Leah Martens

LeaD Pastor

Leah is our Lead Pastor.  Leah came to faith in Jesus as a theatre student at Northwestern University in Chicago (of all places!). After spending several years as a professional gigging singer/songwriter fronting an alt/folk/rock band in Chicago, she did something equally ridiculous and impractical and entered seminary to begin the process of preparing for someday starting this group that would come to be called Haven. 

Leah has a Masters in Christian Ministry from North Park Seminary in Chicago and a Certificate in Trauma and Spiritual Care from San Francisco Theological Seminary. She previously served for five years as Worship Pastor of Sanctuary Community Church in Iowa City before moving to Berkeley to start Haven. In addition to leading Haven, Leah is wife to Jason and is mother to three children, ranging ages 13 to 19. Learn more about her story here.

If you’d like to contact Leah, you can email her at leah@havenberkeley.org

Debra Runyan

Kids’ Director

Debra is our Kids’ Director. Debra holds a bachelor's degree from CIIS, with a focus on interdisciplinary and critical thinking, bringing a unique perspective to nurturing intergenerational opportunities and cultivating faith. Her dedication to creating a safe and understanding environment is evident in her approach, ensuring that every child feels valued and supported.

In addition to her professional skills, Debra is a parent and grandparent, who has a passion for gardening and animal rescue, enriching her ability to connect with children in diverse and meaningful ways. We are excited to see the positive impact she will have on our community, fostering growth, faith, and fun for our youngest members.

If you’d like to contact Debra, you can email her at debra@havenberkeley.org.

Khiry Foster

Youth Director

Khiry is our new Youth Director!  Khiry brings with him a wealth of experience and a genuine heart for working with young people.

Over the past seven years, he’s worked directly with youth in a variety of settings, from daycares and city rec programs to the YMCA, where he served as a Head Teacher.  He also spent three years at the Chabot Space & Science Center supporting families and visitors through public programming and member services.  Currently, Khiry is a Marriage and Family Therapist trainee, working with adolescents and adults using mindfulness-informed and play-based therapeutic approaches.

His academic background includes a degree in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration, which makes him a natural fit for designing engaging, meaningful experiences for our youth.

Outside of work, Khiry is passionate about board and card games (especially deck-building games), comics and superheroes, and has an eye for style and fashion, including a budding love of cosplay.

We’re so excited for the creativity, care, and wisdom Khiry will bring to Haven’s youth and broader community. 

If you’d like to contact Khiry, you can email him at khiry@havenberkeley.org.

Luca

Director of Operations & Social media Manager

As the Director of Operations and Social Media Manager at Haven Berkeley, Luca brings creativity, multiple art, writing, and music degrees, and top-notch organizational skills to everything he does. Whether it’s crafting the weekly newsletter, updating the website, planning community events, or coordinating Haven’s amazing volunteers, he’s all about making things run smoothly behind the scenes. On Sundays, you’ll find him creating dynamic slides for the teachings, running sound, and managing the streaming channel to ensure everything goes off without a hitch.

If you’d like to contact Luca, you can email him at luca@havenberkeley.org.