| Kenneth Copeland | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 6, 1936 United States |
| Residence | Lubbock, Texas, United States |
| Nationality |  American |
| Occupation | Author Speaker Televangelist |
| Religious beliefs | Word of Faith, Pentecostal |
| Spouse(s) | Gloria Copeland |
| Children | John Copeland, Kellie Copeland, Terri Pearsons |
| Website www.kcm.org |
|
Kenneth Copeland (born December 6, 1936 in Lubbock, Texas[1]) is an American author, speaker, televangelist, Word of Faith proponent, and the founder of the Christian organization Kenneth Copeland Ministries.
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Early life and education
Prior to his conversion to Christianity in November, 1962, Copeland was a recording artist of partial Native American descent, having one Billboard Top 40 hit ("Pledge of Love", which charted in the Top 40 on April 20, 1957, stayed on the charts for eight weeks, and peaked at #12)[2].
Following his religious conversion, Copeland turned the rest of his life over to Christian ministry work.[3] In the 1960s, he was a pilot and chauffeur for Oral Roberts. In the fall of 1967, he enrolled in Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma.[4]
He was a member of the Oral Roberts University Board of Regents[5] until it was replaced in 2008 with a new board that promised to hold to higher standards of financial accountability.[6] In October 2007 a lawsuit against the university was presented for financial and political wrong doing.[7] Copeland's oldest daughter, Terri, is married to pastor George Pearsons,[8] who served until January 2008 as the ORU Board chairman.[5]
Kenneth Copeland Ministries, programming and theology
Kenneth Copeland Ministries grew through the 1970s, and in 1979 "Believer's Voice of Victory" first appeared on television. Headquartered in Newark, Texas, Kenneth Copeland Ministries has international offices in Australia, Africa, Canada, United Kingdom and Ukraine. According to Kenneth Copeland Ministries, it is also actively involved in ministry to prison inmates in 23 countries.
Copeland has received criticism for his teaching about wealth in the "Word Faith Movement"[9][10], his claims about faith healing,[11] and his claim that Bible believers could receive a hundredfold return on their giving as found in Genesis 26:12, Mark 4:20, Mark 10:29-30, Luke 6:38, II Corinthians 9:6-12 and Galatians 3:13-14 of the Bible.[12]
In 2006, Kenneth and Gloria were accused by former business associates of leaving tens of thousands of dollars of debt in their failed Affordable Homes Limited business partnership while spending money on other projects. However, the Copelands were limited partners of this company and as such were not obliged to pay its debts or explain the withdrawal of their financing.[13]
In late November 2007, Mike Huckabee, a 2008 Republican presidential primary candidate, made six appearances on Copeland's daily television program Believer's Voice of Victory, discussing "Integrity of Character".[14] Subsequently, in January 2008, the Huckabee campaign paid for use of Kenneth Copeland Ministries' facilities for a fundraiser.[15] Copeland also claimed that he had had a phone call with Huckabee in which Huckabee allegedly vowed support despite a pending investigation by the U.S. Senate into Copeland's finances if he was elected.[16] The fundraising at the church was criticized by the Trinity Foundation.[16]
Airport and ministry jets
The Kenneth Copeland Airport is a private airport established by Kenneth Copeland Ministries to serve the area of Fort Worth, Texas.[17]
In 2007 Copeland was accused of using his $20 million Cessna Citation X jet for personal vacations and friends.[18] The Copelands' financial records are not publicly available, and a list of the Board of Directors is not accessible as these details are protected and known confidentially by the Internal Revenue Service.[19] Responding to media questions, Copeland pointed to an accounting firm's declaration that all jet travel complies with federal tax laws.[19]
In December 2008, Copeland's 1998 Cessna Bravo 550, his second jet, valued at $3.6 million, was denied tax exemption after Copeland refused to submit to disclosure laws for the state of Texas.[20]
Senate investigation
On November 6, 2007, United States Senator Chuck Grassley, Republican of Iowa, announced an investigation of Copeland's ministry by the United States Senate Committee on Finance. The Associated Press reported that Grassley said the investigation was a response to complaints from the public and news media. Grassley stated, "The allegations involve governing boards that aren't independent and allow generous salaries and housing allowances and amenities such as private jets and Rolls Royces." [21] IRS guidelines require that pastors' compensation be "reasonable" and net earnings may not benefit any private individual.[22] Grassley asked for the ministry to divulge financial information [23] (Grassley's letter)[24] to the committee to determine if Copeland made any personal profit from financial donations, and requested that Copeland's ministry make the information available by December 6, 2007. The Copelands responded with a "Financial report from Kenneth Copeland Ministries."[25] KCM created a website to help explain their side of the inquiry.[26]
Publications
- Load Up Pocket Devotional: 31 Devotions to Revolutionize Your Future (Harrison House, July 2004) ISBN 1577943996 ISBN 978-1577943990
- You Are Healed (Kenneth Copeland Publications, July 1999) ISBN 0881147338 ISBN 978-0881147339
- A Ceremony of Marriage (Kenneth Copeland Publications, December 1996) ISBN 0938458159 ISBN 978-0938458159
- Prayer: Your Foundation for Success (Kenneth Copeland Publications, June 1999) ISBN 1577941551 ISBN 978-1577941552
- Kenneth Copeland Reference Bible - Leather Bound (Kenneth Copeland Publications, December 1996) ISBN 0881142964 ISBN 978-0881142969
- Becoming Subject to the Authority of Jesus (Kenneth Copeland Publications, 2001) ISBN 0881149721 ISBN 978-0881149722
- How to Discipline Your Flesh (Kenneth Copeland Publications, June 1999) ISBN 1575621169 ISBN 978-1575621166
- From Faith to Faith: A Daily Guide to Victory (Harrison House, May 2000) ISBN 1577942256 ISBN 978-1577942252
- Pursuit of His Presence: Daily Devotional (Harrison House, September 1998) ISBN 1577941373 ISBN 978-1577941378
- The Wake-up Call (Kenneth Copeland Publications, 2002) ISBN 1575627922 ISBN 978-1575627922
- Classic Redemption (Kenneth Copeland Publications, 2001) ISBN 0938458582 ISBN 978-0938458586
- The Laws of Prosperity (Kenneth Copeland Publications, December 1995) ISBN 0881149527 ISBN 978-0881149524
- Prosperity: The Choice Is Yours (Kenneth Copeland Publications, June 1992) ISBN 0881147281 ISBN 978-0881147285
- Healing Promises (Kenneth Copeland Publications, August 1994) ISBN 0881149497 ISBN 978-0881149494
- Over the Edge: Youth Devotional (Harrison House, September 1998) ISBN 1577941381 ISBN 978-1577941385
- Big Band Gospel (KCP Records, 2003) ASIN B000A7WLEQ
See also
Notes and references
- ^ "Kenneth Copeland". biographyministries.com. 2008. http://www.biographyministries.com/kenneth-copeland.html. Retrieved 2008-12-17.
- ^ The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, Joel Whitburn, 7th edition.
- ^ Kenneth Copeland, "The Word in My life...," Kenneth Copeland Ministries Catalog (Fort Worth: Kenneth Copeland Ministries, n.d.), 3.
- ^ ORU alumni
- ^ a b http://www.tulsaworld.com/webextra/content/2007/oru-lawsuit/ORU_pdf_p10.pdf
- ^ Strickler, Laura (2008-01-29). "Televangelists: Who’s Accountable?". CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/01/29/primarysource/entry3767306.shtml.
- ^ "University president's wife 'sickened' by allegations". CNN. October 15, 2007. http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/10/15/oru.suit/. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
- ^ "Our Pastors: Terri and George". Eagle Mountain International Church. October 2007. http://www.emic.org/about/george_terri_bio.php. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
- ^ "Christianity, Cults and Mind Control Converge at Conference." The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 24, 1994
- ^ "Uganda: Money And the Church," Africa News August 21, 2005
- ^ "Churches want faith-healer's claims tested," Courier Mail (Queensland, Australia), June 9, 2004
- ^ "Hard Questions For "Prosperity Gospel"". CBS News. 2008-01-29. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/29/cbsnews_investigates/main3767305.shtml.
- ^ "Televangelist couple at center of debt controversy". WFAA-TV. May 3, 2006. http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/bshipp/stories/wfaa060502_mo_copelands.3436519.html. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
- ^ The appearances were from Sunday November 25, 2007 through Friday November 30, 2007, Webcast dated Nov 26, 2007Webcast dated Nov 27, 2007Webcast dated Nov 28, 2007Webcast dated Nov 29, 2007Webcast dated Nov 30, 2007
- ^ "Plate passed for Huckabee at ministry site". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. January 29, 2008.. http://www2.arkansasonline.com/news/2008/jan/29/plate-passed-huckabee-ministry-site. Retrieved 2008-12-17.
- ^ a b "Plate passed for Huckabee at ministry site". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. January 29, 2008. http://www.nwanews.com/adg/National/215143/print/. Retrieved 2008-12-17.
- ^ FlightAware > Pilot Resources > Airport > Kenneth Copeland Airport (Fort Worth, TX) (4T2)
- ^ "Jet flight records spur Copeland ministry questions news". WFAA-TV. February 28, 2007. http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa070228_mo_churchjet.87be631.html. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
- ^ a b "Jet flight records spur Copeland ministry questions". WFAA-TV. February 28, 2007. http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa070228_mo_churchjet.87be631.html. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
- ^ "Televangelist's $3.6 million jet not tax-exempt, county says". Fort Worth Star Telegram. December 5, 2008. http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/1078037.html. Retrieved 2008-12-17.
- ^ "Sen. Grassley probes televangelists' finances". The Associated Press. November 7, 2007. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-11-07-televangelist-probe_N.htm. Retrieved 2008-07-07.
- ^ http://www.irs.gov/charities/churches/index.html
- ^ "Senator Probes Megachurches' Finances by Kathy Lohr". npr.org. December 4, 2007. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16860611. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
- ^ "Read Grassley's Letters" (PDF). npr.org. December 4, 2007. http://media.npr.org/documents/2007/nov/grassley/copeland.pdf. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
- ^ kcm.org KCM - Financial Accountability
- ^ "Believers Stand United". http://www.believersstandunited.com/. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
External links
- Kenneth Copeland Ministries USA
- Eagle Mountain International Church AKA Kenneth Copeland Ministries
- Believer's Voice of Victory Live Stream and On Demand website
- Believers Stand United for Religious Freedom in America
- Trinity Foundation (Opposing Viewpoint)
- MinistryWatch.com's Kenneth Copeland Ministries Profile
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