Some Suspect Heresy : Evangelicals Question Copeland’s Remarks

Is popular television evangelist Kenneth Copeland a heretic?

A growing number of evangelicals who believe that he may have crossed over that doctrinal line are trying to arrange a series of talks with the Pentecostal evangelist to determine how he stands on such issues as the deity of Christ.

But the popular preacher--one of the few whose ministry has increased in the wake of the recent televangelist scandals--has not met with any of his questioners to discuss his beliefs.

Copeland said last year in New Orleans that he would like to meet with and straighten out critics such as Walter Martin, director of the Christian Research Institute in Irvine, and Dave Hunt, whose book, “The Seduction of Christianity,” criticizes several statements Copeland and other evangelists have made.

Attempts Rebuffed

But Martin and Hunt both say that Copeland has rebuffed all their attempts at arranging a meeting. Recently, officials at the John Ankerberg Evangelistic Assn. attempted to bring the two sides together for talks, but Copeland has not agreed to the plan.

Based in Fort Worth, Tex., Copeland is seen on more than 170 television stations nationwide and has regular programs on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) and on the Inspirational Network (PTL).

Some of the controversy began in February, 1987, when Copeland published a prophecy, which he claims was directly from Jesus, in his Believer’s Voice of Victory magazine.

“Don’t be disturbed when people accuse you of thinking you’re God,” Copeland claims Jesus prophesied through him. “The more you get to be like me, the more they’re going to think that way of you. They crucified me for claiming that I was God. But I didn’t claim I was God.”

Written Communication

More questions arose after Copeland’s July 19, 1987, crusade, which was televised nationwide by TBN, when Copeland said: “I say this and repeat it so it don’t upset you too bad. . . . When I read in the Bible where he (Jesus) says, ‘I am,’ yes, I am, too!”

Although no meeting has taken place, there has been some written communication over doctrine between Copeland and Martin’s institute. In May, 1987, Martin wrote to the evangelist offering him “an open invitation to explain what he meant by the (February, 1987) prophecy,” according to Christian Research Institute researcher Dan Schlesinger. Martin also began to pursue a meeting with Copeland using TBN President Paul Crouch as a mediator.

Crouch set up a meeting between himself, Martin, Copeland and the Rev. Jack Hayford, pastor of the Church on the Way in Van Nuys, but it was postponed and never rescheduled.

Extreme View Advocated

After that effort, Copeland sent the Christian Research Institute a five-page treatment of the Christian doctrine of the Incarnation and maintained that critics of his February prophecy were mistaken. He added that he was going to publish the paper in an upcoming Believer’s Voice of Victory. But when the Christian Research Institute found that the paper advocated an extreme view of the Incarnation--that Christ ceased being God while on Earth--it sent Copeland a five-page response detailing major problems with his view.

“We asked him if he understood what he was doing if he published it,” Schlesinger said. Copeland then published his treatise in the August Believer’s Voice of Victory.

When attempts at a meeting failed, Martin wrote to Crouch and nine other evangelical leaders, saying that he would not appear on TBN until Crouch set up some kind of dialogue with Copeland and Atlanta-area Pentecostal Bishop Earl Paulk to discuss their doctrines, especially their statements that Christians can “hold the rank of a god.”

Heretical Teachings

Martin also cited the teachings of TBN regulars Charles Capps and Randy Shankle and charged that by doing little to stop the spread of heretical teachings on TBN, Crouch is perceived as supporting it.

Crouch wrote a detailed letter in response defending his right to offer varied teachings on TBN and told Martin that he had “called, pled and asked all of these brethren to come (and talk with you) . . . but to no avail.”

Crouch wrote, “Why not preach salvation . . . and let the Holy Spirit work it out?”