Tulsa World: Pearson's church to meet in All Souls

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Pearson's church to meet in All Souls
The church will host a small Pentecostal-style congregation.

Bishop Carlton Pearson (left) is moving his church into the All Souls Unitarian Church building, where the Rev. Marlin Lavanhar serves as pastor. Cory Young/Tulsa World

By BILL SHERMAN World Religion Writer
Published: 6/14/2008 2:20 AM
Last Modified: 6/14/2008 3:21 AM

The church will host a small Pentecostal-style congregation.

Bishop Carlton Pearson's New Dimensions church will begin meeting Sunday at All Souls Unitarian Church, bringing together a small black Pentecostal-style congregation and a large white congregation with a staid, intellectual style of worship.

"It is truly historic. Nothing quite like this has ever happened before," All Souls senior minister Marlin Lavanhar told his congregation last Sunday morning.

"And it comes at a time when it seems like our entire nation is entering a new era" . . . when "the next president of the United States may very well be African-American," he said.

All Souls "is opening its doors, and its hearts, to a black Pentecostal preacher who has spent 25 years trying to cast demons out of this place," he said.

"Something new is trying to burst forth in human consciousness right here in America, and right here in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This is a new day, when Unitarians and Pentecostals, young and old, black and white, gay and straight, Democrat and Republican can all find themselves sharing a church and caring for one another and each other's children — that's the beloved community. That's creating the kingdom on earth as it is in heaven," he said in his Sunday sermon.

Pearson once was a popular charismatic preacher, pastoring the 5,000-member Higher Dimensions Family Church in south Tulsa.

An Oral Roberts prot 1/2 g 1/2 , he fell out of favor with the evangelical world when he began preaching what he calls the gospel of inclusion, which says most if not all people will go to heaven because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross.

Ninety percent of his members left, and the bank foreclosed on his property.

The remnant that remained with him formed New Dimensions Worship Center, which for the past 2 1/2 years has met at Trinity Episcopal Church downtown.

Pearson said he was "incredibly grateful" for the hospitality shown by Trinity, but that the move to All Souls is a better situation for his congregation, which again will be able to worship on Sunday mornings. At Trinity, the congregation met on Sunday afternoons.

Despite their external differences, All Souls and New Dimensions are both liberal and progressive churches. Pearson and his church last year affiliated with the United Church of Christ, one of America's most liberal denominations, and among the first to openly embrace gay and lesbian members and leaders.

All Souls, 2952 S. Peoria Ave., is the largest Unitarian church in the world.

"Both churches reflect inclusion consciousness," Pearson said.

Lavanhar said religion should be "inclusive, liberating. That's the good news."

He noted that while Oral Roberts and former All Souls senior minister John Wolf often were sharply at odds, he and Pearson, representing the next generation in their respective traditions, are not.

"There's a new trend in America, a new openness."

He said it is appropriate that this is happening at the same time there is a new call for a national dialogue on race.

Pearson said he now will be closely associated with a congregation and a denomination that he denounced in the past.

Acknowledging that there may be theological differences between them, Pearson said, "We don't have to go along to get along."

Lavanhar pointed out that the biblical patriarch Abraham's tent was open from all sides, so all visitors would feel they were coming in the front door.

"We want people to feel welcome, no matter what direction they're coming from theologically," he said.

For the summer, All Souls will worship at 10 a.m., and New Dimensions at 11:30 a.m. in the All Souls sanctuary.

Both pastors have exchanged pulpits in the past, and will do so again, they said.

Some music programs, youth activities and other events will be shared, although each congregation will retain its own identity.

Next fall, arrangements may change.

Pearson, once a regular on national Christian television, has become the darling of the secular media since he became a universalist.

He has been featured on ABC's 20/20, NBC's Dateline, HBO, National Public Radio, National Geographic and other national media outlets. A major Hollywood film producer is talking to him about making a movie of his life story, which may be entitled, "Heretic."

This is not the first time that All Souls has hosted another congregation. From 1998 until 2000, B'nai Emunah, a Conservative Jewish congregation 12 blocks to the north, worshipped at All Souls while their building was renovated.

Lavanhar said the experience forged lasting bonds between the two congregations.

Bill Sherman 581-8398
Bill.Sherman@Tulsaworld.com
By BILL SHERMAN World Religion Writer

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	Report Comment nativeokie, (6/14/2008 3:53:33 AM) And in the last days false prophets shall arise.
	Report Comment CWG, (6/14/2008 6:45:24 AM) The religious group that says only 144,000 will make it to heaven may be right. it looks like a whole bunch of church-goers might not make it.
	Report Comment Graychin, Eucha (6/14/2008 11:13:17 AM) Theoretically, religion should unite humankind. In practice, religion is usually a divisive force for which people kill and die. These two congregations, very different from each other, are working together. I'm sure that many "Christian" commenters will condemn this as non-Biblical or some such nonsense. Congratulations to both congregations!
	Report Comment Fred, (6/14/2008 12:20:19 PM) I have had great respect for the great people at, "All Souls Unitarian Church". I have even more respect for them now. Your words are so true, Graychin. Uniting humankind should always come first.
	Report Comment Cov, (6/17/2008 9:53:51 AM) Hmmmm.....Joe, what do you do with the example that Jesus gave? He was baptized. Are we not to do as He did? Meanwhile, I never cared much for religion. Clubs of strife. Now relationship with our Creator, that is worth speaking about and living towards. And our Creator is not skitzoid or double-minded.

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