CARLTON PEARSON JOINS CHRIST UNIVERSAL FAMILY: He’s named interim minister at Chicago church.

Carlton Pearson is excited to move to Chicago and join the Christ Universal Temple family.

“We will make it a world class institution and take the ministry to new heights and assist people in living their best lives with a practical religious doctrine,” he says.

Carlton Pearson assumed full duties on May 17. Reverend Johnnie Colemon who retired three years ago after building the country’s leading New Thought ministry founded Christ Universal Temple 52 years ago.

Carlton Pearson has been controversial, however. A fourth generation Pentecostal minister and traveling evangelist, while he was living in Tulsa, Oklahoma he had one of the largest churches in the city. He hosted the religious conference (AZUSA) that attracted 50,000 people and his was the most watched program on Trinity Broadcasting Network.

After watching a television news program that depicted the horrible conditions of people dying in Rwanda he reevaluated his traditional fundamental Pentecostal doctrine and challenged his religion. As pastor of the New Dimension Church he saw his membership fall from 5,000 to 1,000. He changed his life and embraced what he calls, “universal reconciliation” and wrote a book entitled “The Gospel of Inclusion.” Pentecostal Bishops labeled him a “heretic” and he lost his church, his following and his popularity. His “Gospel of Inclusion” message has attracted diverse ministries and welcomes all people.

Christ Universal Temple is located at 11901 South Ashland in Chicago.