ISS:Copeland-Martin Meeting Fails to Materialize

   "Don't be disturbed when people accuse you of thinking you're God,"
Ft. Worth evangelist Kenneth Copeland claims Jesus said 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."

   This statement was found in Copeland's February 1987 Believer's
Voice of Victory magazine.

   In a July 19, 1987, Kenneth Copeland crusade televised by the
Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN). Copeland further said, "I say this
and repeat it so it don't upset you too bad....When I read the Bible
where He [Jesus] says 'I am,' Yes, I am too!"

   These statements, which seem to deny the deity (or at least the
unique deity) of Christ (along with others by Copeland in recent
years), caught the attention of Christian leaders who already were
publicly critical of the popular evangelist's "word of faith" theology.
One of these was Walter Martin, founder and director of Christian
Research Institute (CRI), who had been trying to meet with Copeland in
recent years to discuss some of his teachings considered heretical,
according to CRI researcher Dan Schlesinger.

   CRI contacted Copeland's office in May, 1987, and invited Copeland
to meet with Martin and "explain what he meant by the (Feb. 87)
prophecy," Schesinger said. Martin also began to pursue a meeting with
Copeland through TBN President Paul Crouch.

   In spite of assurances from Copeland's office that they were working
on setting up a meeting, no meeting took place. One tentative meeting
between Martin, Copeland, Crouch, and Church on the Way pastor Jack
Hayford was postponed and never rescheduled.

   Despite the lack of a meeting there has been written contact between
the Copeland camp and CRI. Following CRI inquires, Copeland sent CRI a
5-page treatment of the Incarnation which he claimed vindicated his
belief in the deity of Christ. Copeland added he was going to publish
the paper in an upcoming Believer's Voice of Victory. But when CRI
found that the paper advocated an extreme view of the incarnation
(i.e., that Christ ceased being God while on earth) they sent Copeland
a 5-page response detailing major problems with his view. "We asked him
if he understood what he was doing if he published it," said
Schlesinger. Copeland published the treatise in the August Believer's
Voice of Victory.

   Meanwhile, after all of Martin's attempts at arranging a meeting
with Copeland through Crouch fell through, he sent Crouch a letter
dated January 27 canceling a future appearance on TBN. In the letter
(which was also sent to nine other Christian leasers) Martin said he
would not appear on TBN until Crouch arranged for him to meet with
Copeland and another TBN regular, Atlanta "kingdom now" teacher Earl
Paulk. This would be to discuss their doctrines, especially their
statements that Christians can "hold the rank of a god." 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 back defending his right to offer
varied teachings on TBN, and told Martin he's "called, pled and asked
all of these brethren to come [and talk with you]...but to no avail."
Besides, wrote Crouch, "everyone has a 'little heresy' in the opinion
of another teacher, so why not preach salvation...and let the Holy
Spirit work it all out?"

   Now it looks like there will be no Martin-Copeland meeting. In a
letter from Copeland to Martin dated April 7 Copeland wrote: "It would
not be in your best interest, or mine, or the Lord's for us to get
together until you do something about the hate you have for me and my
ministry." Copeland then added that he had reread the prophecy and he
stood by it, affirming: "I did not say Jesus was not God."

   "I hold you responsible for ever misquoting me again for that
statement," Copeland said in conclusion.

   "Christian Research Journal" Volume 11 Number 1 Summer 1988

   Christian Research Institute P.O. Box 500, San Juan Capistrano, CA
92693-0500
