[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >>> SO AS WE APPROACH THE EASTER
AND PASSOVER HOLIDAYS, WERE TAKING A LEAP OF FAITH TOGETHER.
SPEAKING WITH INFLUENTIAL AND
INNOVATIVE RELIGIOUS LEADERS
ABOUT GOD, HEAVEN AND HELL.
WE ARE WITH A MAN WHO BROUGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER WITH HISOUGHT
PEOPLE TOGETHER WITH HIS MESSAGE.
MESSAGE.
BUT THEN A VOICE ONE NIGHT FROM THE MAN UPSTAIRS LED HIM DOWN A
CONTROVERSIAL PATH THAT COST HIM
PRACTICALLY EVERYTHING.
PRACTICALLY EVERYTHING. >> THERE IS LIFE.
THERE IS SPONTANEITY. JOY.E IS SPONTANEITY.
JOY.
>> BISHOP CARLTON PEARSON IS AN ENERGETIC --RLTON PEARSON IS AN
ENERGETIC --
>> DANCING AROUND, TRYING TO FIND YOUR PLACE.D, TRYING TO
FIND YOUR PLACE. >> PASSIONATE AND CAPTIVATING
SPIRITUAL LEADER.
SPIRITUAL LEADER.
>> AND LEAVE YOU UP THERE FOR A WHILE. LEAVE YOU UP THERE FOR A
WHILE.
>> DRAWING HIS CONGREGATION IN WITH FLOWING SERMONS AND PERFECT
PITCH.
PITCH. ♪
♪ YOU COULD SAY PEARSON WAS BORN
TO BE A PREACHER.
>> AS A CHILD, OUR WHOLE LIFE
REVOLVED AROUND THE CHURCH.
I STARTED PREACHING WHEN I WAS
14.
14.
I WAS LICENSED AT 15.
ORDAINED AT 18.
>> HE ATTENDED ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA
AND ORAL ROBERTS HIMSELF TOOK
PEARSON UNDER HIS WING.
>> OUT OF ALL THE PROBABLY
25,000 STUDENTS THAT HAD GONE
THROUGH THERE BY THE TIME HE
RETIRED, NO ONE HAD THE KIND OF
ACCESS TO HIM AS I DID.
HE LITERALLY TREATED ME LIKE HIS
SON.
SON.
♪ >> FRESH OUT OF SCHOOL, BISHOP
PEARSONS POPULARITY AND MESSAGE
GREW BEYOND ANYONES
EXPECTATIONS.
EXPECTATIONS.
INCLUDING HIS OWN.
>> I WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN PREACHER ON THE
SOUTH SIDE TO START A CHURCH
THAT WAS INTEGRATED AND
MAINTAINED IT TO WHERE IT BECAME
WHAT THEY WOULD CALL A MEGA
CHURCH IN THIS TOWN.
UP TO ABOUT 4 OR 5,000.
>> BISHOP PEARSON PREPARED TO
MILLIONS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
IN 1995, HE SPOKE ALONGSIDE
REVEREND BILLY GRAHAM AT THE
OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING MEMORIAL.
>> THIS MESS FOR OKLAHOMA AND
AMERICA IS STILL TO COME.
>> AND WAS A SPIRITUAL ADVISER
TO PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH.
BUT EVERYTHING CHANGED WHEN
PEARSON HAD WHAT HE CALLED A
REVELATION FROM GOD.
>> I BELIEVE PEOPLE GO THROUGH
HELL, NOT ULTIMATELY TO HELL.
>> STOP TELLING PEOPLE THEYRE
GOING TO HELL.
I SAID I DONT CARE IF THEYRE
SITTING THERE WITH A NEEDLE IN
THEIR ARM, DRUNK, HIV POSITIVE.
THERE IS NO ISSUE BETWEEN THEM
AND GOD THAT IS NOT RESOLVED
BETWEEN THEM AND JESUS.
>> HIS NEW MESSAGE DID NOT GO
OVER WELL WITH HIS CONGREGATION,
OR WITH HIGH-RANKING CHURCH
OFFICIALS.
OFFICIALS.
BEFORE HE KNEW IT, HE HAD LOST EVERYTHING, AND WAS BRANDED AT
>>> IS THERE ANYBODY YOU LOVE IN YOUR OWN LIFE RIGHT NOW?
>> MY DAD IS THERE, WHAT ABOUT
IT?
IT?
>> AND DID YOU LOVE HIM?
>> OF COURSE, I DID.
HE WAS MY DADDY. BUT HE BEAT MY MAMA, HE BEAT ME.
HE WAS A FOREIGN INDICATOR.
>> AND NOW GOD IS PUNISHING HIM.
HES SUFFERING IN HELL.
HES TORMENTED FOR ALL ETERNITY.
SO LET ME ASK YOU SOMETHING.
WOULD YOU GET HIM OUT OF HELL IF
YOU COULD?
YOU COULD? >> THAT WAS FROM THE NEW NETFLIX
FILM, "COME SUNDAY" ABOUT BISHOP
PEARSON CARLTON.
PEARSON CARLTON.
IN THE 90s, HE WAS A SUCCESSFUL
PENTECOSTAL MINISTER OF A MEGA
CHURCH.
HE HELPED REVIVALS, COUNSELED PRESIDENT BUT LOST IT ALL WHEN
HE SAYS HE RECEIVED A DIRECT
MESSAGE OF GOD THAT WENT AGAINST
THE TEACHINGS OF THE PENT COSTAL
CHURCH.
CHURCH.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. >> THANK YOU, MEGYN.HERE.
>> THANK YOU, MEGYN. >> YOUR MESSAGE IS THAT THERE IS
NO HELL.
NO HELL.
THAT PEOPLE WHO ARENT, QUOTE,
SAVED, ARE NOT GOING TO HELL.
THAT, IN FACT, WE HAVE A LOVING
AND FORGIVING GOD.
>> FIRST I THOUGHT THERE WOULD -- I BELIEVED IN HELL, I
JUST DIDNT BELIEVE ANYBODY
WOULD BE IN IT BECAUSE OF THE
FINISHED WORK OF THE CROSS.
AND THEN I STARTED THINKING
ABOUT THE ABSURDITY AND THE
VULGARITY OF ETERNAL TORTURE.
IF IT WAS PURGATIVE, I COULD
UNDERSTAND SOME HELL BUT
PUNISHMENT -- OF LITTLE CHILDREN
12 AND OVER, 90 YEARS OLD -- I
COULDNT RECONCILE THAT WITH A
MORAL CHARACTER OF A GOD OF
LOVE.
LOVE.
>> SO COME OUT AND SAY THAT TO
YOUR CONGREGATION, 6,000 PEOPLE
AND IT DID NOT GO OVER WELL.
DID NOT GO OVER WELL WITH THE CHURCH LEADERS BESIDES YOURSELF.
AND WITHIN A YEAR, YOU HAD LOST
YOUR CHURCH.
YOUR CHURCH.
>> YEAH. EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. THE PROPERTY, MY INTELLECTUAL
RIGHTS, THE NAME.
I HAD TO SIGN OFF FROM THE --
THE FOUNDER OF THE ORGANIZATION
THAT I HAD FOUNDED AND IT WAS
JUST A PRETTY TORTUROUS.
>> AND LOST YOUR HOME.
>> LOST MY HOME.
>> LOST YOUR FORTUNE.
>> AND MY INHERITANCE.
I DIDNT HAVE ANY INHERITANCE.
BUT WHAT I HAD SAVED.
ALL MY SAVINGS, 401(k).
>> BECAUSE THAT GOES DIRECTLY
AGAINST PENTECOSTAL TEACHINGS.
>> FUNDAMENTALIST AND
PENTECOSTAL TEACHING.
PENTECOSTAL TEACHING. IT GOES AGAINST THE BIBLE.
THE BIBLE CAN BE VERY
CONTROVERSIAL, BECAUSE ONE DAY
IT SAYS YOU LOVE GOD AND THE
MERCY OF GOD ENDURES FOREVER.
HOW CAN MERCY ENDURE FOREVER AND
HELL ENDURE FOREVER?
ONE WOULD CANCEL OUT THE OTHER.
>> AND NOW YOUVE GOTTEN TO A
PLACE THAT IS MORE, SHALL I SAY,
PROGRESSIVE.
PROGRESSIVE.
ITS INCLUSIVE, ITS LOVING. IN THE MOVIE, IT WALKS US.
IN THE MOVIE, IT WALKS US THROUGH HOW YOU HAD THIS VERY
CLOSE FRIEND WHO WAS GAY, AND
INITIALLY YOU WERE ADVISING HIM,
ITS OKAY TO BE GAY, YOU JUST
CANT DO GAY.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> AND THEN -- AND NOW YOUVE EVOLVED ON ALL OF THAT, YES?
>> YES.
>> YES. >> AND WHATS YOUR BELIEF NOW?
>> THAT EVERYBODY -- MY -- JUST
LIKE THE MAKEUP ARTIST -- NOT
TRYING TO CORRECT EVERYBODY,
JUST ENHANCE EVERYBODY.
WHO YOU ALREADY ARE. BRING OUT THE BEST IN YOU,
CELEBRATE, OWN, HONOR, RESPECT,
LOVE YOURSELF.
LOVE YOURSELF. AND BE YOURSELF.
WE SPEND OUR LIVES, MOST OF US,
IMPERIOD OF TIME NAYSING WHO WE
THINK PEOPLE WANT US TO BE.
AND WE BECOME A WORLD OF
IMPOSTERS.
IMPOSTERS.
AND IMPERSONATORS.
BUT WHEN I STOP PUTTING ON THAT AIR, TRYING TO PLEASE THEN THAT
AIR, TRYING TO PLEASE THE PEOPLE, AND I LOVE PEOPLE, I HAD
TO FACE THE GUY THAT I HAD NEVER
MET.
MET. >> AND NOW YOU DONT HAVE ALL
THIS MONEY, YOU DONT HAVE THE
BIG 6,000-PERSON CHURCH.
BUT YOURE PREACHING WHAT YOU
BELIEVE IS GODS KIND AND LOVING
AND FORGIVING MESSAGE.
AND WAS IT WORTH IT?
I MEAN, DO YOU -- IF YOU COULD
GO BACK NOW AND DO IT OVER
AGAIN, WOULD YOU?
>> WELL, I WOULDNT BE SITTING
HERE TALKING TO YOU.
AND NOBODY -- THE MOVIE
MAGNIFIES AND AMPLIFIES THE
MESSAGE I THOUGHT THE CHURCH
WANTED TO MUTE.
ITS LIKE JASON SEGEL, ONE OF
THE ACTORS SAID TO ME, BISHOP,
WHAT ARE YOU FEELING,
VINDICATION OR REVENGE?
I SAID NO REVENGE.
I DO FEEL VINDICATION, BUT MORE
IMPORTANTLY, INDICATION.
IMPORTANTLY, INDICATION. AN INDICATION THAT MAYBE THE
UNIVERSE, GOD, HAS A MORE
IMPORTANT POSTURE FOR THIS
MESSAGE, THAT IT REALLY SHOULD
REACH MASSES.
REACH MASSES. NETFLIX HAS 117 MILLION HOMES.
>> THATS MORE THAN 6,000.
>> OH, MY --
[ LAUGHTER ] >> WE HAVE A FEW MILLION
WATCHING THIS SHOW, TOO!
[ APPLAUSE ]
YOU KNOW WHAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COURAGE AND YOUR LOVE.H
FOR YOUR COURAGE AND YOUR LOVE. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE MOVIE,
WHICH IS RIVETING, AND SAD.
ITS SAD WHEN YOU SEE THE PRICE
HE PAID FOR HIS LOVING AND KIND
BELIEFS, AND THE NONACCEPTANCE
WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
BUT THANK YOU FOR SHARING IT
HERE.
HERE.
>> PLEASURE, MEGYN.
IM SO PROUD OF YOU TOO.
>> THANK YOU, LOVE.
>> YOURE AMAZING.