Karla Cooper

Received her Master of Divinity Degree

Karla serves as an itinerant pastor of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. While at Eden, she balanced both her studies and the demands of pastoring a church in Nebraska.

Eden stretched, nurtured and embraced the giftedness within my life’s calling.

“I remember when I was in the 3rd grade, which was the year that my best friend — my paternal grandfather — died. I asked my father this question before going to Sunday School: ‘Can women be preachers?’ And my father opened up the Bible and read to me the story of Mary Magdalene. He explained to me that she was the first preacher of the Good News. My dad then proceeded to say that I could be whatever I wanted to be. I was happy to hear that. At that time, all I wanted to do was write and be an archaeologist.

“I fulfilled both of those dreams: I pursued a career in journalism and Eden Theological Seminary guided my archaeological pursuits by encouraging as well as teaching me how to ‘dig up’ and ‘sift through’ the ancient texts, church historians and spiritual truths in an effort to go deeper into the mysteries of faith. Eden stretched, nurtured and embraced the giftedness within my life’s calling. For that, I am eternally grateful.”