The new Sunday-evening kickoff launched the six-day faith conference on July 26 at 6 p.m. at the Fort Worth Convention Center, featuring worship from singer-songwriter Anna Golden and a message from Pastor Robert Madu, with free admission for all attendees.

FORT WORTH, TX / ACCESS Newswire / September 15, 2026 / Kenneth Copeland Ministries (KCM) added Faith Forever Night, an inaugural Sunday-evening kickoff event, to the Southwest Believers' Convention (SWBC) as the six-day gathering returned to the Fort Worth Convention Center for its 46th consecutive year. Faith Forever Night began Sunday, July 26, at 6 p.m., opening a convention that ran July 27 through August 1, 2026. Admission was free for all attendees, with seats reserved through online registration at southwestbelieversconvention.com or by phone at 817-566-7777.

The new opening night marked a first in the convention's 46-year history. Rather than beginning with Kenneth Copeland's traditional Monday-morning message, this year's gathering, themed "The Homecoming," opened with an evening of contemporary worship led by singer-songwriter Anna Golden, followed by a message from Pastor Robert Madu of Social Dallas.

After more than four decades of opening the Southwest Believers' Convention on a Monday morning, KCM recognized that believers traveling to Fort Worth from across the United States and dozens of countries arrived over the weekend, ready for the gathering to begin. Few multi-day faith conferences offered a dedicated opening night of worship and preaching before the first general session.

Faith Forever Night answered that call, giving Partners, friends, and first-time guests a Sunday-evening welcome that set the tone for six full days of Word-based teaching, healing ministry, and corporate worship.

Kenneth Copeland has anchored the Southwest Believers' Convention since its inception in 1981, serving as founder, lead Bible teacher, and the voice behind a global ministry that currently reaches 159 countries and territories on six continents. The addition of Faith Forever Night paired that legacy with a new generation of ministry voices, and KCM staff framed the opening night as the first note of this year's theme, "The Homecoming," a call to gather and return to the foundations of faith.

"For over six decades, my parents have traveled the world sharing the good news of Jesus. During forty-five of those years, we've welcomed a global audience to Fort Worth to visit and be restored with God's Word. This year marks a new era for KCM and SWBC, starting with the theme of this year's event called 'The Homecoming,'" said John Copeland, chief executive officer of Kenneth Copeland Ministries.

Faith Forever Night led into a full week of programming that ran morning through evening across six days, with two general sessions each day, twice-daily evangelism training led by Riley Stephenson in Room 110 at 8:15 a.m. and 6 p.m., and pre-service prayer led by Pastor Terri Copeland Pearsons before every meeting.

Children ages 6 through 11 attended Superkid Academy; teens aged 12 through 17 joined 14Forty; and the convention closed Saturday, August 1, with a Healing School service at 9:30 a.m. featuring Kenneth Copeland, the convention's longest-running ministry tradition.

"God is doing a new thing with KCM, and we're honored to witness it," said Kenneth Copeland. "There's nothing like the Southwest Believers' Convention for people who travel from around the world expecting God to move. Having respected leaders like Pastor Robert Madu and Anna Golden open the event highlights its importance to believers everywhere."

The 2026 Southwest Believers' Convention also carried historic weight for its host city. The Fort Worth Convention Center Arena, the gathering's longtime home, is scheduled for demolition in early 2027, making this year's event one of the final major gatherings held in the building before reconstruction begins. In the next couple of years, the historic dome will be modernized into a state-of-the-art convention space for future trade shows, events, and conventions like SWBC.

Copeland pointed to the venue's closing chapter as part of what made the inaugural evening significant.

"We're expecting Partners and friends from around the world to come to Fort Worth for one of the last events in the historic Fort Worth Convention Center before the city brings it down," he said. "I can't imagine a better evening to mark this 46th annual Southwest Believers' Convention and the new beginning for this renowned building than an electric atmosphere of current music and an energizing message from one of today's most prolific pastors."

Last year's 45th annual convention drew nearly 18,000 registered attendees from all 50 states and 54 countries, including 871 pastors from churches and ministries worldwide. SWBC 2025 generated an estimated $8.8 million in economic impact for the City of Fort Worth and supported nearly 1,100 jobs in food, lodging, and entertainment near Sundance Square. Attendees recorded 807 salvations and 95 water baptisms over the course of the week.

About Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Kenneth Copeland is a globally renowned teacher of God's Word, an international best-selling author, and a GRAMMY-nominated recording artist. He and his wife, Gloria, founded Kenneth Copeland Ministries in 1967 with one declaration at the center of everything they do: Jesus Is Lord. For 59 years, they have taught uncompromising biblical principles of faith, love, healing, prosperity, redemption, and righteousness to believers worldwide. KCM operates from a 33-acre campus in Fort Worth, Texas, and its family of organizations includes Kenneth Copeland Bible College, Eagle Mountain International Church, and VICTORY Channel. For more information, visit KCM.org.

Contact

Kenneth Copeland Ministries
media@kcm.org
817-307-0807
www.kcm.org
www.southwestbelieversconvention.com
facebook.com/CopelandNetwork
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SOURCE: Kenneth Copeland Ministries