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.
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.
Master of Theological Studies, 2024
Dr. Karen Cole-Smith
On May 18, 2024, Dr. Cole-Smith received two degrees from Berkeley School of Theology: Master of Divinity and Master of Theological Studies! Dr. Cole-Smith stated that the best aspect of her experience at BST was that it promoted the scripture Micah 6:8 by providing diverse educational, spiritual, and community experiences that ensured that she would be successful in carrying out the mandates to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.” Dr. Cole-Smith was most recently the executive director of community outreach at Santa Fe College. Her prior education includes a bachelor’s degree in criminology and sociology from Bethune-Cookman University, master’s degree in sociology and criminology from Ohio State University and doctoral degree in sociology and criminology from the University of Florida.
Doctor of Divinity, 2022
Rev. Dr. Curtis Price
Curtis is Pastor at First Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah. Curtis has over 20 years of experience as a pastor and has served at Salt Lake First Baptist Church for 14 years. Curtis’ DMin dissertation topic at BST is entitled Redeeming the Church: Healing and Reconciliation Between the LGBTQ Community and the Church.
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.
Master of Divinity, 2000
Rev. Dr. Allison J. Tanner
Allison has been at Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church for nearly 25 years and is the Pastor of Public Witness. Her role entails education, advocacy, relationship building, partnerships, and public witness. Allison is also the National Coordinator of the Apartheid Free initiative, an interdenominational coalition of faith groups that are encouraging people to step away from any and all support to Israeli apartheid, occupation, and settler colonialism.
