Kenneth Copeland
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Kenneth Max Copeland (born December 6, 1936) is an American
televangelist Televangelism (from ''televangelist'', a blend of ''television'' and ''evangelist'') and occasionally termed radio evangelism or teleministry, denotes the utilization of media platforms, notably radio and television, for the marketing of relig ...
associated with the
charismatic movement The charismatic movement in Christianity is a movement within established or mainstream denominations to adopt beliefs and practices of Charismatic Christianity, with an emphasis on baptism with the Holy Spirit, and the use of spiritual gift ...
. He is the founder of Eagle Mountain International Church Inc. (EMIC), which is based in
Tarrant County, Texas Tarrant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas with a 2020 U.S. census population of 2,110,640, making it the third-most populous county in Texas and the 15th-most populous in the United States. Its county seat is Fort Worth. ...
. Copeland has also written several books and other resources, and is known for his broadcast ''The'' ''Believer's Voice of Victory''. Copeland preaches
prosperity theology Prosperity theology (sometimes referred to as the prosperity gospel, the health and wealth gospel, the gospel of success, seed-faith gospel, Faith movement, or Word-Faith movement) is a belief among some Charismatic Christians that financial bl ...
and is part of the
Word of Faith A word is a basic element of language that carries meaning, can be used on its own, and is uninterruptible. Despite the fact that language speakers often have an intuitive grasp of what a word is, there is no consensus among linguists on its ...
movement, which teaches that divine favor is expressed in material and financial blessing, and that giving to ministries unlocks this favor.


Early life and career

Kenneth Max Copeland was born on December 6, 1936, and raised in
West Texas West Texas is a loosely defined region in the U.S. state of Texas, generally encompassing the desert climate, arid and semiarid climate, semiarid lands west of a line drawn between the cities of Wichita Falls, Texas, Wichita Falls, Abilene, Texa ...
, near a
United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
airfield. This inspired him to become a
pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...
. Copeland was a recording artist on the
Imperial Records Imperial Records is an American record company and label started in 1947 by Lew Chudd. The label was reactivated in 2006 by EMI, which owned the label and back catalogue at the time. Imperial is owned by Universal Music Group. Early years to ...
label during the 1950s, recording a number of singles including "Pledge of Love", which charted in the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' Top 40 on April 20, 1957, staying on the charts for 15 weeks and peaking at No. 17. In the fall of 1967, he enrolled in
Oral Roberts University Oral Roberts University (ORU) is a Private university, private Evangelicalism, evangelical university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Founded in 1963, the university is named after its founder, Charismatic Christianity, Charismatic Christian preacher Oral ...
, where he soon became pilot and chauffeur to
Oral Roberts Granville Oral Roberts (January 24, 1918 – December 15, 2009) was an American Charismatic Christianity, Charismatic Christianity, Christian televangelist, who was one of the first to propagate Prosperity theology, Prosperity Gospel Theo ...
.


Kenneth Copeland Ministries

In 1967, after attending Kenneth E. Hagin's Pastor Seminars, Copeland and his wife Gloria founded Kenneth Copeland Ministries (KCM) in
Fort Worth Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...
,
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
. The ministry's motto is "
Jesus is Lord "Jesus is Lord" () is the shortest credal affirmation found in the New Testament, one of several slightly more elaborate variations. It serves as a statement of faith for the majority of Christians who regard Jesus as both truly man and God. I ...
". Kenneth Copeland Ministries has six international offices in Canada, Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and Ukraine. He preaches
prosperity theology Prosperity theology (sometimes referred to as the prosperity gospel, the health and wealth gospel, the gospel of success, seed-faith gospel, Faith movement, or Word-Faith movement) is a belief among some Charismatic Christians that financial bl ...
and is part of the
Word of Faith A word is a basic element of language that carries meaning, can be used on its own, and is uninterruptible. Despite the fact that language speakers often have an intuitive grasp of what a word is, there is no consensus among linguists on its ...
movement, which teaches that financial blessing and physical well-being are the will of God for believers, and that material and financial success are a sign of divine favor. This may be unlocked through giving to ministry, and Copeland has written that parishioners will get a "hundredfold" return on their investment through "giving to God" by offering to his ministry. Throughout his career, Copeland has supported and partnered with other ministers with similar views, including
Heidi Baker Heidi Gayle Baker (born August 29, 1959) is a Christian missionary, itinerant speaker, and the CEO of Iris Global, a Christian humanitarian organization. She is the author of several books on Christian spirituality. Early life Heidi Gayle Farr ...
,
Jerry Savelle Jerry Savelle Jr. (December 24, 1946 – April 15, 2024) was an American author and televangelist who was president of Jerry Savelle Ministries International (JSMI). He wrote over 70 books and preached in more than 3000 churches and 26 nations. ...
, Todd White, and
Oral Roberts Granville Oral Roberts (January 24, 1918 – December 15, 2009) was an American Charismatic Christianity, Charismatic Christianity, Christian televangelist, who was one of the first to propagate Prosperity theology, Prosperity Gospel Theo ...
. In 1986 Copeland supported and prayed over
Reinhard Bonnke Reinhard Bonnke (19 April 1940 - 7 December 2019) was a German-American Pentecostal evangelist, principally known for his gospel missions throughout Africa. Bonnke had been an evangelist and missionary in Africa since 1967. In Nigeria’s city ...
during Bonnke's Fresh Fire Conference. Daniel Kolenda, who was the successor to Reinhard Bonnke, said that Kenneth Copeland told Bonnke that one-day Bonnke would preach to a million people on one day.


Television and other programming

Since 1967, Copeland's ministry has held three-to-six-day conventions across the United States. KCM still holds an annual Southwest Believer's Convention in his hometown of Fort Worth during the first week of August. Kenneth and Gloria Copeland also preach and minister at other conventions and conferences throughout the world. These events stream live on Copeland's website, , as well as being shown on Christian television stations such as GOD TV and the
Daystar Television Network The Daystar Television Network commonly known as Daystar Television or just Daystar, is an American evangelical Christian-based religious television network owned by the Word of God Fellowship, founded by Marcus Lamb in 1993. Daystar is headqu ...
. Portions of recorded conferences are shown on Sundays. The Monday through Friday television broadcasts feature a Copeland family member, either alone or with another minister, discussing subjects from the
Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...
. On May 27, 1971, KCM began a one-hour television program called ''The Word of Faith''. In 1972, a television program called ''The Prayer Group'' was launched. This was a half-hour television program aired across the United States. In 1989, the weekly show ''The Word of Faith'' was replaced by a daily series called ''Believer’s Voice of Victory''. Along with their television programming and television network, Kenneth Copeland has produced and starred in several films, including ''The Rally'' (2010), ''Superkid Academy: The Mission'' (2013), and ''The Rally-LA'' (2016).


Victory Channel

In 2015, KCM launched the Believer's Voice of Victory Network on channel 265 on
Dish Network DISH Network L.L.C., often referred to as DISH, an abbreviation for Digital Sky Highway, is an American provider of satellite television and IPTV services and wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation. The company was originally establ ...
. Believer's Voice of Victory Network was renamed Victory Channel in 2019 and is available over-the-air and on some cable providers. On October 2, 2020, the Believer's Voice of Victory (BVOV) stopped broadcasting on the
Trinity Broadcasting Network The Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN; legally Trinity Broadcasting of Texas, Inc.) is an international Christian-based broadcast television network and the world's largest religious television network. TBN solicits donations on its Web site, a ...
(TBN). At the start of 2022, it was added on several national cable systems under a new channel lease with Olympusat, which had previously offered
Hillsong Channel TBN Inspire is an American Christian broadcast television network owned by the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN). It is carried on the digital subchannels of TBN's stations. The network originally launched as The Church Channel, which focuse ...
and Living Faith Network, then Bulldog Shopping Network, on the channel space. Pastor Gene Bailey hosts the Victory Channel's popular ''FlashPoint'' current-events prophecy program and reaches approximately 11,000 households. ''FlashPoint'' commonly features nationally known ministry leaders such as Lance Wallnau and Hank Kunneman; other guests have included
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
,
Charlie Kirk Charles James Kirk (born October 14, 1993) is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative political activist, author and Right-wing populism, right-wing populist media personality. With Bill Montgomery (activist), Bill Montgome ...
,
Marjorie Taylor Greene Marjorie Taylor Greene ( Taylor; born May 27, 1974), sometimes referred to by her initials MTG, is an American far-rightSources describing Greene as "far-right" include: * * * * * * * * * * * politician, businesswoman, and cons ...
and former Ambassador to Israel David Friedman.


Facilities and aircraft

Kenneth Copeland Ministries is located in Fort Worth, Texas, on a property that was once Marine Corps Air Station Eagle Mountain Lake (MCAS Eagle Mountain Lake), a
United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
air base, valued in 2008 at $554,160 () by Tarrant Appraisal District. The site includes the Eagle Mountain International Church, television and radio production facilities, warehouse and distribution facilities, residences for the Copeland family, and Kenneth Copeland Airport. As of 2024,
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...
(FAA) records indicated that no aircraft were based at the airport and that it had a single usable runway;. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective 31 October 2024. that same year, KCM told the ''
Fort Worth Star-Telegram The ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'' is an American daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and Tarrant County, the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. It is owned by The McClatchy Company. History In May 1905, Amon G. Car ...
'' that it was raising money to resurface the second runway so it could be used again. It was using the former Marine Corps hospital building as a medical clinic for church members. In 2008, approximately 500 people were employed by KCM. Copeland's son John Copeland was the ministry's chief operating officer until his divorce from Marty Copeland in 2018. He remains a consultant to the ministry. KCM owns several
business jet A business jet, private jet, or bizjet is a jet aircraft designed for transporting small groups of people, typically business executives and high-ranking coworker, associates. Business jets are generally designed for faster air travel and more ...
s, including a 1998 Cessna 550 Citation Bravo, which it received from a donor in October 2007 and is used for
domestic flight A domestic flight is a form of commercial flight within civil aviation where the departure and the arrival take place in the same country. Airports serving domestic flights only are known as domestic airports. Domestic flights are generally c ...
s, and a 2005 Cessna 750 Citation X, which it uses for
international flight An international flight is a form of commercial flight within civil aviation where the Takeoff, departure and the arrival take place in different Country, countries. Regular international passenger air service began in August 1919 with a flight ...
s. In 2018, KCM acquired a
Gulfstream V The Gulfstream V (Model GV, pronounced "G-five") is a large, long-range business jet aircraft produced by Gulfstream Aerospace, derived from the previous Gulfstream IV. It flies up to , up to and has a range. It typically accommodates four c ...
that was formerly owned by
Tyler Perry Tyler Perry (born Emmitt Perry Jr., September 13, 1969) is an American actor, filmmaker, and playwright. He is the creator and performer of Madea, Mabel "Madea" Simmons, a tough elderly woman, and also portrays her brother Joe Simmons and her ...
, and was restoring a 1962 Beech H-18 Twin, which the ministry plans to use for disaster relief efforts.


Kenneth Copeland Bible College

Kenneth Copeland Bible College (KCBC) is located on the property of Kenneth Copeland Ministries and Eagle Mountain International Church (EMIC). KCBC is an accredited member with Transworld Accrediting Commission International. On August 28, 2003, Kenneth Copeland Bible College opened an extension campus in Langley, British Columbia.


Israel

Copeland and KCM have been public and vocal supporters of Israel for several decades. On August 17, 2022, the President of Israel,
Isaac Herzog Isaac "Bougie" Herzog (; born 22 September 1960) is an Israeli politician who has been serving since 2021 as the president of Israel. He is the first president to have been born in Israel after its Declaration of Independence. Son of former Is ...
, called and personally thanked Copeland and KCM for their support of Ukrainian and Russian Jews. In 2020 he was listed by the Israel Allies Foundation as one of the top supporters of Israel along with
Paula White Paula Michelle White-Cain (née Furr; born April 20, 1966) is an American televangelist, nationally known evangelical leader in the Charismatic movement, and longtime spiritual advisor to President Donald J. Trump She also is married to famed r ...
,
John Hagee John Charles Hagee (born April 12, 1940) is an American pastor and televangelist. He founded John Hagee Ministries, which telecasts to the United States and Canada. He is also the founder and chairman of the Christian Zionist organization Chr ...
, Mike Huckabee, and other Christian leaders. Copeland and other Christian leaders such as
Greg Laurie Greg Laurie (born December 10, 1952) is an American evangelical pastor, evangelist, and Christian author who serves as the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, based in Riverside, California. He also is the founder of Harvest Crusa ...
and John Hagee have received criticism for their support of Israel.


Personal life

Copeland has been married three times. His first marriage was to Ivy Bodiford in October 1955. They had one child, and divorced in 1958. He was then married to Cynthia Davis from 1958 to 1961. Copeland married Gloria (
née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
Neece) in 1963. They are the parents of John Copeland and Kellie Copeland. Gloria co-hosts the ministry's flagship broadcast, ''The Believer's Voice of Victory'', alongside her husband. Kellie preaches throughout the United States, as does Copeland's daughter Terri, who also preaches at Eagle Mountain International Church, which is pastored by her husband George Pearsons. Copeland has amassed significant wealth during his career and has referred to himself as a "very wealthy man". The ''
Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. ...
'' referred to him as the wealthiest pastor in America, allegedly having a net worth of $750 million in 2021. As of 2024, Copeland's net worth was estimated to be $300 million.


Donald Trump advisory board

Copeland sat on the evangelical executive advisory board that
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
assembled during his campaign for the presidency. Appointment to the board did not require endorsement of his bid for presidency, and Copeland clarified that he did not endorse Trump at the time. Before the 2016 election, Copeland said that Christians who did not vote for Trump would be guilty of murder, referring to the pro-choice stance of
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...
. After a state dinner at the White House that Copeland attended, he stated in an interview that Trump was "led by the Spirit of God", and that his most important legacy as president would be the appointments of conservative judges. On November 5, 2022, Copeland spoke at a Donald Trump rally in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, stating that Trump is the only president he has ever seen wear the red, white, and blue in office. During the 2024 Southwest Believers' Convention in Fort Worth, Texas, Copeland told the thousands in attendance and online that voting is a sacred trust. His involvement in politics as a nationally prominent ministry leader has drawn both praise and criticism. On April 16, 2025, Copeland took part in an invite only White House Easter Dinner, hosted by the White House Faith Office. Other notable leaders at the dinner included
Franklin Graham William Franklin Graham III (born July 14, 1952) is an American evangelist and missionary in the evangelical movement. He frequently engages in Christian revival tours and political commentary. The son of Billy Graham, he is president and CEO ...
,
Jentezen Franklin Jentezen Franklin is an American evangelical pastor, author, and televangelist. He is the senior pastor of Free Chapel, a multi-site church based in Gainesville, Georgia and author of ''Right People, Right Place, Right Plan;'' ''Fasting; Fear Fi ...
,
Alveda King Alveda Celeste King (born January 22, 1951) is an American activist, author, and former state representative for the 28th District in the Georgia House of Representatives. She is a niece of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and daugh ...
,
Greg Laurie Greg Laurie (born December 10, 1952) is an American evangelical pastor, evangelist, and Christian author who serves as the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, based in Riverside, California. He also is the founder of Harvest Crusa ...
, and
Paula White Paula Michelle White-Cain (née Furr; born April 20, 1966) is an American televangelist, nationally known evangelical leader in the Charismatic movement, and longtime spiritual advisor to President Donald J. Trump She also is married to famed r ...
.


Controversy

KCM has been criticized for its use of private aircraft. KCM promised from 2006 to 2010 to create an aviation relief assistance program called ''Angel Flight 44'', to help
Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...
. A spokesperson responded "This was not a specific promise with a timeline attached", and said that the money was spent on airplane repairs. In 2008, the ministry owned five airplanes and continued to purchase more. In February 2007, Copeland was accused of using KCM's Citation X for personal vacations. The Copelands' financial records and a list of KCM's board of directors are not publicly available; the information is held in confidence by the
Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting Taxation in the United States, U.S. federal taxes and administerin ...
. Responding to media questions, Copeland pointed to an accounting firm's declaration that his jet travel complied with federal tax laws. In December 2008, KCM's Citation Bravo was denied tax exemption after KCM refused to submit a standardized
Texas Comptroller The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts is an executive branch position created by the Texas Constitution. The comptroller is popularly elected every four years, and is primarily tasked with collecting all state tax revenue and estimating the am ...
form that some county appraisal districts use to make determinations, which would have required making public the salary of all ministry staff. KCM subsequently filed suit with the Tarrant Appraisal District in January 2009 and its petition to have the aircraft's tax-exempt status restored was granted in March 2010. KCM has utilized an FAA program that blocks enrolled aircraft on
flight tracking Flight tracking is a service that involves the tracking of flights, aircraft and airport activity, often using software. Overview Flight tracking enables travellers as well as those picking up travellers after a flight to know whether a flight h ...
websites; in 2010, the flights of five of the ministry's aircraft were kept private, including the Citation X and a
North American T-28 Trojan The North American Aviation T-28 Trojan is a Radial engine, radial-engine military trainer aircraft manufactured by North American Aviation and used by the United States Air Force and United States Navy beginning in the 1950s. Besides its use ...
.
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Chuck Grassley Charles Ernest Grassley (born September 17, 1933) is an American politician serving as the president pro tempore of the United States Senate since 2025, a role he also held from 2019 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Re ...
has questioned some of the flights taken by these aircraft, including layovers in
Maui Maui (; Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ) is the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2). It is the List of islands of the United States by area, 17th-largest in the United States. Maui is one of ...
,
Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...
, and
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. The ministries say that the stopovers were for preaching or for allowing pilot rest. Copeland raised funds for the building of a hangar, upgrading of the runway, and maintenance. Copeland's and other televangelists' use of private jets, luxury cars and lavish houses has been widely criticized. In 2015, Copeland, in a broadcast alongside fellow televangelist Jesse Duplantis, defended the use of private jets as a necessary part of their ministry.
Mike Huckabee Michael Dale Huckabee (, born August 24, 1955) is an American diplomat, political commentator, Baptist minister, and politician serving as the 29th United States Ambassador to Israel, United States ambassador to Israel since 2025. A member of ...
, a 2008 Republican presidential primary candidate who made six appearances on Copeland's program '' Believer's Voice of Victory'' rented KCM's facilities for a fundraiser, which was criticized by the Trinity Foundation. As a result of the Huckabee appearances, KCM was one of six ministries investigated in the
United States Senate inquiry into the tax-exempt status of religious organizations The United States Senate inquiry into the tax-exempt status of religious organizations was an investigation of six 501(c) religious organizations conducted by the United States Senate Committee on Finance lasting from 2007 until 2011. Background ...
. KCM was one of four that did not co-operate or volunteer to make reforms. The investigation did not conclude the Copelands had done anything wrong. In 2013, a measles outbreak with 25 confirmed cases in
Tarrant County, Texas Tarrant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas with a 2020 U.S. census population of 2,110,640, making it the third-most populous county in Texas and the 15th-most populous in the United States. Its county seat is Fort Worth. ...
, was attributed in the press to anti-vaccination sentiments expressed by members of the Copeland Ministries. The church denied making any such statements and urged members to get vaccinations, even offering free immunizations through the church itself. Pastor Terri Copeland Pearsons, who is Kenneth Copeland's daughter, offered free vaccination clinics and advised those who did not attend one of the clinics to
quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals, and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have bee ...
themselves at home for two weeks. In a statement on the church website, Pearsons said she was not against immunizations, but also raised concerns about them. Copeland and his wife were featured in a 2015 episode of ''
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver ''Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'' (often abridged as ''Last Week Tonight'') is an American news satire late-night talk show hosted by comedian John Oliver. The half-hour-long show premiered in the end of April 2014 on HBO and currently has ...
''.
John Oliver John William Oliver (born 23 April 1977) is a British and American comedian who hosts ''Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'' on HBO. He started his career as a stand-up comedian in the United Kingdom and came to wider attention for his work ...
criticized the Copelands for using tax laws to live in a $6.3 million mansion as the
parsonage A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of a given religion, serving as both a home and a base for the occupant's ministry. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, pa ...
allowance for their home is not subject to income taxes, for using church donations to buy a $20 million jet that was used for trips to a ski resort and a private game ranch, and for promotion of healing through faith and skepticism of medicine. In May 2019, he received criticism for his lavish lifestyle after ''
Inside Edition ''Inside Edition'' is an American tabloid television program that is distributed in Broadcast syndication, first-run syndication by CBS Media Ventures. Having premiered on January 9, 1989, it is the longest-running syndicated-newsmagazine progr ...
'' released an interview where he defended his purchase of a private jet. He stated "If I flew commercial, I'd have to stop 65% of what I'm doing" and he additionally defended a previous comment where he said that he did not fly commercial because he likened it to flying with demons. Copeland had drawn criticism for his comments on the
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
presidency. He also gained attention during the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, arguing pastors should not cancel services, and repeatedly saying the pandemic had ended or would end soon. On March 29, 2020, in a televised sermon, Copeland "executed judgment" on COVID-19. He claimed that it was "finished" and "over" and that the US was now "healed and well again". In another sermon shortly thereafter, he claimed to destroy the virus with the "wind of God". He urged followers to continue to give tithes to his ministry even if they had lost their jobs through economic hardship brought about by the pandemic. On August 3–8, 2020, the Kenneth Copeland Ministries hosted the Southwest Believers' Conference at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas, despite restrictions on social gatherings to limit the spread of the pandemic. Local leaders criticized the event, attended by hundreds of people, but were unable to enforce public health restrictions, because religious gatherings were exempt under Governor
Greg Abbott Gregory Wayne Abbott ( ; born November 13, 1957) is an American politician, attorney, and jurist who has served since 2015 as the 48th governor of Texas. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served from 2002 to ...
's executive orders.


Selected bibliography

* ''From Faith to Faith: A Daily Guide to Victory.'' 1991. * ''A Ceremony of Marriage.'' 2012. * ''The Power of the Tongue.'' 2012. * ''Blessed to Be a Blessing: Understanding True, Biblical Prosperity.'' 2012. * ''Raising Children Without Fear.'' 2012. * ''Six Steps to Excellence in Ministry.'' 2012. * ''Pursuit of His Presence: Daily Devotions to Strengthen Your Walk With God'' 2012. * ''A House Not Divided: Defeating the Spirit of Division.'' 2016. * ''God, the Covenant and the Contradiction: Accessing God's Promises of Healing, Peace and Provision.'' 2023.


See also

* Eagle Mountain International Church *
Ulf Ekman Ulf Ekman (born 8 December 1950) is a former charismatic pastor and the founder of the Livets Ord (Word of Life) organization in Sweden, which brought the Word of Faith movement to that country. Ekman is now a Catholic. Ekman is married to B ...
*
Tony Palmer (bishop) Tony Palmer, born Anthony Joseph Palmer, (4 February 1966 – 20 July 2014) was a British-born South African theologian, missiologist, missionary and author. He served as a bishop within the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches, and held ...
*
Trinity Foundation (Dallas) The Trinity Foundation is an American watchdog ministry founded by Ole Anthony in 1972. Its main mission is to expose abuse of public trust by televangelism and religious organisations. It has provided information to news outlets as well as state ...


References


External links


Kenneth Copeland Ministries official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Copeland, Kenneth Living people 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century Protestant religious leaders 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century Protestant religious leaders 1936 births American Charismatics American Christian Zionists American faith healers American male non-fiction writers American Pentecostal pastors American television evangelists Imperial Records artists Oral Roberts University alumni Oral Roberts University people Pentecostals from Texas Pentecostal writers People from Fort Worth, Texas People from Lubbock, Texas Prosperity theologians