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.
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
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, 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. 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.
