Carl Cooper
| The Right Reverend Carl Cooper BA, MPhil |
|
|---|---|
| Bishop of St David's | |
| Province | Wales |
| Diocese | St David's |
| In office | 2002–2008 |
| Predecessor | Huw Jones |
| Successor | Wyn Evans |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | 2002 |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Carl Norman Cooper |
| Born | 4 August 1960 |
| Nationality | British |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| Spouse | Amanda Claire |
| Previous post | Archdeacon of Meirionnydd |
Carl Cooper (born 1960) is a former Anglican bishop who was the Bishop of St. David's from 2002 to 2008.
Early life
Cooper was born on 4 August 1960 and grew up in Wigan in Lancashire. He first spent time in Wales as an undergraduate at the University of Wales, Lampeter, where he took a degree in French before studying theology at Wycliffe Hall in Oxford.[1]
Unusually for a non-native Welsh bishop, Cooper is a fluent Welsh-speaker. He received a Master of Philosophy degree for a study in bilingualism in the Church in Wales.
Ordained ministry
He served as curate in Llanelli, then as the Rector of Ciliau Aeron, Ceredigion.[2] He also served at Dolgellau and as Archdeacon of Meirionnydd.
He was elected and consecrated Bishop of St David's in 2002. In his role as bishop, Cooper was invited to Uganda by the "old friend of west Wales", George Katwesigye,[3] there he met MP and University of Wales graduate David Bahati. At that meeting Cooper was quoted as saying, "Wales' influence often stretches further than we realise."[4]
David Bahati later tried to pass an act through the Ugandan Parliament to have the death penalty applied to certain homosexual acts.[5] Bishop George Katwesigye has accused "perpetrators" of homosexuality of "indirectly bringing back colonialism in Uganda".[6]
In February 2008 it was announced that Cooper was separating from his wife of 25 years, Joy.[7] There then followed press speculation linking Cooper with his chaplain and communications officer, the Reverend Mandy Williams-Potter. After consultation with the Archbishop of Wales, Cooper took a leave of absence on 12 March 2008;[8] and then resigned his position on 29 April 2008.[9][10][11]
Later life
After standing down as a bishop of the Church in Wales, Cooper was appointed Chief Executive of the Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations (PAVO),[12] a post that he still holds as of 2014.[13]
Personal life
Cooper was married to Joy and they have four children together. They separated in 2008 after 25 years of marriage.[14][15]
In 2008, he stepped down as Bishop of St David's because of allegations that he had been having an affair with his chaplain, the Rev Mandy Williams-Potter. At the time, they both denied the affair.[16][17] In 2010, it was revealed by the press that the two were living together and had both separated from their former spouses.[14] Williams-Potter had been married to her husband for 15 years and they had had two children together, before splitting in 2008.[18]
References
- ↑ Who's Who 2008 London, A & C Black, 2007 ISBN 978-0-7136-8555-8
- ↑ Crockford's clerical directory1995, (London, Church House 1994) ISBN 0-7151-8088-6
- ↑ http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/press/display_press_release.php?prid=4461
- ↑ http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/press/display_press_release.php?prid=4461
- ↑ http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=40483&Session=903
- ↑ http://ssempanews.blogspot.com/
- ↑ Daily Telegraph, 22 February 2008, p7
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- ↑ "Bishop and Vicar resign after gossip over 'love affair'", by Tom Peterkin in The Daily Telegraph, 30 April 2008.
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