Become a Powerful Leader for Positive Change with Our Masters in Community Leadership (MCL)
- Focus: This program is designed to equip you with the real-world skills and ethical foundation you need to confidently tackle complex social challenges and lead impactful change in your community.
- What You’ll Gain:
- Master Effective Communication: Learn to connect with diverse audiences and articulate your vision clearly and persuasively.
- Develop Intercultural Competency: Build the skills to understand, appreciate, and collaborate effectively across cultures.
- Strengthen Ethical Decision-Making: Navigate complex situations with a strong moral compass, grounded in justice and compassion.
- Gain Practical Experience: Integrate theory with hands-on learning to develop tangible leadership skills.
- Become a Champion for Justice and Equity: Graduate ready to advocate for fairness and create more inclusive communities.
- Inspire Positive Social Change: Learn to motivate others and drive meaningful progress in the areas you care about most.
- Foster Resilient, Inclusive Communities: Develop the skills to build strong, connected, and thriving communities for everyone.
The MCL will empower you to lead with purpose, make a real difference, and build a better future.
Leadership Styles & Strategies
Study leadership styles and preferences for organizational development, community organizing, and pastoral roles.
The Art of Communications
Training in preaching, public speaking, writing & publishing and teaching, which all require the skills of synthesizing data and crafting a presentation.
CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS
Learn cultural, inter-cultural and contextual principles/methods for research and interpretation.
Experience Formation
Formation for leadership: personal, spiritual, pastoral and professional.
Thematic Concentrations
Four thematic concentrations offer a breadth of theological training.
Creative Church & Community
- Focus: Learn practical strategies to build genuine and inclusive communities within your church, where everyone feels a sense of belonging and spiritual connection.
- What You’ll Gain: Gain skills in navigating organizational change, fostering church renewal, resolving conflicts constructively, providing compassionate care, leading ethically, and living out your faith publicly to create a vibrant and welcoming environment.
Spirituality & Resilience
- Focus: Discover how to cultivate deep spiritual, emotional, and professional well-being for yourself and those you lead, enabling you to thrive and support others in flourishing.
- What You’ll Gain: Learn to draw strength from scripture, history, prayer, community practices, pastoral care, trauma-informed approaches, effective communication, the arts, and other valuable resources to build resilience and lead with compassion.
Justice & Reconciliation
- Focus: Discover how to put your faith into action and embody justice in your community. Explore the powerful connection between God’s love, justice, and reconciliation.
- What You’ll Gain:
- Understand the gospel’s call to justice and develop practical strategies for long-term impact.
- Explore the vital link between environmental care and social justice.
- Learn from the inspiring histories of social and restorative justice movements.
- Grow your confidence and skills to effectively address injustice in your local community, nation, and the world.
Border Crossing & Bridge Building
- Focus: Equip yourself with the essential skills to overcome social barriers and build meaningful connections in a diverse world.
- What You’ll Gain:
- Develop practical intercultural skills through hands-on learning and real-world experiences.
- Design and implement your own creative projects to foster understanding and connection.
- Gain valuable experience through innovative internship opportunities that bridge divides.
- Master digital tools like podcasting and social media to promote common good and build bridges across communities.
Curriculum
- Can be completed in as little as two years
- Core Introductory Courses: Bible OT or NT, Theology, Ethics, Communications, Leadership, Inter-cultural Leadership, Organizational Development
- Concentrations: Four courses in one track
- Internship: Two semesters in non-profits, community organizing, para-church, or church settings
Resources & Flexibility
Berkeley School of Theology offers its students a myriad of resources through the largest partnership of seminaries and graduate schools in the United States.
- Courses can be taken from BST or any of our partner schools (Graduate Theological Union and UC Berkeley)
- Access to the Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, a world-class theological library (e-resources available), as well as the 26 libraries on the UC Berkeley Campus
- Uncommonly diverse faculty of distinguished scholars
- Courses taught on-site, online, and through remote formats
- Rolling admissions allows you to start anytime
One of the Most Interculturally Diverse Seminaries in the Country
Since our founding 150 years ago, the core values of soul freedom, service leadership, social justice, public witness, religious liberty, and the centrality of the Word (written and spoken) still guide and sustain BST to this day. These Jesus-centered values, rooted in our inclusive inter-cultural heritage, have made BST an attractive school for students of many faith and denominational affiliations.
Here you will truly enter a spiritual “world-house” of teaching and learning, with a world-class faculty and students from every habitable continent on earth.
Alumni In Action
