Rev. Dr. Karla J. Cooper, EdD

A Life Built on Faith, Service & Education

Rev. Dr. Karla J. Cooper is an Itinerant Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, an Associate Professor at Doane University in Nebraska, and a community development specialist whose life and ministry have spanned three continents. With more than 23 years of pastoral leadership across Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, and Zambia, she has dedicated her life to building bridges between African communities and the global church.

Holding a Doctor of Education (EdD) and advanced degrees in Divinity and Public Administration, Dr. Cooper brings both academic rigor and a pastor's heart to every initiative she leads. Her theological formation includes years of partnership with Bishop Catherine Mutua of the Kaaga Synod in Meru, Kenya — a relationship that shaped her deep reverence for African leadership and indigenous wisdom.

Dr. Cooper's work in Ghana began years before the Foundation was formally established. She traveled regularly to the Bono Region, building relationships with traditional chiefs, community educators, and women's groups — learning, listening, and earning the trust that forms the bedrock of the Foundation's community-first model.

Pan-African Ministry

Dr. Cooper's pan-African engagement encompasses pastoral work, theological education, and community empowerment across five countries. In Kenya, she partnered with the Kaaga Synod to support rural church development. In Uganda and South Africa, she worked alongside local faith leaders on HIV/AIDS community response programs. In Zambia, she contributed to women's literacy initiatives rooted in the local church. Each experience reinforced her conviction that sustainable development flows from within communities — never imposed from outside.

Academic Leadership

As an Associate Professor at Doane University, Dr. Cooper bridges her field experience with academic research on international development, African diaspora studies, and faith-based community engagement. She is an author, public speaker, and advocate for Pan-African education whose voice reaches audiences across the USA, Europe, and Africa.

The Founding Vision

In 2025, Dr. Cooper formalized decades of grassroots service into the Rev Dr Karla J Cooper Foundation — a registered NGO of Ghana dedicated to girls' education, women's agricultural empowerment, and community partnerships rooted in cultural respect. She remains personally engaged in every program, traveling regularly between Nebraska and the Bono Region to nurture the relationships at the heart of the Foundation's work.

"When a girl is educated, an entire community is transformed. When a woman controls her economic destiny, her children eat, her household thrives, and her village moves forward. That is the change we are building — one scholarship, one cooperative, one partnership at a time."