Once a high fashion designer, Elizabeth Copeland became a missionary when she stopped running from God’s call.

This year the Church of God in Christ’s Women’s Department is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Through the years one of its international evangelists, Dr. Elizabeth Copeland, has contributed invaluable service to women and children.

Copeland has undergirded her ministry with the firm belief that every person has the potential to become what God created him or her to be. She put her belief into practice by single-handedly developing a ministry that has touched the lives of people around the world.

One of the world’s leading defenders of the suffering church calls Charisma’s readers to identify with our persecuted brothers and sisters.

Authorities routinely turn a blind eye to injustices against Christians, yet believers hold fast to their love for their Savior–and their enemies.

For years Christians in the south have been starved, bombed and sold into slavery in an attempt to impose Islamic rule. But church still lives.

My three sons predicted a worse end to those who oppose God than the one David prayed for in Psalm 68:1. One Sunday they changed the wording in the chorus of “Let God Arise” to “Let His enemies be splattered” instead of “scattered.”

Our congregation heartily approved the change. In fact, we’ve sung it that way ever since.
–Elaine Bridge

The First Great Awakening brought major social and religious changes to England that quickly spread to the colonies in America. At a time of great moral and spiritual darkness, evangelists began to preach that all must repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. But this far-reaching spiritual revival might never have been propagated except for the efforts of one woman–Lady Selina Shirley Huntingdon.

Lady Selina was born into an aristocratic family in England in 1707. As a child she was a quiet, religious girl who was often melancholy. During her adolescence however, she blossomed into a charming, outgoing young woman who was at home in high society.

For too long, Pastor’s wives have built walls to protect themselves from the women they are called to lead. It’s time to break through the barriers.

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At the Charisma Women’s Conference in April 2000, Cindy Jacobs led a prayer of repentance and forgiveness. She called for a pastor and his wife to come forward to repent on behalf of any pastors and their wives who had ever offended women. I nudged my pastor-husband and indicated that we needed to volunteer.

We made our way to the platform and repented before all the women present. God ministered powerfully by His Spirit that night. Since then I have had women from different parts of the world tell me how deeply impacted and encouraged they were by that prayer.