- Focus: Ready to step into impactful leadership roles in your church or community? Our Training in Christian Leadership (TCL) programs offer a clear, step-by-step path to earning an accredited master’s degree, designed to fit your learning journey.
- Your Pathway to Leadership:
- Start with Confidence (Certificate in Community Leadership – CCL): Begin with a focused six-course program to build foundational leadership skills and make an immediate impact in your community.
- Expand Your Expertise (BA Equivalency Certificate – BCL): Continue your growth with a comprehensive 20-course certificate, providing a robust foundation equivalent to a Bachelor of Arts degree in leadership studies.
- Achieve Your Master’s (MCL, MDiv, or MTS): Seamlessly transition your earned credits into a fully accredited Master’s degree program (Master of Community Leadership, Master of Divinity, or Master of Theological Studies [with a convenient 100% online option for the MTS]).
- What You’ll Gain:
- Accelerated Learning: Progress through a structured program designed for efficient learning and degree attainment.
- Stackable Credentials: Earn valuable certificates along the way, recognizing your achievements at each stage.
- Accredited Excellence: Gain a respected master’s degree from Berkeley School of Theology, opening doors to greater opportunities.
- Flexible Options (Especially for MTS): Choose the master’s degree that best aligns with your calling and enjoy the convenience of a fully online option for the MTS.
- Practical Leadership Skills: Develop the knowledge and abilities you need to effectively lead and serve in church and community settings.
Invest in your leadership potential with BST’s TCL programs – your clear and supported path to an accredited master’s degree.
Your Fast Track to Leadership: Earn an Accredited Master's Degree in Church and Community Leadership
Affordable & Convenient Options
Courses for BST certificates are offered at a reduced tuition price and are scheduled to meet the needs of the working student.


Develop Skills
Critical thinking, public speaking, community organizing, organizational development, pastoral or professional formation, and more . . .
Train for Leadership
Cultivating spirituality and justice-oriented initiatives in a church or community setting.


Fast Track To A Master’s Degree
Five semesters (28 months) of BA level training will prepare you for admission into an accredited Master’s degree program.
Choose A Tier that is Right for You
Certificate in Community Leadership
- 6 courses
- Complete in one year
Training in Christian Leadership Certificate
- 14 additional courses
- 1.5 additional years of study
Accredited MCL or MDiv
- 26 additional courses for MDiv
- 16 additional courses for MCL
- 2-3 additional years of study
Example Courses for Certificates
- Leadership
- Administration
- Preaching/Public Speaking
- Religion & Society
- Philosophy & the Sciences
- Intro to Psychology
- Pastoral Care & Counseling
- Academic/professional Writing
- Old Testament
- New Testament
- Theology
- Social Ethics
- Church & Culture
- Public & Ecclesial Liturgies
- Contemporary Pedagogies
- Leading for Social Justice
- American History
- History of Religion
- Anthropology/Sociology
- Spiritual/personal Formation
Fast and affordable track to an accredited Master’s degree
Schedules geared toward the working student: nights, weekends, and intensives, or daytime cohorts
All course work recognized or accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS)

Quick Facts
Berkeley School of Theology is a Christ-centered school that trains women and men in leadership for church and community in the 21st century.
- Prepared to lead in a multicultural and multiracial world
- Rooted in social justice heritage and tradition
- Equipped for ecumenical and inter-faith partnership
- Informed socially, theologically and biblically
- Skilled in the practice for personal, ecclesial, and social transformation
- Committed to the justice demands of the Gospel
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.
Lo que planeo hacer con mi título es servir en mi iglesia local como pastor asociado y en el futuro como pastor principal. Gracias a Dios por la oportunidad de estudiar en BST.

Carlos Mingeli
Graduado de BST 2021