BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

I was in a dierent ow. I don't have all the scriptures memorized and ready to quote. My heart is for the ones who think they've blown it—the black sheep, the self-proclaimed failures, the people who think God doesn't love them because they've messed everything up. "I grew up around the Word all my life, but that doesn't make me immune to real struggles. I had to nd God for myself—not through church, not through religion, but through what I've experienced over the last few years. For a while, I couldn't hear anything. But I kept confessing, kept speaking life, and kept expecting good things." For more than two years before returning to Texas, John exercised his compassion by helping others battling addiction through a rehabilitation facility he cofounded that provides full medical detox, residential care and long-term accountability for men with addictions. Recovery Bay Center continues to operate today. In 2022, the Lord directed John to return home to Texas. "I just knew it was time for me to come back home," he says. "I needed to be closer to Mom and Dad as my parents. Being with Dad was the rst time in a long time that I felt I had purpose. I couldn't think of a higher purpose for me than to be there for him and help him. From that experience alone, I can tell you that a man without purpose is a very empty man. It's a very empty feeling." That homecoming not only brought John closer to his parents, but it also sparked a new beginning in his personal life. After spending more than a year with his son on the road with him, Kenneth asked John to return to the ministry as CEO. In May of last year, John stepped back into the 1 4 : B V O V Steadfast and committed! Of all the things I could say about my dad, Kenneth Copeland, those two words stand out because that's the only way I've ever known him to be. I can say the same for my mom, as well. They have always been steady in whatever they've done, and in whatever they've believed. They've never changed from being steady in God's Word, and they've never compromised. And that's what I am most proud of about them. THINGS I'VE LEARNED FROM MY DAD Even in some of their most difficult times, some of which included enduring my years as a teenager, they always stood firm. Growing up, I was an independent spirit. So, even though Dad and Mom were there to teach and guide me, I always had to figure things out on my own. One of the things I figured out, and I'm glad I did, was that they were right. It's a story of the older you get, the smarter your parents become. As I reflect, I can't help but think how true that really is when it comes to my dad and me. I think back over those days as I was growing up, and I recall some of the mistakes I made and the valuable lessons I learned from those mistakes. I also think about the things I learned from my dad—things that helped me grow up and mature. For instance, he taught me about faith and how I should Being with Dad was the first time in a long time that I felt I had purpose. I couldn't think of a higher purpose for me than to be there for him and help him." by John Copeland "

• Cover