Our Testimony

Personal Testimony of Kurt R. Copeland

 Kurt was born in Pekin, IL on February 23, 1971.  He is the youngest of four boys.  Kurt trusted in Christ as his personal Savior as a bus kid on January 11, 1982 at the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Mattoon, IL.  Pastor Norm Amstutz led him to the Lord.             

  • The Copeland family moved to Murfreesboro, TN in December of 1985.  While working as a Ranch Hand at the Bill Rice Ranch during the summer of 1986, Kurt surrendered to full time Christian service.  Kurt graduated from Franklin Road Christian School in Murfreesboro, TN in 1989 and enrolled at Pensacola Christian College for the fall of 1989 majoring in Missions.  After graduation, in December 1993, Kurt and Christy (Payne) (also from Murfreesboro, TN area) were married on January 1, 1994.  After serving 2 years as a youth pastor in Florida, on June 1st of 1994, Kurt answered the call to return to Franklin Road Baptist Church as Youth Pastor.  Kurt was also able to earn a Master’s Degree in Biblical Studies from West Coast Baptist College in 2009 and an earned Doctorate Degree in Pastoral Ministries from Bethany Divinity College in 2017.

    God has given the Copeland’s two beautiful daughters, Angel Dawn was born on October 9, 1997 and then their second little girl, Gabrielle Daye, was born on November 7, 2000.  God has blessed the Copeland family tremendously! 

    While serving as youth pastor at Franklin Road, God richly blessed the youth ministry of Franklin Road Baptist Church.  The youth ministry experienced a strong touch of revival.  With an average of over 200 teens in attendance each Sunday, souls saved weekly, and teenagers surrendering to the Will of God; the touch of God was very evident.  It has always been Kurt’s desire to see teens saved and surrender to live for the Lord with their life.  After nearly 28 years of serving in youth work together, Kurt & Christy turned in their resignation from Franklin Road in January of 2020 and feel God’s call to continue to reach families for Christ through evangelism.  God continues to bless in amazing ways as they continue to yield themselves to God’s will.

Personal Testimony of Christy Copeland

Christy Copeland accepted Christ as her personal Lord and Savior when she was just three years old.  She knew from a young age that she wanted to marry a preacher boy.  When she was a sophomore in high school, she began praying to marry Kurt Copeland or somebody just like him. Christy attended PCC and majored in her Mrs. Degree and minored in Elementary Education. 

  • She still prayed for one date with the Mr. Kurt Copeland.  God answered her prayer with a yes and they began dating her sophomore year and his junior year of college.  They were engaged on January 1, 1993 and married on January 1, 1994. Christy lost her mama when she was seven years old so she prayed God would give her two little girls. The Lord blessed Kurt and Christy with two wonderful daughters named Angel and Gabrielle. Christy praises God for his goodness.  She believes God never takes something away without sending a double blessing in return.  Angel is now teaching third grade at a Christian school in Fort Walton Beach, FL, and Gabby is a Junior Nursing major at PCC. Who says dreams don’t come true?  Christy is living her dream and if she were to go back and do it all over again, the only thing she’d change is….she would marry Kurt a little sooner!