BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

Greg had come from a family who’d done all they knew to do for him. His dad had left the home, and the boy’s mother had reached her limit. As weeks passed, Creflo grew more concerned for him. He needed someone to guide him safely through to adulthood. But who? 'You do it,' the Holy Spirit spoke to Creflo’s heart. Creflo was stunned. Me? Lord, I’m only 23! I’m not even married! 'You do it,' the Lord insisted. In his heart, Creflo knew that the consequences of disobeying God might well be Greg’s death. Creflo suggested to Greg’s mother that perhaps he could guide her son through his next few crucial years. She agreed to terminate her parental rights, and turn Greg over to him. “What is love?” Greg asked Creflo unexpectedly one day. “Love,” Creflo explained, “is when you see someone about to be hit by a truck, and you push them out of the way. They live…you die. That’s love.” “I…” Greg began, “I’d push you.” Creflo felt like soaring. It was a start. The pain and rejection ran deep in Greg, but this was the first fragile sign of trust. “It wasn’t always easy,” Creflo admits. “Greg was in the middle of an identity crisis. He was highly influenced by certain friends. He ran away from home three times. Thankfully, I was able to lead him to the Lord. Besides Greg’s long-standing problems, some people had a problem with a Black man raising a white son. That attitude even prevailed in certain churches. “For someone who didn’t want to take responsibility for other lives, I had come a long way. About a year after I agreed to raise Greg, the Lord spoke to me about starting a church. I also knew by then that I wanted to marry Taffi. She was understandably hesitant to enter a marriage with a ready-made, troubled, teenage son, and a new church to build.” Creflo was relieved when Taffi overruled her own objections. Unfortunately, Greg did not. He finally had a father, and he wasn’t ready to share him. In a sweeping display of his objections, Greg refused to attend the wedding. Creflo had a new son, a new wife and a new church. All of whom needed his attention. Creflo knew that, given time, Taffi would win Greg over. What concerned him more than his struggling family was his struggling church. Sure, it had grown since their first meeting of eight people in the cafeteria of Kathleen Mitchell Elementary School—where his mother had worked for 20 years. But Creflo knew the church had not grown like the Lord desired. Something was holding them back. Seeking the Lord, Creflo was directed to make reservations seven months in advance for the 1987 Southwest Believers’ Convention in Fort Worth. “The Lord gave me four keys to making the church successful,” Creflo said. “First, He told me to make prayer our foundation. I was instructed to teach the people to pray for an hour a day. Second, He told me to make the church a Partner with Kenneth and Gloria (Copeland). We were to tithe and sow seeds into their ministry. Third, He told me to teach the Word of God so simply that people could do what I taught. Fourth, He told me to be consistent. “As soon as I heard Kenneth and Gloria preach, I knew that they were my spiritual parents. It was as clear to me as when I knew that I was to be Greg’s father. I bought every tape Kenneth and Gloria offered. I listened to them until I started to sound like Kenneth. I also put the keys God gave me to work. The church just took off! “The following year at the Believers’ Convention someone introduced me to Kenneth. I was so in awe I could hardly speak.” Later, Creflo was able to attend the first Ministers’ Conference held on the grounds of Kenneth Copeland Ministries. Sitting next to Greg, Creflo watched with interest as Brother Copeland motioned for someone to come up to the pulpit, and said, “Say whatever God puts on your heart.” “Dad,” Greg whispered, “he’s calling you!” No…Creflo thought. He looked up, directly into Brother Copeland’s eyes. He is talking to me! Creflo realized. For a few minutes, Creflo stood at Brother Copeland’s podium. The experience left him shaken. There was no mistake about it—Kenneth had been observing Creflo. BVOV : 15

• Cover