GLORIA COPELAND
“Speaking in front of a group of people made me uncomfortable”. When Gloria Copeland launched her Healing School, she did not feel completely qualified for the assignment. She was a self-taught Bible student and was naturally shy. “But I was determined to obey God, I would never have come up with a healing school on my own and I never imagined that I would enjoy teaching on healing for so long. It has changed my life and personality. I couldn’t have taught one decent message on healing, much less laid hands on someone and seen them healed. But God used me. He changed me. That is what God can do when we walk in faith and say, ‘yes!'”
Born on the 12th of February 1942, Gloria grew up in Center Point—a tiny town in Arkansas that has not changed much except, she says, “it may have gotten smaller”. Eventually, she lived in Jacksonville, Ark., where she was a cheerleader in high school.
She got married to Kenneth Copeland on the 13th of April 1962 and they are blessed with 3 children, 10 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and hundreds of thousands of spiritual sons and daughters around the world.
Gloria Copeland is an internationally known Bible teacher and bestselling author. She holds an honorary doctorate from Oral Roberts University. Gloria and her husband, Kenneth, are the founders of Kenneth Copeland Ministries in Fort Worth, Texas.
While at Oral Roberts University, Kenneth and Gloria began attending faith seminars conducted by Kenneth E. Hagin. During those three, 10-day seminars, the reality of the integrity of God’s Word sprang to life.
“That was what we were looking for!” The Copelands realized that God and His Word are one and it changed everything for them. They learnt how to use their faith and it was all found in the Word of God. This revelation has been the cornerstone, the foundation and heartbeat of Kenneth Copeland Ministries through the years.
Since 1967, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland have been passionately teaching Christians all over the world how to apply the principles of faith found in God’s Word. They have seven ministry offices around the world: United States, Canada, Africa, Asia, Australia, Ukraine, Europe and Latin America. They are driven with a passion to see people fall in love with Jesus, live by faith in God’s Word and experience victory in every area of life.
As a result of their obedience to God, hundreds of thousands of Christians have learned to apply the Word of God to their lives, find their unique voice and live in victory. Now, Kenneth and Gloria want to ensure that this legacy of faith is passed on to the next generation.
As an author, Gloria has about 50 books to her name, her books have been blessing lives all over the world and a number of them have become bestsellers.
One of her notable mentees is Bishop David Oyedepo who, during one of her visits to Nigeria, introduced her to the congregation (at Faith Tabernacle) by saying “this is the woman that taught me the mystery of prosperity”. Bishop Oyedepo often recounts how he to took Gloria’s book “God’s Will Is Prosperity” alongside her husband’s book “The Laws of Prosperity” when he went on a retreat to discover God’s prosperity plan for His children. He encountered God through those books and the proofs are undeniable today.
According to Gloria, the biggest challenge facing the Body of Christ is disobedience. “God has given us free will. That means, every day, we must choose whether we will seek and obey Him,” Gloria warns. “God won’t force us to do anything. He won’t make us study His Word, or apply it to our lives. That is a choice we must make. But every choice has consequences. We can’t apply some of God’s wisdom, and expect to reap all of His blessings. In the end, obeying God doesn’t cost. It pays. Our faith requires obedience, discipline and determination.”
References:
- CALLED Magazine
- kcbiblecollege.org
- kcm.org
#FemaleMinisterFriday
#GloriaCopeland
#ChurchGist
