What is Kenneth Copeland Ministry?
To answer the question as to what is Kenneth Copeland Ministry, it is an international Christian ministry whose aim is to spread the words of God in whatever way it can. Be it through television broadcasts, live conferences, magazines and even through the World Wide Web. It offers spiritual counseling for all facets of life such as in finance, health and relationships. It is headed and also founded by Kenneth Copeland and his wife Gloria Copeland.
Before starting the ministry, Kenneth Copeland had a career as a recording artist. He even had a Billboard top 40 hit in 1957 entitled Pledge of Love. It was in 1962 when he began dedicating his life to Christian ministry work as a result of his conversion into Christianity. He started out as a chauffer and pilot for an also well-known Christian charismatic and televangelist, Oral Roberts. Sometime in 1967, he enrolled in the Oral Roberts University, the same school in which he served as a member of the Board of Regents afterwards, until 2008.
The ministry began its development in the nineteen seventies as highlighted by the onset of its own television program which was entitled Believer's Voice of Victory which began airing in 1979. Newark, Texas is the site of its principal headquarters. Over the years, the ministry began growing and branching out internationally, establishing international offices in Australia, Africa, Canada, United Kingdom and Ukraine. It also remains very active in prison ministry in 23 different countries.
The Ministry has received much criticism particularly over its teachings as well as for the claims of Copeland regarding faith healing. Copeland has also been criticized for inviting viewers and members to donate their money with a promise of a hundred fold returns in happiness and in wealth. This has caused the Ministry as well as other religious organizations in the United States to be the subject of a Senate inquiry as to their financial records and the legitimacy of their status as tax-exempt institutions. The Copeland spouses have also been accused by former business partners of using the assets of their partnership for personal use thereby leaving thousands of dollars in debt.
The CBS network conducted an investigation which raised several questions as to the legitimacy of the ministry. It was discovered that Kenneth Copeland owns a large lakeside estate as well as several private planes complete with its own airport, all of which are paid out of the money collected by the ministry. The Copeland family has also been alleged to use these planes for personal and family vacations.
Despite all the controversy, it continues its mission of spreading the word of God in the bible to all parts of the globe. It seeks to teach people how to live a successful Christian life and how to maximize their spiritual growth. It also aims to provide people with solid Biblical answers for all kind of challenges and problems.
The true believers of the Kenneth Copeland ministry will undoubtedly continue to support it without questioning the motives of its leaders. This can be a true indication of how much faith a person can have on his religion and consequently how one can be vulnerable to others who seek to profit from such faith.