Political Movements, Social Change, and the Preacher
Ed Copeland
Episode Seven of Preaching and the Pastor Theologian –
In this episode, Joel Lawrence and Matt Kim talk with pastor, lawyer, and theologian K. Edward Copeland about how the gospel shapes the church’s engagement with today’s social and political tensions. Ed shares his unique journey—from overcoming a childhood speech impediment to decades of ministry and justice work—and offers a compelling vision of the gospel as God’s reconciling work for people, systems, and the whole cosmos. Drawing on the African American preaching tradition and the posture of exile, he explains how preaching can form Christians who discern cultural idols, process societal events theologically, and live faithfully amid fractured times. The result is a conversation full of wisdom, hope, and clarity for pastors and congregations navigating the complexities of modern life.
K. Edward Copeland is the Lead Pastor at New Zion Baptist Church in Rockford, IL. He is the author of Riding in the Second Chariot (PrayerCloset, 2004) and a contributor in Entrusted with the Gospel (Crossway, 2010). He holds degrees from the University of Illinois, UC Berkeley, Golden Gate Seminary, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.
