By Dr. Ella Harley, 6th Episcopal District
The year was 1996. Atlanta welcomed the world as host of the ’96 Olympic Games. Bill Clinton was re-elected President of the United States, and Nelson Mandela signed South Africa’s post-Apartheid Constitution. It was a year marked by history, transition, and new beginnings. At Saint Philip African Methodist Episcopal Church in Atlanta, Georgia, another chapter was beginning as Mrs. L’Tanya M. Moore-Copeland was appointed Director of Worship and Arts.
Before the first note is sung, before the choir rises, and before a congregation lifts its collective voice in praise, there is preparation. There is prayer. There is vision. For thirty years, Mrs. Moore-Copeland has faithfully stood at the intersection of all three, shaping a worship and arts ministry grounded in spiritual purpose, artistic excellence, and a deep love for the Church.
A native of Atlanta, L’Tanya earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music from Morris Brown College and Master of Music in Vocal Performance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her academic preparation strengthened her musical gifts and cultivated the discipline, knowledge, and artistic excellence that would become hallmarks of her career and ministry.
Throughout the years, L’Tanya could be found performing in world-renowned classical works such as Porgy and Bess, Carmen, and Handel’s Messiah, on the theatrical stage in Black Nativity, Pinocchio, and Cotton Patch Gospel, on the Jazz Scene performing the Sacred Music of Duke Ellington and Mary Lou Williams; and the contemporary stage with David Foster & Josh Groban. She has presented music and worship workshops across the country, contributed to worship arts panel discussions at Candler, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Yale, Clark Atlanta, and North Carolina School of the Arts. Nationally, she’s ministered at GMWA, The Hampton Ministers Musicians Conference, The Dorsey Convention, Gospel Heritage Foundation, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, and Delta Omicron International Professional Music Fraternity. L’Tanya also produced a special recording with the Morris Brown College Alumni Choir in honor of a choral mentor, Professor Glynn Halsey. Yet with all of this notoriety, her heart has remained with Music & Arts in The Worship Experience.
Many may know L’Tanya as the award-winning gospel recording artist who released her debut album, Radiant, in 2006 with the hit song “He Decided To Die”, originally recorded by Dr. Margaret P. Douroux. However, describing her simply as a musician would tell only part of the story. At the heart of her ministry is a profound passion for the arts and their ability to express the Gospel.
For years, Mrs. Moore-Copeland has written and directed Saint Philip’s Resurrection Sunday productions, worked behind the scenes to curate investiture services, planned Districtwide Pentecost Services, and found innovative ways to teach and incorporate the arts into worship. For several years, she planned and executed Worshipping God Through the Arts, a month-long music and arts celebration featuring masterclasses, workshops, and concerts designed to educate, inspire, and strengthen those serving in creative arts ministries. The event featured productions of God’s Trombones, HymnSings with GIA Productions and Dr. James Abbington, Sunday Vespers with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Ken Ford, Angelica Christie, Partnerships with Teresa Hairston and Gospel Today Magazine. She featured renowned Gospel artists, including Broadway choreographer Padro Harris, recording artists V. Michael McKay, Kathy Taylor, Donald Lawrence, Dottie Peoples, Canton Jones, Lee Williams, Darwin Hobbs, Earnest Pugh, Patrick Lundy & The Ministers of Music, Jonathan Nelson, James Bignon, Dorothy Norwood, B. Chase Williams & Shabach, Leon Trent Phillips, Kurt Carr, and The Late Lecresia Campbell.
Equally significant throughout Mrs. Moore-Copeland’s thirty years of ministry has been her passion for young people, worship arts, and the broader community. In addition to directing Atlanta’s Gospel Choice Award-winning Youth Choir at Saint Philip, she served as director of the McDonald’s Stellar Youth Choir. She also developed the first orchestra at Saint Philip, playing worship music each month to the glory of God. Her commitment to youth has never been limited to developing their voices; it has also meant caring deeply about their lives, their safety, and their spiritual well-being.
In 1999, after learning that one of her youth choir members had escaped a school shooting, Mrs. Moore-Copeland transformed concern into ministry. She established Saint Philip’s Back to School Hour of Power, an annual gathering offering prayers of power and protection for students, educators, staff, and parents as they prepare for a new academic year. What began as a response to a moment of fear and uncertainty became an enduring Saint Philip tradition, continuing each August and demonstrating L’Tanya’s ability to recognize a community need and respond through faith, in addition to providing thousands of kids with school supplies and leading the efforts to provide thousands in financial scholarships.
Mrs. Moore-Copeland is married to Mr. Kerwin Copeland and has two sons, Kamron & Tristan, and 2 granddaughters. The daughter of The Late Master Pastor Rev. George & Nettie Moore, L’Tanya’s heart’s desire has always been to continue the legacy of ministry by leading worship arts with humility, love, and service.
Longevity in ministry is worthy of celebration, but faithful longevity is worthy of honor. As L’Tanya celebrates the thirtieth anniversary as Director of Worship and Arts at Saint Philip AME Church, we celebrate more than a milestone. We celebrate a ministry that has given voice to worship, shaped generations of artists, and strengthened the sacred sound of the Church.
And still, the song continues.
