Carl Cooper
{{Short description|Welsh bishop}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2015}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type = Bishop
| honorific-prefix = The Right Reverend
| name = Carl Cooper
| title = Bishop of St David's
| image =
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| church = Church in Wales
| diocese = St David's
| term = 2002–2008
| predecessor = Huw Jones
| successor = Wyn Evans
| ordination =
| consecration = 2002
| birth_name = Carl Norman Cooper
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1960|8|4|df=yes}}
| birth_place =
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| nationality = British
| religion = Anglicanism
| residence =
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| spouse = Amanda Claire ({{abbr|m.|married}} {{circa|1983}}; {{abbr|sep.|separated}} 2008)
| children =
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| previous_post = Archdeacon of Meirionnydd
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Carl Norman Cooper (born 4 August 1960) is a Welsh 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 and joined the 16' Club, then studied theology at Wycliffe Hall in Oxford.Who's Who 2008 London, A & C Black, 2007 {{ISBN|978-0-7136-8555-8}}
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.Crockford's clerical directory1995, (London, Church House 1994) {{ISBN|0-7151-8088-6}} 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,{{cite web |url=http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/press/display_press_release.php?prid=4461 |title=Yr Eglwys yng Nghymru | the Church in Wales |accessdate=2009-10-16 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607060107/http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/press/display_press_release.php?prid=4461 |archivedate=7 June 2011 |df=dmy-all }} 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."{{cite web |url=http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/press/display_press_release.php?prid=4461 |title=Yr Eglwys yng Nghymru | the Church in Wales |accessdate=2009-10-16 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607060107/http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/press/display_press_release.php?prid=4461 |archivedate=7 June 2011 |df=dmy-all }}
David Bahati later tried to pass an act through the Ugandan Parliament to have the death penalty applied to certain homosexual acts.{{Cite web |url=http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=40483&Session=903 |title=UK Parliament - Early Day Motions by Details |access-date=18 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100423145348/http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=40483&SESSION=903 |archive-date=23 April 2010 |url-status=dead }} Bishop George Katwesigye has accused "perpetrators" of homosexuality of "indirectly bringing back colonialism in Uganda".{{cite web |url=http://ssempanews.blogspot.com/ |title = Martin Ssempa ~ News}}
In February 2008 it was announced that Cooper was separating from his wife of 25 years, Joy.The Daily Telegraph, 22 February 2008, p7 There then followed press speculation linking Cooper with his chaplain and communications officer, Mandy Williams-Potter. After consultation with the Archbishop of Wales, Cooper took a leave of absence on 12 March 2008;{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7290951.stm|title=Bishop given leave over rumours|publisher=BBC Wales News|date=12 March 2008|accessdate=2008-04-29}} and then resigned his position on 29 April 2008.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7372628.stm|title=Bishop resigns after speculation|publisher=BBC Wales News|date=29 April 2008|accessdate=2008-04-29}}"Bishop and Vicar resign after gossip over 'love affair'", by Tom Peterkin in The Daily Telegraph, 30 April 2008.{{cite news|url=http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/press/display_press_release.php?prid=4584|title=Press Release - Bishop of St Davids resigns|publisher=Church in Wales|date=29 April 2008|accessdate=2008-04-29|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501075521/http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/press/display_press_release.php?prid=4584|archivedate=1 May 2008|df=dmy-all}}
Later life
After standing down as a bishop of the Church in Wales, Cooper was in 2008 appointed Chief Executive of the Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations (PAVO).{{cite news|last=Williamson|first=David|title=First day in a new job for the ex-bishop who's now Mr Cooper|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/first-day-new-job-ex-bishop-2173271|accessdate=17 May 2014|newspaper=The Western Mail|date=30 June 2008}}
He left this role in 2022 to become Chair of Powys Teaching Health Board.{{cite web | url=https://pthb.nhs.wales/news/health-board-news/carl-cooper-has-been-appointed-as-chair-of-powys-teaching-health-board/ | title=Carl Cooper has been appointed as Chair of Powys Teaching Health Board }}
Personal life
Cooper was married to Joy and they have four children together. They separated in 2008 after 25 years of marriage.{{cite news|title=Bishop and wife are to separate|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7256566.stm|accessdate=26 November 2014|work=BBC News|date=21 February 2008}}
In 2008, he stepped down as Bishop of St David's because of allegations that he had been having an affair with his chaplain, Mandy Williams-Potter. They both denied the affair.{{cite news|title=Bishop given leave over rumours|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7290951.stm|accessdate=26 November 2014|work=BBC News|date=12 March 2008}}{{cite news|title=Chaplain denies bishop 'rumours'|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7281400.stm|accessdate=26 November 2014|work=BBC News|date=6 March 2008}} Williams-Potter had been married to her husband for 15 years and they had had two children together, before splitting in 2008.{{cite news|last1=Shipton|first1=Martin|title=Former bishop shares home with ex-chaplain|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/former-bishop-shares-home-ex-chaplain-1911412|accessdate=26 November 2014|work=Wales Online|date=3 June 2010}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Archdeacons of Merioneth}}
{{Bishops of St David's since 1908}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, Carl}}
Category:Alumni of the University of Wales, Lampeter