Rev. Kathryn (Katie) Choy-Wong
Katie was honored as the 2023 recipient of the Cora and John Sparrowk President’s Award at the 2023 American Baptist Churches Biennial Mission Summit. In addition, Katie serves on BST Board of Trustees as the Chair, and recently published a book called Building Lasting Bridges: An Updated Handbook for Intercultural Ministries. Katie is a retired pastor from New Life Christian Fellowship, an American Baptist church in Castro Valley, California.
Doctor of Ministry, 2014
Rev. Dr. Barbara Jim-George
Congratulations Rev. Dr. Barbara Jim-George, classes of 2010 (M.Div.) and 2014 (D.Min.)! Dr. Jim-George was recently elected as Assistant Dean of the Congress of Christian Education at the Progressive National Baptist Convention’s Southwest Region’s conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dr. Jim-George serves as Executive Pastor for the True Faith Community Baptist Church in Antioch, California, and is Dean of the Ministers and Lay Leaders Development Institute. Previously, Dr. Jim-George lead Transforming Ministries Group, a 501 (C)(3) nonprofit organization that taught girls aged 11-16 on methods to avoid human trafficking entrapments; and consulted congregations and faith-based organization leaders on forming faith responses to human trafficking of children in their congregations and communities. She has served at all three board levels for the American Baptist Churches, USA Ministers Council, and graduated with honors and awards for both of her degrees from BST.
Sylvia Lane
We are delighted to share wonderful news that Rev. Sylvia Lane, formerly Britt, (M.Div. ’25), has had an incredibly exciting season both professionally and personally. Sylvia has launched into a thriving ministry career, starting her new full-time position on September 8, 2025, as a Palliative Care Chaplain with Kaiser, and also serving as a Per Diem Chaplain with Sutter Hospitals, in addition to her volunteer role with the SFPD. We are also sending our heartfelt congratulations to Sylvia and her spouse, Londi, on their recent marriage on October 4, 2025! We celebrate both her dedication to compassionate care and this beautiful new chapter in her
Master of Community Leadership, 2011
Doctor of Ministry, 2024
Rev. Dr. Michael A. Smith
Michael has been Pastor of the McGee Avenue Baptist Church in Berkeley California for 18 years. In 2014, he became the founding Executive Director of The Center for Food, Faith & Justice which serves as a faith-based non-profit arm of the church as a lead organization dedicated to the issues of environmental and food justice, health equity and economic development. His DMin dissertation topic was The Black Earth Theology Project: Toward Reconciliation and Care of God’s Creation.
Rev. Dr. Warren H. Stewart, Sr.
Rev. Dr. Stewart is ABCOFLASH’s Annual Meeting speaker from October 4-5, 2024, in Glendale, California. The sessions are: “Preaching and Leading God’s Unfinished Business Today”; a breakout opportunity titled “Pastoring and Serving God’s Unfinished Business in the War Zone: A Conversation with Dr. Warren Stewart”; and “Our Strategic Assignment: Passing the Lord’s Baton Generationally.” Dr. Stewart is Senior Pastor of First Institutional Baptist Church in Phoenix, Arizona and has served there since July 1, 1977. Dr. Stewart was appointed Executive Secretary of the Home Mission Board of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., in November 1994 and served 10 years. In 1982, Dr. Stewart received his Doctor of Ministry from Berkeley School of Theology. Dr. Stewart has also served on BST’s Board of Trustees, including as the Board Chair.
Donald Taylor, Sr. and Bertha Yvette Morrow
Donald and Bertha graduated in 2025 from the Master of Divinity program at Berkeley School of Theology. In addition to earning their degrees, the couple has another reason to celebrate: They were united in holy matrimony on Saturday, September 13, 2025!
Meeting at BST, a friendship that began over Zoom blossomed into relationship, culminating in an engagement on the day prior to their graduation.
As one professor at Commencement exclaimed, “How could this have happened Zoom?!” Their answer is, “With God, all things are possible!” After their wedding, Don and Bertha will launch their new ministry, “Intercultural Prophetic Ministries,” in the Biloxi, Mississippi area, where they reside. They are also continuing to work on a ministerial project already in progress in the Bay Minette, Alabama communities. Please continue to keep them in your prayers as they begin this new chapter together.
