Did you catch Bishop Alf Cooper on Songs of Praise?
Long-serving CMS mission partner featured on BBC show
Photo: “Hope came through prayer”- mission partner Alf Cooper relived the Chilean mine disaster on BBC Songs of Praise for Advent Sunday
If you tuned into Songs of Praise on 30 November, you would have been captivated by one of the most remarkable stories of faith and perseverance in recent memory: the 2010 Chilean miners’ rescue.
At the heart of the story was Bishop Alf Cooper, a British-Chilean chaplain and a dedicated CMS mission partner, who shared his powerful reflections on those 69 unforgettable days.
The man who led the nation’s prayers
The world remembers the dramatic moment 33 miners were pulled to safety after being trapped underground. But while the global focus was on the rescue, Bishop Alf Cooper was above ground, leading prayers with desperate families at “Camp Hope”.
As the chaplain to the President of Chile, Cooper was uniquely positioned to act as a beacon of spiritual and emotional support. He shared how, in those dark, seemingly hopeless months, he helped sustain the hope of the families and the miners themselves.
For over 50 years, Alf and his wife, Hilary Cooper, have been CMS mission partners working in Chile. Their ministry is focused on church planting and multiplication in Santiago.
Catch up and be inspired
If you missed Bishop Cooper’s moving interview on Songs of Praise, it is available now on BBC iPlayer https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002n29d
Revisit the archive
- Miners testify to “34th man” – Jesus present with them
- Chilean mine survivor to tour UK
- Interview with miner Jose Henriquez
