After traveling with them for about three years, Jim felt a great desire, call and burden for the local church. He knew that God was calling him to start a church, so by faith he started Faith Community Church in the Kingsway Christian School gymnasium. Pastor Jim and his friend Pastor Josh Evans teamed up to launch a Liberty Church Network local center in Orrville, Ohio, which was a first for the entire state. Through the local center, pastors come together to connect, care, communicate and equip one another to make disciples of Jesus Christ in their local assemblies. In its short existence, God has done many great things through the LCN local center.
In 2019 Jim teamed up with Pastor Jonathan Barker from the First Church of The Nazarene in Wadsworth. Together they merged 3 churches into 1 church at 2 locations. They have developed Now Church which is a thriving multi-site church focused on making disciples of Jesus Christ. They plan to launch more churches as they grow and see needs in surrounding communities. Pastor Jim has over 20 years of ministry experience and is a District Licensed Minister in the church of the Nazarene. His passion to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and equip others to do so, is the driving force behind his ministry. Jim received his Biblical Studies certificate from Liberty University, and is also the recipient of an honorary Doctorate of Divinity. Jim his wife Angela, and their son Hutson, live in Wooster, Ohio.
Pastor Jim Copenhaver was saved and baptized at an early age and felt the call of God upon his life to dedicate his life to the ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jim preached his first sermon at the age of 16 and has never looked backed. In 2006 Jim started singing with his mother and brother in a family vocal music trio they sang together ministering all over America for about seven years. During that time The Copenhavers teamed up with an evangelistic team out of Lynchburg, Virginia with the dynamic preaching of Dr. Norm Pratt and Dr. Dan DeHass. During that time Jim started traveling with the award winning GloryWay quartet out of Mansfield, Ohio.