The Rev Katurah York Cooper, DMin, is the Founding Pastor of The Empowerment Temple African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church of Liberia and Dean of John R. Bryant Theological Seminary of AME University. She was born in Liberia, West Africa, to Mr. James L. York, entrepreneur and Dr. Louise C. York, former President of Monrovia College and the AME University. Dr. Cooper received her primary, secondary and undergraduate education from her native country. She matriculated to New York University earning a Masters of Science in Biology. Dr. Cooper’s teaching career began as a teacher’s assistant in Biology at the University of Liberia and Biology/Chemistry teacher and Head of the Science Department at the Monrovia College & Industrial Training School. Due to the devastating civil conflict in Liberia, in 1990, she and her family sought refuge in the United States where she lived and worked for eleven years. While there, she served on the teaching staff at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, and established and managed an African clothing and art store there. Upon answering the call into ordained ministry in 1995, Dr. Cooper became a member of the ministerial staff at Payne Memorial AME Church under direct supervision of Pastor (now Bishop) Vashti Murphy McKenzie. She served as Minister to Women for six years and briefly as Executive Assistant to the Pastor. Dr.Cooper enrolled at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC, and graduated with honors with a Master of Divinity in 2001. She also represented the African Students on the Council of Wesley Theological Seminary. Determined to pursue the highest level of education, she earned the Doctor of Ministry degree from Asbury Theological Seminary in 2012 receiving the Distinquished Dissertation Award for Excellence in Pastoral Ministry. Dr. Cooper returned to Liberia in 2001 and began teaching at the John Bryant Theological Seminary, and in October 2004, she was appointed the first woman Dean of the Seminary. Dr. Cooper is also a known and respected advocate for women’s rights and justice issues in Liberia. She established the Miracle Women Worldwide Ministries in 1996. She was one of the organizers of the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace, a non-violent protest movement that significantly influenced the Accra Peace Talks that led to the end of the civil conflict in Liberia in 2003. From January 2004-May 2005, she was one of seven Commissioners of the Independent National Commission on Human Rights of Liberia. Dr. Cooper is a prolific, outstanding, and much sought after teacher and preacher. She is an ordained elder in the AME Church and a former Executive Board member of the Connectional AME Women in Ministry. As the Founding Pastor of Empowerment Temple AME Church in Monrovia, Liberia, the membership has grown from 16 to over 600 since 2001; from worshiping in a 50-seat bank lobby to a 1000-seat two-story multi-complex worship edifice; the establishment of an elementary school and extensive involvement in community outreach through the church’s NGO-H.O.P.E. (Helping our People Excel) Inc. H.O.P.E partners with international organizations ( e.g. UNICEF) and national institutions to advocate for laws for the rights of children, to fund social programs which empower girls and boys across the nation of Liberia, to provide scholarships to young people kindergarten through university level and to provide short-term microcredit loans to small business owners. Dr. Katurah York Cooper married her high school sweetheart, James S. P. Cooper, thirty-five years ago and they are blessed with several children and grandchildren. She is a Candidate for Episcopal Honors in the AME Church 2016. Another WOMAN IN LEADERSHIP
Posted on: Sat, 09 Aug 2014 12:30:29 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015