Patrick Cooper Takes Over as Lead Pastor

But At What Cost?

This morning, Oasis of Praise officially named Patrick Cooper as their new lead pastor. But not without controversy.

Patrick Cooper. Source: OasisOfPraise.com

The vote was conducted behind closed doors, with Al Bristow, an administrative liaison from the Church of God, personally counting the ballots. Reports now suggest that one or two elders may have been present, but the results were still not made visible to anyone else. The congregation was simply handed the decision without proof, without transparency, and without the ability to verify what actually happened behind those doors.

Al Bristow. Source: alacoghq.org. Why does he look JUST like Allan Kendrick, though?

Then, Bristow made it clear—this was final. "This is your new pastor. Don’t contact me about any of this."

Just like that, an institution that claims to operate under the guidance of faith and community shut down any opportunity for clarity or accountability.

Cooper himself had previously agreed to a 66.6% threshold rather than a simple majority of 51%—but with Bristow refusing to disclose the final numbers, the congregation is left in the dark. Did he truly meet the required percentage? Or was this vote just another pre-determined outcome, carefully controlled by leadership with no transparency?

And let’s be clear—this isn’t just about numbers.

This is about who Patrick Cooper is, what he has done, and why so many believe he is dangerously unfit to lead.

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Who Is the Man Now Leading Oasis of Praise?

As advocate Haley Beard put it:

“Patrick Cooper—the man who sat in on meetings watching as victims were kicked out of Oasis. The man who helped protect a pedophile. The man who told a teenage girl who was raped, ‘There’s two sides to every story.’ The man who called the church ‘dumb sheep.’ The man who has funded pedophiles in jail. The man who still continues to lie to this very day. The list goes on and on. And now, he’s the lead pastor of Oasis of Praise in Bessemer, Alabama.”

This is not someone with a clean slate. Cooper was an active participant in the Oasis cover-ups. He was there. He watched. And he did nothing.

• He stood by as victims were shunned, exiled from the church they had called home.

• He preached “grace” over accountability to shield Allan Kendrick from scrutiny.

• He silenced survivors, telling them their abuser’s side of the story mattered just as much as their trauma.

• He was caught on a forgotten live stream mocking his own congregation, calling them dumb sheep while propping himself up as their “shepherd.” In that same live stream, he accepted hateful language toward the LGBTQ+ community spoken by a prominent church member, nodding along in agreement as this congregant called a visiting church choir a bunch of “fagg*ts and hom*s.”

• He funded known pedophiles in jail.

And now, he takes the pulpit.

Even more concerning? Multiple sources from inside the congregation claim Cooper is still in contact with Allan Kendrick. I cannot confirm or deny this, but if true, it speaks volumes about who still holds influence at Oasis of Praise.

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Why I Won’t Be Going As Hard on Cooper as I Did on Kendrick

This might surprise some people, but I don’t believe Patrick Cooper is an evil person. However, the influence and manipulation of Allan Kendrick has a deep-rooted hold on Cooper, and he needs to be completely cleansed of Kendrick’s toxic influence before he can even begin to lead with integrity.

That doesn’t mean I believe he should be leading a church.

The reality is that Cooper needs counseling. He needs healing. He needs to reckon with his role in the harm Oasis of Praise has inflicted on survivors. And I am not the only one who feels this way. Many within the church do not believe he is ready for this role.

But here we are.

A man who has spent years enabling abuse and covering for predators is now the one standing at the helm of a church that desperately needs reform. And if today’s secretive vote is any indication, Oasis of Praise is nowhere near ready to change.

So, what happens next?

Only time will tell.

But let’s not forget—the eyes of this community are watching.

If Patrick Cooper believes he can preach his way out of accountability, he is mistaken.

And if Oasis of Praise thinks this closes the book on its history of abuse and cover-ups, they are wrong.

I’ll be here. I’ll be listening. And I will not stop telling the truth.

To Pastor Coop, understand this—you are not stepping into this role unnoticed. There is an army of watchdogs paying close attention, ensuring that the remaining congregants of Oasis of Praise, particularly the children, are protected from the same cycles of harm that have plagued this church for years.

This is not a call to attack, but a challenge to lead with transparency. If you truly intend to walk a different path than your predecessor, prove it. Bring back the live streams. Let the world see how you will lead.

Allow the community—not just those inside Oasis, but those who have been exiled, those who have suffered, and those who still care—to witness whether real change is happening, or if the same patterns of secrecy and control continue.

Leadership demands accountability. Will you provide it? Or will you hide behind closed doors, just as your church has done time and time again? The choice is yours. But know this—people are watching, and they will not be silent.