Carl Cooper

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Archdeacon of Meirionnydd

Carl Norman Cooper (born 4 August 1960) is a Welsh former

Bishop of St David's
from 2002 to 2008.

Early life

Cooper was born on 4 August 1960 and grew up in

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

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, 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 in 2008 appointed Chief Executive of the Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations (PAVO).[12]

He left this role in 2022 to become Chair of Powys Teaching Health Board.[13]

Personal life

Cooper was married to Joy and they have four children together. They separated in 2008 after 25 years of marriage.[14]

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.[15][16] Williams-Potter had been married to her husband for 15 years and they had had two children together, before splitting in 2008.[17]

References

  1. ISBN 978-0-7136-8555-8
  2. ISBN 0-7151-8088-6
  3. ^ "Yr Eglwys yng Nghymru | the Church in Wales". Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  4. ^ "Yr Eglwys yng Nghymru | the Church in Wales". Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  5. ^ "UK Parliament - Early Day Motions by Details". Archived from the original on 23 April 2010. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  6. ^ "Martin Ssempa ~ News".
  7. ^ The Daily Telegraph, 22 February 2008, p7
  8. ^ "Bishop given leave over rumours". BBC Wales News. 12 March 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2008.
  9. ^ "Bishop resigns after speculation". BBC Wales News. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2008.
  10. ^ "Bishop and Vicar resign after gossip over 'love affair'", by Tom Peterkin in The Daily Telegraph, 30 April 2008.
  11. ^ "Press Release - Bishop of St Davids resigns". Church in Wales. 29 April 2008. Archived from the original on 1 May 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2008.
  12. ^ Williamson, David (30 June 2008). "First day in a new job for the ex-bishop who's now Mr Cooper". The Western Mail. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  13. ^ "Carl Cooper has been appointed as Chair of Powys Teaching Health Board".
  14. ^ "Bishop and wife are to separate". BBC News. 21 February 2008. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  15. ^ "Bishop given leave over rumours". BBC News. 12 March 2008. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  16. ^ "Chaplain denies bishop 'rumours'". BBC News. 6 March 2008. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  17. ^ Shipton, Martin (3 June 2010). "Former bishop shares home with ex-chaplain". Wales Online. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
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