Allan Coppedge

Allan Coppedge and his wife, Beth, are involved in a speaking ministry, separately and sometimes together. They lead retreats, conferences, and special events together. Al specializes in preaching and teaching for revivals, camp meetings, and men’s retreats.

Al received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Cambridge, England, in historical theology. In addition to post-doctoral research on American Methodist history and theology at Johns Hopkins University, his education includes a Th.M. degree from Asbury Theological Seminary, a B.D. degrees (honors) from University of Edinburgh, and a B.A. degree from Emory University. He is a member of the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Al taught for 33 years as the Beeson Professor of Christian Theology at Asbury Theological Seminary in the areas of Wesley Studies and Systemic Theology. For three years, Dr. Coppedge served as Academic Dean and Professor of Old Testament at the Biblical Seminary of Colombia, South America, where he was under appointment as a missionary with OMS International. He has been a pastor in Georgia and Kentucky and has preached extensively in Central and South America, as well as Scotland and England. For a brief time, he worked with The Navigators in San Antonio, TX. Dr. Coppedge also served as the president and co-founder of The Barnabas Foundation, an organization that promoted discipleship ministries in the Wesleyan tradition in seminaries, colleges, local churches, and mission organizations.

As a part of his commitment to serious scholarship within the Wesleyan tradition, Dr. Coppedge has written Shaping the Wesleyan Message: John Wesley in Theological Debate (Evangel, 2003), a description of the theological debates over predestination and Christian perfection among the Armenians and Calvinists of the Eighteenth Century Revival. He is also the author of The Biblical Principles of Discipleship (Francis Asbury Press, 1989), which lays out the biblical and theological foundations for the discipleship ministry of The Barnabas Foundation, and wrote the chapter entitled “How Wesleyans Do Theology” in the book Doing Theology in Today’s World (Zondervan, 1991). Dr. Coppedge also has written Portraits of God: A Biblical Theology of Holiness (InterVarsity, 2001) and The God Who is Triune (InterVarsity, 2007). He coauthored In His Image: A Workbook on Scriptural Holiness (Providence House, 2000) and three Guidebooks to Mature Discipleship: “Knowing Jesus,” “Following Jesus,” and a Workbook on Spiritual Gifts. In addition, he has written four shorter Key Idea Books: “God’s Purposes for You,” “Setting the Pace,” “When the Holy Spirit Comes,” and “The Promise of Something More.”

Dr. Coppedge has been married to the former Elizabeth Kinlaw since 1969, and they have four children: Katy Beth and Cricket, who were born in Colombia, South America, and William Asbury and Susannah, who were born in Kentucky.