Dr. Coppedge has taught for thirty-three years as the Beeson Professor of Christian Theology at Asbury Theological Seminary in the areas of Wesley Studies and Systematic Theology. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, England, in Historical Theology. In addition to post-doctoral research on American Methodist history and theology at the Johns Hopkins University, his education includes a Th.M., Asbury Seminary, a B.D. (Honors), University of Edinburgh, and a B.A., Emory University.
For a number of years Dr. Coppedge served as Academic Dean and Professor of O.T. at the Biblical Seminary of Colombia, South America, where he was under appointment as a missionary with OMS International. He has experience as a pastor in both Georgia and Kentucky, and has done extensive preaching in Central and South America, as well as Scotland and England. For a brief time he worked with The Navigators in San Antonio, Texas. He is a member of the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Dr. Coppedge has served as the President and one of the founders of The Barnabas Foundation, Inc., an organization for the promotion of discipleship ministries in the Wesleyan tradition. The Barnabas Foundation was assigned to promote discipleship ministries 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, 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 which lays out the biblical and theological foundations for the discipleship ministry of The Barnabas Foundation and has written a chapter entitled “How Wesleyans Do Theology” in the book Doing Theology in Today’s World. Dr. Coppedge has also written, Portraits of God; A Biblical Theology of Holiness, published by InterVarsity, 2001, and The God Who is Triune, also by InterVarsity, 2007. He has coauthored In His Image: A Workbook on Scriptural Holiness published by 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 is married to the former Elizabeth Kinlaw. The Coppedges have four children: Katy Beth and Cricket who were born in Colombia, South America, and William Asbury and Susannah who were both born in Kentucky.
Beth and Al are currently involved in a speaking ministry, separately and sometimes together. They do retreats, conferences, and special events together. Beth does women’s conferences and retreats and Al does revivals, camp meetings, and men’s retreats. This new phase of ministry is under The Francis Asbury Society.
