He received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan in the United States.

After graduating from Southern Junior College, Collegedale, Tennessee, in August 1933, Pierson’s first assignment was a pastor-teacher position in the Columbus and Albany churches in southwestern Georgia.

[1] In 1942 during the Second World War, Pierson returned to the United States with his family where he served as pastor of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Takoma Park, Maryland.

From there he moved to New York City where he was the speaker of the nightly program Bible Auditorium of the Air over a 50,000-watt commercial station.

In 1958 he was transferred to Africa where he became president of the Southern Africa Division (1958–1962), and the Trans-African Division (1962–1966), both in Harare, Zimbabwe; and ultimately, president of the General Conference (1966–1979) in Takoma Park, Washington, D.C.[2] Aside from busy administrative assignments, Pierson’s love for evangelism led him to conduct evangelistic meetings as often as his schedule permitted.