Contextualized Leadership Development


Contextualized Leadership Development is a part of Golden Gate Seminary’s overall mission. CLD centers all over North America provide classes at a post-high school level in order to train effective Christian leaders for the churches of many people groups, so that there may be a culturally-relevant church for every people group in the country.

For those without a high school or college diploma, or those for whom English is a second language, Contextualized Leadership Development (CLD) centers provide an opportunity to be equipped and trained for effective Christian service.

CLD offers training in church planting, evangelism, and ministry.

A CLD center is a school of training which:

  • is established under a cooperative agreement between Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary and a local Southern Baptist Church, association or state convention
  • offers diploma programs in Christian ministries, theology, and church planting
  • offers classes in English, Korean, Spanish, Thai, Chinese, Hmong, Mien, Russian, and Haitian, depending upon the center location
  • is approved by the CLD National Office and the Office of Academic Affairs of Golden Gate Seminary

Why CLD centers?

More than 27 years ago, Golden Gate Seminary recognized that in order to provide training for effective leadership in the churches of the West, graduate level programs in English would not be enough to address the needs of the churches. Training would need to be offered at the post-high school level, in languages most useful to the churches, at sites close to the churches and at a cost affordable to the students.

Thus, CLD was begun in the early 1980’s in partnership with the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.

The training was to be done locally, affordably, in the language of students, in a manner approved by Golden Gate’s faculty, and in a manner consistent with reaching people through local Southern Baptist churches and church plants.

Contact Information:

CLD National Office
Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary
201 Seminary Drive
Mill Valley, CA 94941-3197
Phone: 415-380-1636
Fax: 415-380-1632
E-mail: cld@ggbts.edu