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Do not fill this in! == Controversy == KCM was criticised for having promised from 2006β2010 to create an aviation relief assistance program called "Angel Flight 44", to help [[Haiti]].<ref name="christianpost.com" /> A spokesperson responded "This was not a specific promise with a timeline attached", and said that the money was spent on airplane repairs.<ref name="christianpost.com" /> In 2008, the ministry owned five airplanes,<ref name="au1" /> and continued to purchase more, including a [[Gulfstream V]] jet from filmmaker and businessman [[Tyler Perry]].<ref name="kcm-jet" /> Copeland raised funds for the building of a hangar, upgrading of the runway, and maintenance.<ref name="kcm-jet" /> Copeland's and other televangelists' use of private jets, luxury cars and lavish houses has been widely criticized.<ref name="washingtonpost-private-jet" /><ref name="nyt1" /><ref name="huffpost" /> In 2015, Copeland, in a broadcast alongside fellow televangelist [[Jesse Duplantis]], defended the use of private jets as a necessary part of their ministry.<ref name="washingtonpost-private-jet" /><ref name="usatoday4" /><ref name="foxnews2" /><ref name="cbs-june-2019" /> [[Mike Huckabee]], a [[Republican Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008|2008 Republican presidential primary]] candidate who made six appearances on Copeland's program ''[[Believer's Voice of Victory]]''<ref name="huckabee" /> rented KCM's facilities for a fundraiser, which was criticized by the [[Trinity Foundation (Dallas)|Trinity Foundation]].<ref name="2008-01-29 ADG" /> As a result of the Huckabee appearances, KCM was one of six ministries investigated in the [[United States Senate inquiry into the tax-exempt status of religious organizations]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Huckabee's Link To TV Preacher Questioned|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/huckabees-link-to-tv-preacher-questioned/|access-date=January 5, 2021|work=CBS News|date=February 8, 2008 |language=en-US}}</ref> KCM was one of four that did not co-operate or volunteer to make reforms.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Goodstein|first=Laurie|date=January 8, 2011|title=Tax-Exempt Ministries Avoid New Regulation|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/08/us/politics/08churches.html|url-status=live|access-date=January 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120506135332/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/08/us/politics/08churches.html|archive-date=May 6, 2012|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=March 27, 2015|title=Televangelists escape penalty in Senate inquiry|url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/televangelists-escape-penalty-in-senate-inquiry|access-date=January 5, 2021|work=Fox News|agency=Associated Press|language=en-US}}</ref> The investigation did not conclude the Copelands had done anything wrong.<ref name="nbcnews1" /><ref>Senate Finance Committee, Minority Staff Review of Eagle Mountain International Churc d/b/a Kenneth Copeland Ministries January 5, 2011 [https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/EMIC%20Copeland%2001-5-11.pdf]</ref> In 2013, a [[Measles outbreaks in the 21st century#United States|measles outbreak]] with 25 confirmed cases in [[Tarrant County]] was attributed in the press to [[Vaccine controversies|anti-vaccination]] sentiments expressed by members of the Copeland Ministries.<ref name="usatoday" /> The church denied making any such statements and urged members to get vaccinations, even offering free immunizations through the church itself.<ref name="christianpost3" /> Pastor Terri Copeland Pearsons, who is Kenneth Copeland's daughter, offered free vaccination clinics and advised those who did not attend one of the clinics to [[quarantine]] themselves at home for two weeks. In a statement on the church website, Pearsons said she was not against immunizations, but also raised concerns about them.<ref name="npr1" /> {{blockquote|"Some people think I am against immunizations, but that is not true, vaccinations help cut the mortality rate enormously. I believe it is wrong to be against vaccinations. The [[MMR vaccine controversy|concerns]] we have had are primarily with very young children who have family history of [[autism]] and with bundling too many immunizations at one time. There is no indication of the [[Controversies in autism|autism connection]] with vaccinations in older children. Furthermore, the new [[MMR vaccine|MMR vaccination]] is without [[thimerosal]] (mercury), which has also been [[Thiomersal controversy|a concern]] to many."<ref name="abcnews1" />}} Copeland and his wife were featured in a 2015 episode of ''[[Last Week Tonight with John Oliver]]''.<ref name="john-oliver1" /><ref name="wapo4" /><ref name="time-mag1" /> [[John Oliver (comedian)|John Oliver]] criticized the Copelands for using tax laws to live in a $6.3 million mansion as the [[parsonage]] allowance for their home is not subject to income taxes,<ref name="npr2" /> for using church donations to buy a $20 million jet that was used for trips to a ski resort and a private game ranch,<ref name="wfaa1" /> and for promotion of healing through faith and skepticism of medicine. In May 2019, he received criticism for his lavish lifestyle after [[Inside Edition]] released an interview where he defended his purchase of a private jet. He stated "If I flew commercial, I'd have to stop 65% of what I'm doing" and he additionally defended a previous comment where he said that he did not fly commercial because he likened it to flying with demons.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Saddler |first1=Michael Brice |title=Televangelist Kenneth Coleman confronted about private jets. "It's a biblical thing," he said. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2019/06/04/wealthy-televangelist-explains-his-fleet-private-jets-its-biblical-thing/ |access-date=September 2, 2023 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=June 3, 2019}}</ref> Copeland had drawn criticism for his comments on the [[Joe Biden]] presidency.<ref>{{cite web | title=Televangelist Kenneth Copeland manically fake laughs for 40 seconds in mockery of Joe Biden's victory | website=Evening Standard | date=November 9, 2020 | url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/us-politics/televangelist-kenneth-copeland-laughs-joe-biden-media-b60676.html | access-date=November 30, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Spocchia | first=Gino | title=Kenneth Copeland laughs maniacally at media for calling US election for Biden | website=The Independent | date=November 9, 2020 | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election-2020/kenneth-copeland-biden-trump-election-b1719273.html | access-date=November 30, 2021}}</ref> He also gained attention during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]],<ref name="newsweek9" /> arguing pastors should not cancel services,<ref name="christian-post5" /><ref name="guardian2" /> and repeatedly saying the pandemic had ended or would end soon.<ref name="independent-corona" /> On March 29, 2020, in a televised sermon, Copeland "executed judgment" on COVID-19. He claimed that it was "finished" and "over" and that the US was now "healed and well again".<ref name="independent-corona" /> In another sermon shortly thereafter, he claimed to destroy the virus with the "wind of God".<ref name="independent-corona" /> He encouraged giving tithes to his ministry even by people who had lost their jobs through economic hardship brought about by the pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-04-24 |title=America's Bible Belt played down the pandemic and even cashed in. Now dozens of pastors are dead |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/bible-belt-us-coronavirus-pandemic-pastors-church-a9481226.html |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=The Independent |last=Woodward|first=Alex|language=en}}</ref> On August 3β8, 2020, the Kenneth Copeland Ministries hosted the Southwest Believers' Conference at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas, despite restrictions on social gatherings to limit the spread of the pandemic. Local leaders criticized the event, attended by hundreds of people, but were unable to enforce public health restrictions because religious gatherings were exempt under Governor Greg Abbott's executive orders.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hanson|first=Blake|date=2020-08-04|title=Tarrant County leaders unable to stop religious convention in Fort Worth that draws large crowd|url=https://www.fox4news.com/news/tarrant-county-leaders-unable-to-stop-religious-convention-in-fort-worth-that-draws-large-crowd|access-date=2021-01-05|website=FOX 4|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title='Now's not the time to relax,' says disappointed Tarrant County judge, as popular televangelist wraps up large multi-day convention|url=https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/nows-not-the-time-to-relax-says-disappointed-tarrant-county-judge-as-popular-televangelist-wraps-up-large-multi-day-convention/287-3ad1b0a9-3339-4c1a-87a3-61ec579d2254|access-date=2021-01-05|website=wfaa.com|date=August 8, 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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