Prayers are pouring in for former megachurch pastor, Carlton Pearson, who has been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer.
According to Pearson's family, doctors found a Stage 4 cancerous mass that has been deemed “inoperable and fatal."
In a Facebook post, his family stated, "To all of you who love Carlton as a Friend, Teacher, Mentor, Pastor, and Bishop: Our dear Carlton was diagnosed with cancer in 2001 and was declared cancer free shortly thereafter. Just recently the cancer has returned and has been a significant challenge, especially in the last 120 days."
In what seemed like a farewell post to his followers, Pearson said in a video message that he will be thinking of them in Heaven.
“This will be probably one of the last times you'll see me like this,” Pearson said in a pre-recorded message from his hospice room.
On Thursday, November 30th, radio show host Rickey Smiley pre-matured announced in a video post that Pearson had died; however, this was an error. Rev. Pearson is still alive. The post has since been deleted.
Carlson remains an influential figure. While he was raised in the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), he later founded Higher Dimensions Evangelistic Center in Tulsa in 1981. According to the Christian Research Institute, the church grew from 75 members to more than 5,000 members under his leadership.
A one-time protegé of Charismatic televangelist Oral Roberts, Carlton Pearson started the Azusa Conferences at Oral Roberts University in the 1980s and frequently appeared on Christian broadcast stations.
70-year old Carlton Pearson was once one of the most sought-after Pentecostal evangelists before losing his megachurch in Tulsa, Oklahoma, after he declared that Hell did not exist.
In a March 2018 interview with television personality, Megyn Kelly, Pearson explained that his thinking about Hell had evolved. He stated, "I started thinking about the absurdity and the vulgarity of eternal torture — if it was primitive or corrective or remedial. I couldn't reconcile that with the moral character of a God of love."
Pearson would go on to become an affiliate minister with All Souls Unitarian Church.
In 1993, Pearson married life coach, Gina Marie Gauthier. Before divorcing in 2016, they had two children: a son, Julian D'Metrius Pearson and a daughter, Majestè Amour Pearson.
Please keep Rev. Carlton Pearson in your prayers as he continues to battle prostate cancer.