Haven Lead Pastor Leah Martens
Leah Martens is the lead entrepreneur behind this project of a faith community start-up in Berkeley, California. She’s a California native who ventured to Chicago for college and has been dreaming of a return to Cali ever since (it’s just taken a while). For the five years leading up to the move to Berkeley, Leah served on pastoral staff at Sanctuary Community Church in Iowa City, Iowa, and was ordained there before being sent off to start a new faith community in California. She also received her Masters from North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois in May 2014. Before becoming a pastor, Leah studied theatre, started a band, and lived the life of a wannabe rock star.
Leah is married to a self-described geek, Jason, who is a software engineer by day and an amateur chef by night. The son of church planters, Jason spent much of young adulthood afraid someday God would call him to be a pastor. He was thrilled to discover God chose to call his wife instead.
In addition to work and play, Jason and Leah keep busy managing the inevitable chaos of a home with three young children, Elliott (born in 2006), Junia (born in 2010), and Gwendolyn (born in 2012).
