The "Come Sunday" story covers how the world of the man who started one of the largest conferences in the Pentecostal movement, Azusa, came tumbling down. Pearson lost everything.
Chiwetel Ejiofor ("12 Years A Slave") plays charismatic Bishop Carlton Pearson in the Netflix movie, "Come Sunday." It is a biographical account of the rise and fall of the prominent pastor. Pearson was ostracized from the church after teaching hell does not exist. Ten years in the making, the film premiered at Sundance in April of this year. "Come Sunday" was originally titled "Heretic."
Based off a feature on This American Life, his position changed after seeing millions suffer in Africa and his uncle (played by Danny Glover) committed suicide in jail. As the then pastor of the Higher Dimension Family Church in Tulsa, OK, Pearson began to speak publicly on what he calls the "Gospel of Inclusion," a form of universalism that holds the beleif Christ's death saved all from hell as hell was a state of suffering on the earth, not an actual place. Under this controversial belief, everyone is going to heaven. The film was recorded in Atlanta
A life-long Pentecostal, Bishop Pearson was declared a heretic in 2004 after his "second father" Oral Roberts and other national clergy urged him to clarify his position and apologize. Pearson refused. The Joint College of African-American Pentecostal Bishops' Congress wrote an official letter to denounce him writing they "will no longer offer to Bishop Pearson our hand of fellowship. We will strongly urge all of our fellows to refuse Bishop Carlton Pearson access to their pulpits." While most religious leaders are denounced for moral indiscretions, mental manipulations or financial failures, Pearson is one of few modern church leaders of high status to be condemned for having a drastic departure from fundamental Christian doctrine.
"Come Sunday" was filmed in Atlanta, GA and was released in limited theaters earlier ans showed at the Sundance Film Festival this year. The movie is now available on Netflix.