My Transition: Joining Landon and Heartbeat
In 1982, Diane and I drove to Wilmington, NC with our three-month old to begin our first fulltime ministry. That was nearly twenty-seven years ago. I’ve been blessed beyond expression to have served as the minister for churches in Wilmington (1982-1984), Searcy (1984-1991), and Abilene (1991-2009). Highland has been home in the deepest sense for these past eighteen years.
But this is a moment of transition for me. This morning I announced my resignation.
Landon Saunders has invited me to be his partner with Heartbeat Ministries, which I’ve accepted. Our main project is to try to reach 18-29 year olds through the avenues of social networking opened up by the internet. So many in that age are struggling to find faith; they’re searching for the meaning of community; they’re eager to know joy and to learn more about loving their neighbor. We’re going to try to walk by them and assist them. We’ll have some other initiatives, of course, but this will be a central focus.
You can read more about our new work and listen to Landon’s announcement at www.heartbeat.org.
Leaving Highland is difficult, but I’m also so excited about this project that I can hardly sleep. (And by the way, we’re not really leaving Highland. Both Abilene and Highland will continue to be home for Diane, Chris, and me!)
In 1991, Highland invited me to be their new minister when I was a 34-year-old Arkansas minister. Twenty years before that, Landon came to Highland as a 34-year-old Arkansas minister, as well. He was invited by Herald of Truth to launch a radio program.
Don’t many of you remember hearing Landon’s voice in the 1970′s and 1980′s? Perhaps at a college retreat . . . or on the radio (his program was first picked up by NBC and then eventually by most major networks) . . . or through the “Heart of the Fighter” film series? His lectures on preaching at ACU were foundational in my understanding of Christian ministry.
Landon and I have been close friends for a long time. It’s a joy to now join together in connecting with a younger generation.
I’ll have to do a bit of fundraising, of course. (If anyone is interested in supporting the project, you can find out how through the Heartbeat website.) And as it turns out — you may have heard this — this isn’t a great time economically to be starting something like this.
But seldom in my life have I felt like I was stepping out on faith. This feels right. I would appreciate so much your prayers.
Blessings, my dear friends.
You and Diane are two people I deeply love and respect. Thank you for eighteen wonderful years of ministry. I am so very excited for this new adventure and chapter for you and for the Highland body. God is good and He will sustain us as we look into the days ahead. I have learned what integrity and righteousness look like lived out through who you are and I have learned a deeper sense of love and commitment to the call and lifestyle of prayer from your precious partner. I love you more than you know, Mike! Blessings to you.
Hoping and praying today for much good to come. Best wishes.
We have never met, but you have inspired me over the years when I have had opportunity to hear you speak. I know Highland has been blessed by you, and will miss your leadership and your voice. God bless you on your new adventure.
One of the things I continually need to be reminded of is that no ministry is dependent upon ‘one’ individual alone. With transformation comes opportunities we would have not been prepared or ready for in the past. I look forward to hearing (and reading) more about this transition, and how God is already and will continue to use other individuals at Highland to serve those around them. Blessings on this opportunity…
You’re even going to have to change your website. Dang it.
True, Amy … maybe “Reacher Mike” …?
I’m praying for You, Landon and Your Families.
May God bless this new ministry.
A partnership created by God’s own weaving! I’m so thankful for your willingness to take this step of faith. I understand how you feel. I know you are doing the right thing. Can’t wait to see you. . .and Landon!
This morning was incredible, both in the gentle way you told the church family of this transition and the loving manner in which the family received your news. I’m so proud of you and Highland and excited about new paths to be opened and traveled for both. I’m also thankful that the Cope family will remain at Highland. However….along with Amy’s mention of change in your blog, you might want to extend the transition and consider changing your favorite seating spot at Highland.
Whatever you do, don’t think this will be in any way an excuse to get out of the routine of Sunday morning hug and quick verbal interchange…. No how! No way!!! 
You are loved and so appreciated!
My heart literally skipped a beat when I read you were resigning. Times of change are always difficult but have the potential for enormous blessing. I’ll be praying for Highland and for you as you embark on the next adventure.
I am so excited you are stepping out on faith and joining Landon. Reaching 18-29 year olds is desperately needed and you have the gifts for you. What a great partnership. Praying for you and Diane in the transition. Thanks for your longevity in congregational ministry. Blessings
Many blessings to you in this new minstry! Or should I say “continued ministry”, as you’ve always connected so well with this age group.
I was reading up on Internet evangelism a few months ago and it occurred to me that one of the greatest outreaches was not just publishing one’s one web sites and blogs, but reaching people through their own blogs. There are many thousands of what I call “angst” blogs where people expose a bit of their personal needs, often without receiving any comment, and then abandon them.
It made me think how great it would be to hold Internet evangelism workshops for teens and college students to help them safely and strategically reach others through social media, especially when people are already crying out for meaning and connection.
Dear Mike,
I could not think of a better successor for Landon to lay his mantle upon. May the Lord grant to you both an increase in the harvest of the kingdom. Your target group is a mission field that needs the message of the gospel.
God bless,
Mike,
We’ve never met, but your spoken messages and your writings have been such a blessing in my life for twenty plus years. Landon has also been a real blessing. The need is great everywhere, but as my own daughter is in her teens, my heart is thrilled at hearing of a ministry that is especially targeted for those 18-29. God has prepared you both for this, and I’m grateful that you are willing to step out in such faith…again a beautiful example for us all. May God bless every step of this journey!
I know you’re going to be greatly effective in this new ministry, and there is certainly a field ripe for harvest in your target! Highland will greatly miss having you in the pulpit, but I’m thankful we don’t have to miss having the sweet presence of you and your family! Wish I could have been there this morning, but I know it was a sweet time. Like Lauren said earlier, I don’t think there are words to express what yours and Diane’s ministry and the faithful examples of your lives have meant to me in my spiritual development. I love you very much, and I wish you great blessings in your new adventure!
About 34 years ago, Landon spent the night (on the couch) with my brother Bob Nelson and me in Searcy. We were in that 18-29 bracket; Landon was still in it, I think – barely!
I knew a young man then through a social club whose motto was “To our Father ever be true.” That young man probably doesn’t remember putting a raw egg down my shirt about that same time. I hope that young man and his extra special wife will enjoy this new adventure.
Monty asked us today at lunch if we caught the audible gasp this morning. I said, that no – I missed it. He said, “That’s because there wasn’t one.” (At least from where we were sitting.) That says something about the family here and about you, Mike, and about how you have helped the body grow in Christ and truly helped us to draw nearer to the throne of our God. My mind immediately went to your sermon on the parts of the body (and Body) and how important ALL the parts are. How could anyone look at that picture of you and Landon and NOT be excited and hopeful and see God’s blessing on it?
So glad you’re not moving. That helped tremendously!!
Mike, my friend, blessings to you as you transition these next months. Is it still OK for me to call you my little preacher? I say that with much love, respect and great memories of the past.
Mike, I echo all the congratulations on your new opportunity! My only disappointment is that my daughter will be a freshman at ACU this fall and I was looking forward to her sitting under your feet and growing deeper in her faith. Perhaps they will find another 34 year old from Arkansas (I partial to those boys from Arkansas) who will share the unsearchable riches of Jesus. Blessings!
I meant to type “I’m partial to . . .” Sorry about that!
God bless you and your family Mike!
My heart just caught in my throat! What a shock, yet what a wonderful opportunity. How happy I am to have heard you preach for four years — and to have heard Saunders at Lectureship! Blessings on this new stepping out in faith.
(I vote for keeping the blog site. You’re always a preacher.)
Yay for Heartbeat! Yay for Highland and Abilene seeing you around still. Yay for faith to step out. Yay, yay, yay.
Landon was one of those “Five People In Heaven” for me when I was a teen…Mike you are one also…Hope you will keep blogging…for those of us in the spiritual desert in Fort Worth:)
Mike,
Congratulations. I am the one who, when you announced your sebbatical, got hammered here for saying that those are usually signs that someone will be resigning within a year. I am happy for you, but everyone had to see this coming. In corporate America, we don’t get “sebbaticals” we have to resign to find our next challenge. I hope you did right by Highland.
God bless you in your new ministry Mike – I hope you keep bloggin’!
Thank you all for these affirming words. Yes, Marti, of course: I can always be your little preacher. (Marti and I were on staff together for most of my eighteen years here. She’s an amazing children’s minister.) Freda, I think you’re making that up.
Thanks for these memories of Landon, too.
I’m dwelling on these words from Barbara Brown Taylor this morning: “The call to serve God is first and last the call to be fully human.”
Mike-
Exactly what does Heartbeat “do”? I don’t mean that in a pejorative way at all. It almost seems that Landon & Heartbeat went underground many years back. I can see the wisdom in their operating out of the mainstream, but I am curious to know more about their mission now and how they are pursuing it. I looked at the website, but it’s a bit vague.
God bless.
My ministry has been greatly blessed by an older brother, Landon Saunders, and a peer, Mike Cope. Both have blazed trails through faithful service and set the tone for others. I think of those training years at Harding listening through headphones to Landon’s majestic voice leading us to understand the “wilderness preparation for ministry.” Mike, in your journey through the wilderness that has prepared you to step into Landon’s ministry, you have brought many to deeper faith and conviction in ministry, and yours has touched mine in ways you can’t begin to know. So it seems appropriate to me, that yours should be the voice the next generation will hear from about a “wilderness prepared ministry.”
COOL. I’m very happy for you and Diane.
Tim – Landon’s ministry has always been focused on those who are outside the walls of church. It has, therefore, been a ministry that is hard to describe. It has involved media, seminars, writing, etc. This project will be a bit bigger and more visible, however. Thanks!
David, those words go to the bone. Thanks for the blessings as we launch out.
Stepping out in faith, I think that is great, so much potential and no doubt God will provide! God Bless you, our prayers are with you!
Reaching 18-29 year olds for Jesus will change the world as we know it!
Blessings to you in this new endeavor – I look forward to keeping up with it.
I’m very happy to see you guys (and others like you) embracing the people-connecting power of the internet and using it for Christ!
Steve and I are happy for you. Two years ago we said we would pray for you and Diane. Well, it became a habit along with Don and Susan. I just know the Lord led you.
What an amazing opportunity, and you won’t have to leave Highland, Abilene, your friends, your son’s friends and activities. Talking about faith!
As one who has also walked out on faith toward new and different challenges, my prayers are with you (Charla’s as well for you and for Diane) as you make a difference in the world, just using a different “pulpit.”
Thanks for the many, many contributions you’ve made to the spiritual lives of the Hinson family, especially for your respect for the younger son who still lives in Abilene.
I wish you the best of blessing in this new work. You will do a great job because of your experience and heart. Also, when I vacation I attend the church where you first started preaching.
http://www.matthewmorine.com
Mike, how exhilarating, it must feel like you are standing at the base of a mountain you have never climbed, looking up as if to see the summit somewhere in the clouds. I hope Diane will be ok with no longer being the preacher’s wife. I pray God gives you faith as you “endeavor to persevere.”
WOW.
Really.
WOW!
I know God will bless this journey.
Will you still teach Bible at ACU?
Mike, I’m praying for you and the Highland family! I appreciate your courage to follow where you know God is leading you and your ministry! Love you bro!
Randy I too was hoping my son would be able to have the blessing of being in Mike’s freshman Bible class…How about it Mike? They certainly fit the age group you are trying to reach; ) Sounds like a perfect match!!
Lee Ann, I like the way you think!!!! Mike . . . .
Mike
Leaving Highland to move to Zambia two years ago made us realize even more how much we miss hearing your preaching each week. But your blog made up for some of that. Don has been saying for quite a while that he thought you would be leaving Highland. He is pretty perceptive because I thought he was wrong. We are grateful for the impact you have had on our walk with God in our 14 years at Highland. We will pray for you and Diane and Chris as you begin this new path. Landon has long been one of our favorite people. He has always been so transparent as he served others for Jesus. We are glad you still will be in Abilene and we look forward to seeing you all then as well as reading the blog.
Yes, I’m going to continue teaching freshman Bible at ACU. Just as you’ve suggested, Landon and I consider it a good match for this initiative.
Just a thought. You are like Eugene Petersen when he did the Message. Only instead of a radical paraphrase which made the word come alive, you will use the newest method to communicate and help those you reach open their eyes. Never has it been more true….the Word incarnate is alive and has moved into the neighborhood. We are lifting you and Landon up now and daily that your work will explode like the P.C. did.
So, Mike, is one of your first responsibilities going to be to do something with the Heartbeat website? I was moved by Landon’s words in the video, but the website basically doesn’t do anything to share what Heartbeat is all about.
Still curious.
Thanks, Roger. Yes, we’ll be working on that. We have a company of twentysomething-year-olds who’ll be doing the web work. They’re very talented. But when Landon and I have time, we’ll be providing the information they need. We just didn’t have time to do it before this announcement.
It’s your gift…it’s one of God’s callings that you need to follow. I remember being at Harding (and I was only able to attend one year) sitting in your class on Wednesday nights on campus…I absolutely loved it! You inspired me, you made me think, you made me laugh, and you made me cry (good cry!). I am so happy that you CARE enough about the young adults to take a leap of faith and try to reach them. I think most churches struggle with this age group…not sure what they need or where they belong. I remember being that age and feeling so out of place at church…and nobody MADE me feel that way…it was just the area of unknown…what do I do and where do I go. Kuddos to you and Landon! You make this proud Arkansan PROUD(though I’m in Texas now!
—Not too shabby for a couple of young Arkansas Preachers! I’ll be praying for your new journey…Don’t forget to keep us posted on the ways you do this through the internet! Would love my soon to be college kid to keep up with your stuff! 
I’m excited to see how God uses both you and Landon in this Kingdom effort. Your preaching has shaped many young preachers like myself. Even though we’ve never really met, your passion for God and giftedness for preaching have encourage me in my own ministry efforts. Thanks for inviting us into God’s world for the last 27 years in a congregational setting. I look forward to watching the next chapter.