One of the highlights of his years in ministry was the opportunity to make pilgrimages to the Holy Land and to assist in serving communion at the Garden Tomb.
LEBANON, PA, April 25, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present William Joel Copeland Jr., DMin, with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Dr. Copeland celebrates many years' experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Dr. Copeland is a retired clergyman who spent the last twenty years of his career as a Chaplain for the VA Medical Centers, the last none of which was in Lebanon, PA, where he served as Chief of Chaplains for the last five years of his career. Concluding his full time ministry in May 2017, he enjoyed 50 years of service to the Church, which he found was very rewarding. He was strongly influenced by his home life and a father who was also a minister. Dr. Copeland was well-known for his tireless efforts within his community.
First earning an undergraduate degree at United Wesleyan College in 1967, Dr. Copeland then completed a Master of Sacred Theology at Lutheran Theological Seminary in 1976, a Master of Divinity at Asbury Seminary in 1970, and a Doctor of Ministry at Asbury Theological Seminary in 1980. Ordained to ministry in the Wesleyan Church in 1968, he has since become a board-certified chaplain through the NAVAC in 2004 and earned a specialty in hospice and palliative care in 2009.
In 1967, Dr. Copeland started his active ministry as a student pastor at the Red Lion United Methodist Church in Franklin, OH. He became pastor in 1970 at the Parkway Wesleyan Church in Wilmington, DE, and then the First Wesleyan Church in Batavia, NY in 1983. While serving Batavia he also served as a fee based Chaplain at the Batavia VA Medical Center. He became the pastor of Zion Evangelical Congressional Church in Myerstown, PA in 1988 where he served for seven years before moving on to supply the Rexmont Evangelical Congressional Church. During his service at Rexmont he returned to work as a chaplain in the VA Medical Center at Coatesville before concluding his career with the Lebanon VA between 2008 and 2017.
During his career, Dr. Copeland dedicated a lot of time giving back to the community. From 1973 to 1983, he worked with the Children's Chapel in Wilmington. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, he was an advisor for The Salvation Army in Wilmington. He then worked with the City Youth Bureau in Batavia and served as the district secretary for the West New York district of the Wesleyan Church from 1984 to 1988. Over his years in ministry, he has also served the Wesleyan Church and the Evangelical Congregational Church in numerous other capacities.
Dr. Copeland co-edited the EC Publication "Doors and Windows" in addition to pasturing at Zion. He is a longstanding member of fifty years in the Wesleyan Theological Society and has been included in several editions of Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the East and Who's Who in the World. In 2011, on behalf of the VA, Dr. Copeland received 200 blessed pocket prayer shawls from the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania for the veterans in the VA Hospital. One of the highlights of his years in ministry was the opportunity to make pilgrimages to the Holy Land and to assist in serving communion at the Garden Tomb. Enjoying his retirement, Dr. Copeland now spends his free time with the grandchildren as well as reading and collecting stamps, coins and sports cards. He also supplies pulpits as needed.
In recognition of outstanding contributions to his profession and the Marquis Who's Who community, William Joel Copeland Jr., DMin, has been featured on the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement website. Please visit www.ltachievers.com for more information about this honor.
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