in our own image.
What a sad day for our movement. I’m originally from
Atlanta, and I remember the glory days in the mid-1970s when crowds
discovered lively worship and spiritual renewal at
Paulk’s church—then known as Chapel Hill
Harvester. Today, after a long series of public scandals, the
crowds have vanished, many staff members have fled and hundreds of
once-dedicated church members are disillusioned and
hurt.
A church that was once known for spreading the message of the Holy Spirit’s power is now aligning itself with the most blatant form of blasphemy. Let’s pray that the infection will be contained rather than spreading to other parts of the body of Christ. |
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 | Foundational Truths for Christian Living by Derek Prince Form strong foundations for a spiritual house that will not crumble during the storms of life. Let Derek Prince teach you the fundamentals of faith: salvation, baptism, the Holy Spirit, laying on of hands, resurrection and eternal judgment. |
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 | The Seven Pillars of Health by Dr. Don Colbert What if in just 50 days, you could experience more energy, feel better, decrease your stress and enjoy each day? The Seven Pillars of Health makes it easy, outlining a 50 day, biblically-based plan to help you restore your health and reclaim your life. It is time to start tapping into God’s plan for your healthy future! |
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