Adam J. Copeland

Title: Faculty Director for Faith and Leadership
Department: Religion
Phone: (218) 299-3417
Your Name:
Your Email:
Message:

Degrees and Education:

  • Graduate Coursework (2012) from University of North Dakota (Grand Forks, ND) in Communication.
  • M.Div. (2009) from Columbia Theological Seminary (Decatur, GA)
  • B.A. (2005) Cum Laude, with majors in Religion and English, from St. Olaf College (Northfield, MN)

Scholarly Activities:

PUBLICATIONS

Chapters in Books

Contributing Essay, Writing in the Margins: Connecting with God in the Pages of Your Bible, Lisa Nichols Hickman, ed., Abingdon Press, forthcoming 2013

Response Essays, Banned Questions about Christians, Christian Piatt, ed., Chalice Press, forthcoming 2013

Pastoral Perspective Essays, Feasting on the Gospels: Matthew, Westminster John Knox Press, forthcoming 2012

“Making Space for Questions,” Renew 52: 50+ Ideas to Revitalize Your Congregation from Leaders under 50, David Lose, ed., Center for Biblical Preaching at Luther Seminary, 2012

“Navigating Call,” Keeping the Faith in Seminary, Ellie Roscher, ed., Avenida Press, 2012

“A Couple of Feminists,” with Megan J. Thorvilson, My Red Couch: And Other Stories on Seeking a Feminist Faith, Claire Bischoff and Rachel Gaffron, eds., Pilgrim Press, 2005

Journal Articles

“The Ten Commandments 2.0,” Word and World, Vol 32, No 3, Summer, 2012

“Gospel Foolishness,” sermon on 1 Cor 1:18-31, Lectionary Homiletics, Feb/Mar 2012, Vol. XXIII No. 2, p. 46-47

“Open-Minded Preaching: Sharing a word with the ‘spiritual, but not religious,’” Journal for Preachers, Vol. XXXV, No. 2, Lent 2012

“When the Pastor’s Study Moves to Cyberspace: An Examination of Ecclesial Social Media Policies,” for review Journal of Media and Religion, 2011

“Prophetic Discontent,” sermon on 1 Kings 19:1-15,” Lectionary Homiletics, Aug/Sept 2011 “Renovating Boe Chapel: An Interview with John Ferguson, St. Olaf College Organist and Professor” Call to Worship, 42:4, 2009, p. 48-52

“Creative Uses of Children’s Choirs: Cute Kids or Worship Leaders?” Call to Worship, 42:2, 2008, p. 37-41

Reviews

“One New Book for the Preacher: Reframing Hope: vital ministry for a new generation” Journal for Preachers, 34:4, Jan 1, 2011

“A Review: Thomas G. Long’s Accompany Them With Singing--The Christian Funeral,” WorkingPreacher.org, Center for Biblical Preaching, Luther Seminary, April 26, 2010

Periodicals

“Ten Digital Tips for Enhancing Your Ministry,” Worship Leader Magazine, July/Aug 2012, p. 44-46. “No need for church: Ministry with young adults in flux,” The Christian Century, Feb 8, 2012, 129:3, p. 12-13

“Called to Farm,” Presbyterians Today, Oct 2011, p. 27-30

“Songfest: Challenges for a hymnal committee,” The Christian Century, Sept 7, 2010, 127:18, p. 30-31

“Generational Ties: Bridging the Gaps,” The Christian Century, Feb 9, 2010, v127:3: p 10-11 Curricula

“Same-Sex Marriage: For Better or for Worse?” The Thoughtful Christian, Westminster John Knox Press, 2011

“Tattoos: A Good Idea?” The Thoughtful Christian, Westminster John Knox Press, 2011 “Faithful Budgeting: Connecting our spending habits to our beliefs,” The Thoughtful Christian, Westminster John Knox Press, 2011

“The mission trip was great! Now what?” The Thoughtful Christian, Westminster John Knox Press, 2011

“Setting Priorities as a Leader,” The Presbyterian Leader, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, 2010

“Challenges and benefits of calling a part-time pastor,” The Presbyterian Leader, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, 2010

“The Christian Funeral,” The Thoughtful Christian, Westminster John Knox Press, 2009

“Aids for the Revised Common Lectionary: Advent 2007 through Reign of Christ 2008: Year A” Call to Worship, 41:1, 2007

Opinion/Editorials

“Let's have some ground rules for debating the marriage amendment,” MPR.org, Minnesota Public Radio, March 9, 2010

“To whom it may concern: the art of the public invocation,” MPR.org, Minnesota Public Radio, March 18, 2011

“The Minnesota breakfast crew vs. the Twitterati: Cherishing a sense of perspective,” MinnPost, Jan. 18, 2011

“Church's supposedly nonpolitical DVD takes sides in the governor's race,” MPR.org, Minnesota Public Radio, Sept 30, 2010

Digital Publications and Scholarship

“Acts 8:26-40: Castrating Our Customs,” ON Scripture from Odyssey Networks, also appearing at Huffington Post, Day1, and Belief Net. May 2, 2012.

“Smartphones, smart pastors, smart church,” WorkingPreacher.org, The Center for Biblical Preaching, Luther Seminary, Dec 12, 2011

Regular Featured Blogger, The Christian Century, spring 2010

“A Twitter Theology,” Patheos.com, Mainline Protestant Portal, Jan 4, 2011

“Not What, But How,” TheHighCalling.org, Jul 16, 2010

“How Twitter Makes Me a Better Pastor,” WorkingPreacher.org, The Center for Biblical Preaching, Luther Seminary, Aug 3, 2010

Invited Talks and Presentations

“The Ten Commandments 2.0,” Middle Tennessee Presbytery Workshop, Sept 2011

Conference Preacher, Youth Conference, Montreat Conference Center, June 2011

“Worship that welcomes the spiritually hungry,” Baltimore Presbytery Big Event, Feb 2010

Interviews and Citations in Books and Popular Press

Featured Ministry Leader in “Click 2 Save: The Digital Ministry Bible,” Elizabeth Drescher and Keith Anderson, Morehouse Publishing, 2012. Extended interview p. 154-157. Paper “Church Social Media Policies: An Academic Paper,” quoted p. 40.

Guest on World Have Your Say, BBC Radio, “The Topic of Cancer: following the death of Christopher Hitchens we ask ‘can you ever fight cancer with a positive attitude?’” Dec 16, 2011

“Cyberspace: Young Bullies’ New Playground” The Presbyterian Outlook, Leslie Scanlon, Nov 28, 2011. Cited: “Adam J. Copeland, a Presbyterian minister from North Dakota (and an occasional writer for the Outlook), blogged last fall in Christian Century that his searching turned up a surprising dearth of church social media policies. ‘I expect the main reason is that policies like this often develop because of misuse and abuse, not before it,’ Copeland wrote.”

“High Tech, High Touch,” Presbyterians Today, Kathy Wolf Reed, Aug/Sept 2011. Multiple quotes.

Whitsitt, Landon, “Open Source Church: Making Room for the Wisdom of All,” Alban, 2011. Cited: “In response to an August 2010 New York Times opinion piece on clergy burnout by United Church of Christ minister Jeffrey MacDonald, blogger and pastor Adam Copeland responds: ‘It’s all about the parishioners, MacDonald says. They’re the problem. Somehow he suggests the issue isn’t pandering pastors...’”

Professional Service and Affiliations

Journal for Preachers, Associate Editor, 2012-present

Committee on Ministry, Presbytery of the Northern Plains, 2012-present

Sparkhouse Press, Re:form curriculum series, reviewer of Traditions and Ancestors products, 2011-2012

Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song, Presbyterian Church (USA), member, 2008-2012

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Kittson County Chapter, Board Member, 2010- 2011

North Dakota Professional Communicators, member, 2010-present

Ordained minister of Word and Sacrament (Teaching Elder), Presbyterian Church (USA), 2009-present National Presbyterian Youth Ministry Council, Presbyterian Church (USA), co- moderator, 2000-2003

Grants and Awards

  • Theology in the Real World: A Week with Kathleen Norris, Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research, July 2012
  • Tuition Waiver, University of North Dakota, 2010, 2011
  • Community of Theological Friendship Grant, 2011
  • Emma Gaillard Boyce Memorial Award, Columbia Theological Seminary, 2009
  • Emma Gaillard Boyce Memorial Fellowship, Columbia Theological Seminary, 2009
  • Columbia Scholarship, Columbia Theological Seminary, 2005-2009
  • Ministry Fellow, Fund for Theological Education, 2005