Rev. Dr. Valerie Miles-Tribble
Dr. Valerie is Professor of Ministerial Leadership and Practical Theology at BST. Valerie engages liberation theology as a womanist scholar, practical theologian, and community activist pastor to raise critical awareness of systemic oppressions. As the 2021 GTU Distinguished Faculty Lecturer, Valerie holds dual GTU department alignment in Theology & Ethics and Religion & Practice to integrate theoethics with intersections of social justice praxis in church and society for restorative public approaches. In addition to several journal publications and book chapter contributions, she authored the monograph, Change Agent Church in Black Lives Matter Times: Urgency for Action. Valerie is the Interim Pastor at Faith Church in Oakland, California.
Doctor of Ministry, 2021
Rev. Dr. Hakizimana “Appolo” Appolinaire
Rev. Dr. Hakizimana “Appolo” Appolinaire is BST’s 2024-25 Alum of the Year! Dr. Appolinaire serves as a Country Director of Scripture Union Rwanda, and Pastor in the Anglican Church of Rwanda, Diocese of Karongi. From 2019- 2020, he served as Professional Chaplain, in University of California, San Francisco’s hospital. From 2019- 2022, he was a deputy Regal Representative of the Anglican Church, Gahini Diocese. From 2003 – 2010, Dr. Appolinaire served as Executive Secretary of World mission frontiers in Tanzania, Africa, and as a Pastor of Rukara Parish in the Anglican Church from (2000 – 2003). He holds a Doctor of Ministry from Berkeley School of Theology, two Masters’ degrees, one from Wyclif University, and the other from Berkeley School of Theology, and a Bachelor’s degree in Theology from Tanga, Tanzania. Appolinaire is married to Mukarwego Esperance, with three sons. He received vision to build East Africa Community Healing when he was working in the UCSF hospital where he was working as a professional Chaplain, after understanding how much people are suffering in the hospital physical, mental, and spiritual disease. He wishes to see no one suffering alone, He hopes that through the Community Healing Center project, people will learn how to support each other during someone’s suffering.
Honorary Doctorate, 2007
Rev. Dr. H. James “Jim” Hopkins
Rev. Dr. H. James “Jim” Hopkins is retiring after serving as Senior Pastor at Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church since 1989! Rev. Dr. Hopkins earned his Master of Divinity in 1983 and received an honorary doctorate in 2007 from Berkeley School of Theology.
Additionally, he served on BST’s Board of Trustees from 2007 – 2015. For 37 years, Pastor Jim served LABC as a preacher, teacher, and writer, offering pastoral care and leadership. Pastor Jim also serves as Pastor of LABC’s partner church, Oakland First Baptist Church. His dedication to his congregation and the wider community is a core part of his calling. In addition to his pastoral duties, he has held several key leadership positions, including President of the Lakeshore Avenue Business Improvement District, President of the American Baptist Ministers Council of Northern California, Co-Chair of the Faith In Action East Bay Board, Vice President of the Interfaith Council of Alameda County, faith leader in the Oakland Ceasefire Partnership, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. Before his tenure at LABC, Pastor Jim served as the Associate Pastor of The First Baptist Church of Los Angeles. Please join us in celebrating Pastor Jim’s retirement and his decades of dedicated service and leadership!
Rev. Dr. Shane B. Scott
On Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024, Rev. Dr. Scott formally began as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill in Nashville, Tennessee. Prior to this position, for 12 years Rev. Dr. Scott served as Senior Pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church, in Watts (Los Angeles), California. A native of Franklin, Louisiana, and raised in Richmond, California, Dr. Scott graduated from Berkeley School of Theology in 2008 with a Master of Divinity degree. He also earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion and Philosophy from Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and a Doctor of Ministry degree from New York Theological Seminary in New York City, New York. Dr. Scott also holds a certificate in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
Rev. Dorothy Taliaferro Staples
Rev. Staples received her Master of Divinity Degree in 2005 and is celebrating her 20th graduation anniversary from Berkeley School of Theology. Rev. Staples was present at the February virtual alumni gathering, “Hope in Spiritual Care”, for the alumni graduation anniversaries segment where she acknowledged one of her influential professors, Rev. Dr. J. Alfred Smith, Sr., professor of Preaching and African American Spirituality. Upon graduation, Rev. Staples was the recipient of the L. Doward McBain Preaching prize for outstanding preacher in the graduating class of 2005. Rev. Staples completed her pastoral education at Sequoia Hospital, now Dignity Health, and then was Chaplain for ten years with the Veterans Affairs. She was also a faculty member of the Leadership Institute at Allen Temple Baptist Church. Rev. Staples thoroughly enjoyed the 1:1 spiritual care aspect that chaplaincy offered.
Rev. Shavon K. Walker
Rev. Shavon Walker Shavon was ordained by Burien Community Church (BCC) in Burien, Washington, hosted at Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church in Oakland, California. BST professor Rev. Dr. Valerie Miles-Tribble was in attendance as well as Rev. Nathan Brittsan, BST Trustee.
Shavon’s spiritual background is rich and storied; she credits First Baptist Church of Berkeley for introducing her to the American Baptist Church. She resides in Fremont, California and is a Minister of Worship at BCC whereby she helps with the online service, leads worship, and sometimes preaches on Zoom, and occasionally in person. Shavon holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California; a Master’s Degree in English Literature from Cal State University East Bay in Hayward, California; and a Master of Divinity from BST. Shavon is also the Ministry Associate for Social Media at Evergreen Association-ABC. Shavon even has a ministry on Twitch called Soul Food streams that combines cooking and faith where she answers theological and social justice questions.
