Kenneth Copeland: A Life of Faith and Ministry

Kenneth Copeland is an American preacher and the founder of Kenneth Copeland Ministries in Fort Worth, Texas. He was born on December 6, 1936, and raised in West Texas near a United States Army Air Forces airfield, which inspired him to become a pilot.

A Divine Calling to Ministry

His journey into ministry began in 1966 when God instructed him, at nearly 30 years old, to attend classes at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Kenneth Copeland was concerned about how he would provide for his family while attending school. On the first day he arrived to register for classes at Oral Roberts University, God miraculously provided the money for tuition and books, and he landed a job flying an airplane for Oral Roberts.

Growth in Faith and Biblical Understanding

At Oral Roberts University, Kenneth Copeland learned much about faith and God's Word. He traveled with Oral Roberts, attended classes during the day, and listened to tapes from Kenneth Hagin at night. His wife, Gloria, whom he married in 1963, was not enrolled in school but was also growing spiritually. She was committed to studying the Word for hours daily while also caring for their children and managing the household.

The Defining Moment: God’s Call to Preach

Kenneth Copeland received the call to ministry in 1967. One day in March, he felt that the Lord was trying to tell him something. That afternoon, he came home from school and decided to go down to the Arkansas River bed, just a mile from his house, to pray and listen. It was there, standing in the dried-up riverbed, that God called him to preach the gospel to the nations. Copeland meditated on this divine calling for months.

Beginning His Ministry

When summer came, all the fear he had felt was replaced with faith, and Copeland was ready to preach. He picked up his Bible and started sharing God’s message, speaking to individuals and groups as instructed. Soon after, invitations began to pour in for him to minister in various congregations and ministries.

The Birth of Kenneth Copeland Ministries

In 1967, Kenneth Copeland and his wife, Gloria, founded Kenneth Copeland Ministries in Fort Worth, Texas. The ministry's motto is "Jesus is Lord." In 1973, the ministry published the first Believer's Voice of Victory magazine as a four-page newsletter distributed to about 3,000 people. Today, the publication has evolved into a 32-page, full-color magazine distributed free of charge every month to more than 362,000 subscribers.

Expanding the Ministry Through Media

Radio Ministry

In May 1975, Kenneth Copeland Ministries launched its radio ministry, initially broadcasting on 10 stations. Shortly thereafter, the Lord instructed him to spread the Word through “every available voice.” Within a year, the broadcast was heard on more than 500 stations in the U.S. and Canada, leading to a significant increase in the production and distribution of ministry cassette tapes—the primary audio recording format at the time—from 27,000 to 171,000 copies.

Television Ministry

In 1979, television became another “available voice” as the ministry aired its first one-hour TV broadcast. Ten years later, in 1989, the ministry took its boldest step of faith by launching the daily Believer's Voice of Victory broadcast. Today, the program remains strong and reaches 2.3 billion potential viewers worldwide.

Global Evangelism and Outreach

Kenneth Copeland is abundantly blessed by God and is among the richest pastors in the world. He and his wife, Gloria, travel thousands of miles each year, spending hundreds of hours in the air to preach the gospel in countries such as Australia, Canada, China, Italy, Nigeria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Venezuela.

Collaborations and Partnerships in Ministry

Throughout several decades of ministry, he has supported and partnered with other notable gospel ministers. In 1986, he supported and prayed over Reinhard Bonnke during Bonnke's Fresh Fire Conference. From its headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas, where nearly 400 people serve, Kenneth Copeland Ministries oversees six international offices in Canada, Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and Ukraine.

Spreading the Message Through Publications

Kenneth and Gloria’s books, magazines, CDs, and DVDs have been translated into at least 22 languages to spread the message of victory worldwide. The ministry continues to grow, following the Lord’s direction to deliver a message of hope, promise, and faith. They have two children together.

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