Leadership Team 2025

Minister in Residence

Karen Oliveto, a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church, has served in rural and urban local church and campus ministries in New York and California. She has also been the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for Pacific School of Religion and has been an adjunct professor for several seminaries, teaching United Methodist studies, Leadership, and Evangelism and Mission. 

Bishop Oliveto has broken stained glass ceilings throughout her career: she performed the first legal same-gender wedding held in a United Methodist Church; she was the first woman to serve as lead pastor to one of United Methodism’s  top 100 membership churches (the 12,000 member Glide Memorial in San Francisco); and she was the first openly LGBTQ bishop in The UMC. 

She and her wife, Robin Ridenour, make their home in Pugwash, NS.

Exploring Faith Today

Rev. David M. Felten is a full-time pastor at The Fountains, a United Methodist Church in Fountain Hills, Arizona. David and fellow United Methodist Pastor, Jeff Procter-Murphy, are the creators of the DVD-and-web-based discussion series for Progressive Christians, “Living the Questions” and authors of Living the Questions: The Wisdom of Progressive Christianity. A co-founder of Catalyst Arizona and also a founding member of No Longer Silent: Clergy for Justice, David is an outspoken voice for LGBTQ rights both in the church and in the community at large. David is active in the Desert Southwest Conference of the United Methodist Church, blogs at progressingspirit.com, and, staying connected to his roots as a musician, plays saxophones in a variety of settings. David is the proud father of three reliably remarkable human beings. Visit his website at davidfelten.com 

Morningside Leader

VBS Coordinator & Ukulele Church Leader

An Ordained Minister in The United Church of Canada, Catherine hails from Glace Bay, NS, but currently lives in Riverview, NB, serving as the Regional Minister for Children, Youth and Young Adults for the three Atlantic Regions.

A liturgical dancer, Ukulele player, singer and liturgist, Catherine loves to bring together all of these things in her ministry. She shares this adventure with her husband, The Rev. Scott Stuart and their son, Ethan. She is excited to spend any time that she can under the hemlocks!

Ukulele Church/ VBS Music

Linnea Good is a composer, performer, worship leader, accredited biblical storyteller and Christian educator. She and drummer-spouse David Jonsson live in Summerland BC, where they strike an un-balance between Linnea's local and online music teaching, and their work in concerts, conferences, missions and worship animating for the wider Church. The most fun of those ministries is the United Church Atlantic regions' "Ukulele Church" - a worshipping community that combines ukulele learning with bible telling and devotion. She and David have been blessed to travel regularly to India where they have shared in music ministry and biblical storytelling instruction with Christian leaders.

Youth Group Coordinator

Shanna Bernier (she/her) is the Program Support for First-Third Ministry in the Nakonha:ka regional council. Shanna grew up in the Eastern Townships of Quebec and has over 20 years of camping and youth work experience under her belt. Shanna trained at Bishop’s University as an art teacher, but has found her calling outside the classroom in United Church youth ministry. Before her current Regional Council position began in 2019, she worked for congregations, presbyteries and conference in various volunteer and paid youth work positions. Shanna lives in Sherbrooke QC with her husband and two awesome kids. Shanna’s many passions include baking, choral singing, coaching little kid soccer, sewing, reading chapter books out loud, and getting youth excited about social justice.

Co-Worship Leader

Keith Hagerman has attended Berwick Camp for more than 50 summers, and has offered leadership in music, contemporary worship, Morningside, adult education, and has written a musical, Solidarity, that premiered at Berwick. Keith is thrilled to take on the role of Co-Worship Leader with Shawn Redden, following in his father’s footsteps – who served as Superintendent of Worship for many years back in the 1970s when Keith was a teenager. Celebrating 37 years as a UCC minister, Keith is a progressive theologian and a musician, making connections between the world and evolving spirituality, and has served congregations in Ontario and the Maritimes. Keith is father to four young women and grandfather to one, and shares his life with Nicole Langlois. They live in Kitchener, Ontario.  Presently Keith is the senior minister at Marshall Memorial in Ancaster, Ontario.

Co-Worship Leader

Shawn Redden has attended Berwick Camp since her daughter was a pre-schooler and now is delighted to bring her two grandchildren to play under the hemlocks! She enjoys accompanying people along their spiritual journey, deepening their relationship with the Sacred through creative worship, retreat leadership, and faith formation with all ages. In previous years Shawn has led Morningside at Berwick; this year she joins Keith Hagerman as Co-Worship Leader.

Shawn serves as Justice and Faith Formation Minister for Canadian Shield and Shining Waters Regional Councils of the United Church of Canada. Previously she served congregations in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. She holds a D.Min. in Spiritual Leadership. As a transplanted Maritimer, she presently makes her home in Mount Forest, Ontario.

Music Leaders

Chris and Laura Bowman are delighted to be returning to Berwick this summer to make music, along with their favourite musical collaborators, daughters Meredith and Erica. Chris enjoys making music as a conductor, solo and choral singer, educator, and composer. He is Minister of Music at First United Church in Truro, NS, where he works with a handbell ensemble, church choir, and a new social justice youth choir. He is also the Artistic Director of the Cantabile Choral Society, and a singer with the Juno-nominated Canadian Chamber Choir. Chris, along with collaborator Valerie Kingsbury, has written dozens of hymns and liturgical songs. Laura is an elementary music specialist A lifelong lover of music, her formative years were spent mak.ng music within her musical family and as a member of the Toronto Children's Chorus. Laura is a versatile musician who enjoys conducting, singing, playing several instruments, and inspiring others to love the music they are making.

Property and Grounds Staff

Karen and Preston are a vital part of our Berwick team. They put their heart and soul into working tirelessly to keep our grounds maintained from April to November, and ensure our encampments run smoothly. Their smiles are there to greet us daily at camp. We are grateful to have such dedicated staff, who are such an integral part of the Berwick family.