This article is very inspirational for a preacher to see how diverse God's creation is, and loves his/her's creation! This article also shows how we can learn about our differences, love one another, and have greater understanding!
By: Deb Price
Wanting to be like his great-grandfather, grandfather and father, Carlton Pearson set his young heart on becoming a Pentecostal preacher.
By 5, the African-American boy was preaching to other kids in his poor southern California neighborhood. He grew into an unusually gifted preacher and gospel singer at storefront churches, the kind with colored plastic lining on their windows because they can't afford stained glass.
Pearson's talent widened his world: He went on to study at Oral Roberts University, serve on the evangelical school's board of regents, move in the most elite white evangelical circles, chat with Republican presidents and host his own gospel TV show.
He preached that AIDS was God's punishment for homosexuality, spoke in tongues and laid hands on homosexuals to -- as he saw it -- cast out their demons.
But a few years ago, Pearson lost the trappings of success -- including his mega church, where collection plates overflowed with $60,000 a week. He found a more emotionally rewarding way of relating to God and people.
How?
He stopped believing in Hell. He was no longer willing to preach that a loving God would doom most of humanity to a "customized torture chamber." Deciding that "if Jesus is the savior of the world, then the world is saved," Pearson started spreading "a Gospel of inclusion" -- proclaiming that everyone is saved, not just Christians.
Branded a heretic, shunned by other mega-church evangelists, Pearson felt shattered. But Jews reached out to him and so did gay students at Oral Roberts University, who asked if his inclusive gospel included them. Yes, he replied. Soon, he was invited to preach at a gay San Francisco church. Afterward, everyone hugged him.
"I hadn't been loved like that in months by anybody, especially Christians," Pearson recalls.
And then the lesbian pastor washed his feet. "Oh my God, it was one of the holiest moments in my whole Christian life. That female gay woman with all these gay people weeping and singing and loving this (so-called) heretic and washing his feet. The people I had once denied and denounced were now my only friends," he recalls.
Pearson committed himself to being a loving brother to those of us who're gay. This spring, he led several hundred religious leaders in lobbying Congress to protect gay and transgender people from hate crimes and job discrimination.
"I am not telling people they have to love gays. I am telling people they get to love gays. All people want is permission," Pearson says.
He's helping the National Black Justice Coalition launch its "Faithful Call to Justice." Black and racially mixed churches are being asked to have gay-friendly sermons or messages in their bulletins on the first weekend in June.
Pearson says, "We have always had gays in the church, and some of the best music in the African-American church was written by gays. We've sung their songs and cursed their souls."
Pearson's faith in a God too loving to shun anyone opened new doors in his heart. And now he's working to help the black church and the rest of the nation walk through them.
Reach Deb Price at dprice@detnews.com
Justice MH's Thoughts: I agree with much of what the article talked about. It seems that black pastors are slowly, but surely starting to see that gay men and women have always been part of every part of society. They're starting to see gay men and women love God just has much as them, or more! With experiences like these help people to see that differences are good thing, not a bad thing. I hope more black pastors gain understanding and experience to know that we're all are made of God's image, and that our sexual orientation is part of us!
10 comments:
Captain: Since you removed your comment i shouldn't respond.
Everyone is entitle to their opinion of Bishop peterson.
He has experience a good thing with people!
Mr. Pearson IS in error. He is certainly not fit to keep the title of Bishop or Pastor, or any leader role in the church until he returns to SOUND DOCTRINE.
Captian: Everyone has different beliefs. You are in no position to tell some one they're beliefs are wrong or how the way they believe.
Sound Doctrine? WTF!
Oh, but it is a very serious thing. Watch out for my next installation on the subject: Shutting Down the Council Of The Wicked. I will speak about Sound Doctrine and why it was so important by Apostle Paul and why it is even more important today in part 2 of this series. This goes beyond "belief".
Captian: Whatever!
I noticed as I compared Ford Motors and Carlton Pearson.
Ford Motor Company started a few years ago supporting the gay community and now look what happened. They have lost over $13 Billion dollars in the past 11 consecutive quarters for the past three years because of their support.
The same has occurred with Carlton Pearson. He was a man that had a great church, strong cultural attendees at his congregation, wealthy, a great singer and preacher, he organized the Azusa Street Conference every year in the 90's (Just like T.D. Jakes Megafest) and now he lost it ALL....just because he is preaching and teaching an unsound doctrine and embracing gays in the unfounded teaching that homosexuality is OK and acceptable.
People will one day wake up and learn that embracing Baal, and the homosexual lifestyle will cause you to loose everything you have, and gain nothing but judgement, disease, poverty and death.
@Captian: A person's sexual orientation is more than ok and acceptable.
It's just a shame you can't accept yours!
I'm not the topic of discussion my boy.
However, you can't deny the comparision either.
Currently at the age of 35, the son of a current Presiding Bishop who has been preaching holiness, with the accompanying hellfire and brimstone warnings to final judgments and eternal damnation, I eventually was arrested by the Holy Spirit, after being invited to The Vision Church of Atlanta. Until that moment, I was convinced that being a Worship Leader for many mega ministries, that the word they were preaching was the accurate Gospel message. Listening to many semons from many Leaders, the Christian church had created an enemy within myself causing me to become more indicting than inviting to other non believers. And you would think, being a black, gay male myself I would have been less attacking and do more attracting of others right? Not the case. It wasnt until I visited a local church here in Atlanta when I realized that God loved and accepted me for who I was. I realized at that moment, I didnt need society to validate my ticket to get into heaven. I accepted Christ as my Savior and I knew at that moment, I was saved. The Gospel that contain the words Jesus, say absolutely nothing negative about gays or lesbians. I think that this inclusive approach creates problems for those fundamentalist religous leaders who are dealing with their own discomfort, insecurity, and fear. I thank God for Bishop Pearson for this inclusive move and step.
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