Mike Cope
Director of Ministry Outreach
Mike Cope is the director of Ministry Outreach for 歪片星球. Pursuant to a $7.5 million grant recently received from the Lilly Endowment Inc., Cope directs four initiatives: 鈥淐ompelling Preaching,鈥� 鈥淭hriving in Ministry,鈥� 鈥淭hriving Congregations,鈥� and 鈥淭he Rural and Small Town Church Initiative.鈥�
A minister for 34 years, he is the author of Megan鈥檚 Secrets as well as four other books, and served for 12 years as the coeditor, with Rubel Shelly, of Wineskins magazine. Following a seven-year ministry at the College Church of Christ in Searcy, Arkansas, Cope served as an adjunct professor at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas, for 15 years. In Abilene, he also preached at the Highland Church of Christ for 18 years, and taught and coached little league baseball for 12 years.
Cope and his wife, Diane, continue to live in Abilene and have been married for 47 years. They have two children: Matt, a physician in Abilene and Chris, a family therapist and program director for Brooklyn Community Services in New York City, and four grandchildren.