Pacific School of Religion

Pacific School of Religion is an ecumenical seminary located in Berkeley, Calif. It maintains covenantal relationships with the United Church of Christ, the United Methodist Church and the Disciples of Christ, providing all necessary expectations for candidates to their ordained ministries. It also has partnerships with the Unitarian Universalist Association, Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, African Methodist Episcopal Church, as well as various other denominations. The school was founded in San Francisco in 1866 as the Pacific Theological Seminary. It provides training for clergy from 24 religious traditions, including Buddhists, Jews and Roman Catholics. In 1971, it graduated its first openly gay student and has remained a leader in advocating for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people within the religious community. The school participates in the Graduate Theological Union, an ecumenical consortium of more than five theological schools offering over 700 courses in biblical studies, church history, theology, ethics, pastoral care, congregational leadership, worship arts, proclamation, faith and health, spirituality and sexuality and religion.