Kenneth Copeland

Kenneth Max Copeland (born December 6, 1936) is an American televangelist associated with the charismatic movement.

He is the founder of Eagle Mountain International Church Inc. (EMIC), which is based in Tarrant County, Texas.

Copeland has also written several books and resources.

He preaches prosperity theology and is part of the Word of Faith movement, which teaches that divine favor is expressed in material and financial blessing, and that giving to ministries unlocks this favor.

His ministry has been controversial, with criticism of his lavish lifestyle, as well as his endorsement of political candidates, and for statements made linking measles vaccines with autism.

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, he claimed that the pandemic had ended or would soon end and that his followers would be healed from the virus.

He encouraged followers to continue giving to his ministry, even if they had lost their jobs.

Kenneth Max Copeland was raised in West Texas near a United States Army Air Forces airfield, which inspired him to become a pilot.

Copeland was a recording artist on the Imperial Records label, having one Billboard Top 40 hit ("Pledge of Love", which charted in the Top 40 on April 20, 1957, stayed on the charts for 15 weeks, and peaked at No. 17).

It also is restoring a 1962 Beech H-18 Twin, which the ministry plans to use for disaster relief efforts.

In the fall of 1967, he enrolled in Oral Roberts University, where he soon became pilot and chauffeur to Oral Roberts.

In 1967, after attending Kenneth E. Hagin's Pastor Seminars, Copeland and his wife Gloria founded Kenneth Copeland Ministries (KCM) in Fort Worth, Texas.

The ministry's motto is "Jesus is Lord".

He preaches prosperity theology and is part of the Word of Faith 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.

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, kcm.org, as well as being shown on Christian television stations such as GOD TV and the Daystar Television Network.

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.

On May 27, 1971, KCM began a one-hour television program.

This program called "The Word of Faith" would become what is now known as the "Believers Voice of Victory".

In 1972, another television program was launched called "The Prayer Group".

This was a half-hour television program aired across the United States.

KCM also owns a 1998 Cessna 550 Citation Bravo, which it received from a donor in October 2007 and is used for domestic flights, and a 2005 Cessna 750 Citation X, which it uses for international flights.

In February 2007, Copeland was accused of using his ministry's Citation X for personal vacations and friends.

The Copelands' financial records are not publicly available, and a list of the board of directors is not accessible as these details are protected but known confidentially by the Internal Revenue Service.

Responding to media questions, Copeland pointed to what he asserted was an accounting firm's declaration that all jet travel complies with federal tax laws.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries is located in Fort Worth, Texas, on a 33 acre property that was once the Marine Corps Air Station Eagle Mountain Lake (MCAS Eagle Mountain Lake), a United States Marine Corps air station, 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.

Approximately 500 people are employed by KCM.

In December 2008, KCM's Citation Bravo was denied tax exemption after KCM refused to submit a standardized Texas Comptroller 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.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries has utilized the Federal Aviation Administration program that keeps flights private from tracking websites, and the ministry owns five such aircraft whose flights are kept private, including the Cessna 750 Citation X noted above and a North American T-28 Trojan.

United States Senator Chuck Grassley has questioned some of the flights taken by these aircraft, including layovers in Maui, Fiji, and Honolulu.

The ministries say that the stopovers were for preaching or for allowing pilot rest.

Copeland's son John Copeland was the ministry's chief operating officer until his divorce from Marty Copeland in 2017.

He remains a consultant to the ministry.

They also acquired a Gulfstream V in 2018 that was formerly owned by Tyler Perry.