Bishop Pearson attended Oral Roberts University, and was mentored by Oral R… Read Full Bio ↴Bishop Pearson attended Oral Roberts University, and was mentored by Oral Roberts. He was licensed and ordained in the Church of God in Christ. Pearson formed his own church, Higher Dimensions, which became one of the largest in the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma. During the 1990s it grew to an attendance of over 5,000 and in 1997 Pearson was ordained a bishop. In 2000 he campaigned for George W. Bush and following the presidential inauguration was invited to the White House.

Then after viewing a television program which depicted the wretched conditions of people dying in Rwanda, and considering the teaching of his church that non-Christians were destined for hell, Pearson felt he had received an epiphany from God, and stated that he doubted the concept of hell as it has been traditionally taught. In February 2002 he lost a primary bid for the mayorship of Tulsa. By then Pearson had begun to call his doctrine—a variation on universal reconciliation—the Gospel of Inclusion, and many in his congregation began to leave.

Pearson has said, "A person who spends every day getting drunk, will ruin their health, marriage, family and career; they will make their lives a living Hell. But that still falls far short of the chronic alcoholic being condemned by a just God to literally burn in Hell forever and ever.
For others it may very well be that the punishment merited by their sins is greater than what they receive in this life. For those people perhaps there will be some kind of punishment after death, but we believe that it will be remedial and corrective rather than just punishment for punishment's sake. Exactly what that will be and how long it will last we don't know. Will Hell for some people last 10 minutes or 10 million years... we don't know. But this we do know; Hell will not last for eternity; it will not be endless... Don't sin. Be reunited with God now, rather than after you have put yourself (and those you love) through Hell."

In March 2004, after hearing Bishop Pearson's argument for inclusion, the Joint College of African-American Pentecostal Bishops reached the conclusion that such teaching was heresy. Officially recognized as a heretic, the once very popular Bishop Carlton Pearson rapidly began to lose his influence. Higher Dimensions membership fell to under 1,000 and lost its building to foreclosure in January 2006, at which time the church began meeting in nearby Trinity Episcopal Church as New Dimensions Church.

In November 2006, Pearson was accepted as a United Church of Christ minister. In June 2008, New Dimensions Church moved to All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa. On September 7, 2008, New Dimensions Church held its final worship service and merged with All Souls Unitarian Church.

Bishop Pearson's story was the subject of an episode entitled "Heretics" on Chicago Public Radio's This American Life, which aired on December 16, 2005. This was followed by a profile on Dateline NBC on August 13, 2006.

Pearson was the subject of a CNN story on June 24th, 2007 which covered his change to a more inclusive gospel (including acceptance of LGBT people into his church) and the resulting negative backlash from the evangelical community.

However, aside from all the heretic mess, Bishop Pearson is also a gospel vocalist who has won two Stellar Awards and was nominated for a Dove Award. He, and the choir of Higher Dimensions Evangelical Center, recorded two albums under the production of Christian singer Carmen, called High Praises Vol 1, and Vol 2. They were so wildly successful that Warner Bros.' Christian music arm, Warner Alliance, signed Pearson and the choir to a contract that eventually encompassed over 5 live albums, the first three of which were very popular and got a lot of attention on radio and TBN and other Christian networks. When Pearson strayed from the teachings of God, Carmen disassociated himself from Pearson, whom he had known since the first days of Higher Dimensions in the late 70's.

All the Way
Carlton Pearson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

All the way, I'm going all the way
All the way, I'm going all the way
All the way, I'm going all the way
I'm going all the way with the Lord

I've made my choice, I'm going all the way
I've made my choice, I'm going all the way
I've made my choice, I'm going all the way

I'm going all the way with the lord.

I've made my decision, I'm going all the way
I've made my decision, I'm going all the way
I've made my decision, I'm going all the way
I'm going all the way with the Lord.

No turning back, I'm going all the way
No turning back, I'm going all the way

No turning back, I'm going all the way
I'm going all the way with the Lord.

Overall Meaning

Carlton Pearson's song "All the Way" is an affirmation of the singer's unwavering commitment to their faith and their belief in the Lord. The repetition of the phrase "all the way" emphasizes the singer's determination to fully embrace their faith, and echoes common phrases in traditional gospel music that assert a believer's unwavering commitment to their religion.

The lyrics center on the belief that once a choice has been made to follow the Lord, there can be no turning back. The decision is final, and the singer is willing to fully commit themselves to their faith without any hesitation or reservation. This message of steadfast devotion is reinforced throughout the song, as the singer repeats the idea of "going all the way" with the Lord.

In addition to its religious themes, the song also speaks to the larger human tendency to seek meaning and purpose in life. The singer's decision to commit themselves fully to their faith reflects a deep desire to find something greater than themselves to believe in, and to live a life that is guided by their moral and spiritual values.

Overall, Carlton Pearson's "All the Way" is a powerful affirmation of faith and devotion. Through its repetitive lyrics and unwavering message, the song speaks to the timeless human desire to find meaning, purpose, and guidance in life.

Line by Line Meaning

All the way, I'm going all the way
I am fully committed to my faith and will pursue it with my whole being.

I've made my choice, I'm going all the way
I have decided to dedicate my life to God and will follow through with that decision.

I've made my decision, I'm going all the way
I have carefully considered my options and concluded that following the path of faith is the right choice, and I will stick to that path completely.

No turning back, I'm going all the way
I will not waver in my commitment to my faith, no matter how difficult the journey may become.

I'm going all the way with the Lord.
I will face the challenges of life and pursue my faith with the guidance and support of God.

Writer(s): David Smith, Carlton Pearson

Contributed by Isaac H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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