Extra
Apr. 20, 2018

Videos of Carlton Pearson

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Ira writes: I’m thrilled that our film "Come Sunday" is out this month. On Netflix! Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Carlton Pearson. Martin Sheen plays Oral Roberts.

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We’re also rerunning our original 2005 story about Bishop Pearson that the film is based on.

I asked our screenwriter Marcus Hinchey, who spent hundreds of hours talking to Carlton and researching his life, for favorite videos of him. Carlton’s an incredibly funny and gifted speaker, and a great singer as well. Marcus chose these.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W58_3RX8sE

Marcus: "Among the materials This American Life handed me when I first started researching was a VHS tape that Carlton’s church Higher Dimensions put together to celebrate their 25th anniversary. This clip is an excerpt from that tape, and includes one of my favorite sermons, and some seminal moments including Carlton introducing his wife Gina to the church, and Carlton’s mentor Oral Roberts christening their daughter Majeste.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKyXumYIKSo

Marcus: "At his height, Carlton founded The Azusa Conference. It was like a gospel music South By Southwest, an annual event drawing 40,000 people from all over the country. This clip has three of my favorite songs, including 'God’s Unchanging Hand,' and 'I’m A Soldier,' which are both in the film."