Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews
Michael is president of the Alliance of Baptists and Deputy Director for Faith in Action, formerly PICO National Network, a national community organizing network that gives people of faith the tools that they need to fight for justice and work towards a more equitable society. Michael is a senior fellow at Auburn Seminary and affiliate faculty at BST.
Doctor of Ministry, 2017
Rev. Dr. Marie Onwubuariri
Marie is director of Intercultural Ministries for American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) in Pennsylvania and also affiliate faculty at BST. She edited the book Trouble the Water: A Christian Resource for the Work of Racial Justice and authored the article “Reframing tension for transformation: Bridge-crossing | bridge-making | bridge-being“.
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.
Lia Rochill
BST’s Director of Admissions, Ms. Lia Rochill, has a wonderful reason to celebrate! This 2019 Master of Divinity graduate and BST staff member was recently married in a beautiful ceremony right on the BST campus!
Lia met her future husband, Leokato Yepthomi, through a mutual auntie. What began as a friendship blossomed into a three-year long-distance relationship before Leo popped the question! Lia and Leo were married on Saturday, October 25, in a beautiful outdoor ceremony held on BST’s historic campus. For Lia, celebrating this milestone in the very place where she works and completed her theological studies added a truly special significance to the day.
Both Lia and Leo hail from the Sumi tribe in Nagaland, India, and the wedding was a vibrant and beautiful blend of Naga and American cultural traditions, creating a truly memorable evening.
Adding a personal touch, the ceremony was officiated by BST’s own Dean LeAnn Snow Flesher. The joy of the day was made even more profound by the attendance of Lia’s mother, Ms. Bokali Haralu, who traveled all the way from India to be present for the special occasion. The entire BST community extends its warmest congratulations to the happy couple!
Master of Community Leadership, 2019
Chaplain Kwee T.L. Say
On September 6, 2023, Chaplain Say was promoted to Lieutenant in the United States Navy. Chaplain Say is currently serving as a Command Chaplain aboard the USS ROSS (DDG 71). She joined the U.S. Navy in 2018 as a non-active reservist and started her active duty in the Navy in October 2022. She was awarded two Masters’ degrees in 2019 from Berkeley School of Theology, in Divinity and Community Leadership. Chaplain Say came to America in 2004 from Burma (Myanmar) and is the very first Burmese Karen, her ethnic group from Burma, to become a Chaplain in the United States Navy. She is honored to serve with the finest Sailors the nation has to offer aboard Navy Destroyer USS ROSS, her God, and country.
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.
