The community at All Souls Unitarian Church is mourning the death of Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, our Affiliate Minister and a cherished member of the All Souls family. Bishop Pearson’s brave journey toward a theology of universal love and acceptance resonated deeply with our values and tradition of inclusivity and compassion. We are honored to be holding an interfaith celebration of life for Bishop Pearson on Thursday, November 30, 2023 at 11 am. We invite the community to join us as we honor his life and legacy.

Interfaith Celebration Of Life | Thursday, November 30, 2023 | 11 am | All Souls Unitarian Church

• The Interfaith Celebration of Life for Bishop Carlton D. Pearson will be at All Souls Unitarian Church on Thursday, November 30, and will start at 11 am.
• You can watch online via our website, Facebook page, and YouTube channel. You can also find a stream of the services here.
• Parking
  • For those planning to attend in person, there will be parking available at All Souls as well as overflow parking and a shuttle available at the Tulsa Historical Society (2445 S. Peoria Ave.) from 10 am – 1 pm.
• Public Viewings
  • In addition to the interfaith celebration of life, All Souls Unitarian Church will also be holding public viewings the following dates and times:
    • Thursday, November 30, 9 am – 10:30 am
    • Thursday, November 30, 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Additional Memorials For Bishop Carlton D. Pearson:

On Thursday, November 30th, there will be a musical celebration of life for Bishop Pearson at Greater Grace Temple starting at 6:30 pm. There will also be an Episcopal celebration of his life at Transformation Church on Friday, December 1 at noon. You can watch those services online here.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to Bishop Pearson’s family and all his friends. The legacy of his courageous work will live on through all those his remarkable life touched.

In 2008, Bishop Pearson joined All Souls and became an affiliated minister of the congregation. We are incredibly grateful for his thoughtful leadership, healing community work, and countless examples of inspiring, compassionate, and deeply restorative ministry. His breaking barriers and embracing a message of unconditional love has been a beacon of hope and inspiration for many within our congregation and throughout the world.

Remembering Bishop Carlton D. Pearson: A Legacy of Love and Inclusion

“He helped people of all cultures and faiths know that God loves us beyond belief. In an era of division, he stood out as a voice of unity and reason,” said Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister of All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa.

“In spite of our broken hearts, we celebrate a life that was truly well lived,” remarked Rev. Randy Lewis, Assistant Minister. “He left us an incredible body of work, through which we will continue to hear his incredible sense of humor, breadth of knowledge, and transcendent wisdom echoing in our hearts. He will be deeply missed.”

“Bishop Carlton Pearson’s life was one that embodied love and grace. Part of his legacy, besides his love for God, his curious intellectual pursuit and his natural humor, is simply the way he loved human beings,” said David B. Smith, Executive Director of Worship. “May his example live on in our hearts always.”