Berry French

Campus Minister

Berry joined PCM as our campus minister in August 2020. A native of Lumberton, North Carolina, he attended the University of North Carolina, graduating in 2003 with degrees in both Economics and Recreation and Leisure Studies. But between freshman dorm move-in and donning a cap and gown, he found a home here at PCM.

After two years of camp and conference ministry and extensive international travel, Berry attended Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond.  From there, he has served as an associate pastor at both White Memorial Presbyterian Church in Raleigh as well as Black Mountain Presbyterian Church near Montreat.  In 2017, Berry and Katie, their daughter Aubry, and son Will embarked on a two-year journey sailing through the Caribbean and the North American Eastern Seaboard, visiting 12 Caribbean countries in their own 43’ sailboat from Grenada to Maine.

Berry loves the outdoors, hiking, camping, biking, gardening, and playing outside with his kids. If you’re hoping to hear more about PCM, email Berry at berry@upcch.org.

Paul Burgess

Pastoral Resident

Paul (he/him/él) is a recent graduate of Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA and has been hired as PCM’s next Pastoral Resident from August 2023 through summer of 2025. Originally from California, he met his wife Maggie when both were at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, UT. At various points in his life, Paul has been a Boy Scout, a soccer referee, a junior high English teacher, a Girl Scout, a brief retiree sunbirding in New Mexico, a camp counselor, an expat, a Hispanic student leader, an actor, and (just recently) a graduate of Columbia Theological Seminary with Masters of Divinity and Masters in Practical Theology.

Margie Peeler

Pastoral Resident

Originally from Memphis, Margie attended college at UT Knoxville where she studied Biosystems Engineering and Religious Studies. Knoxville is also where she fell in love with small-scale agriculture and started wondering about how faith might interact with caring for land and communities.

After college, Margie worked on farms in Pennsylvania and Montana before moving to Durham. Margie is currently in the final year of her M.Div. and is pursuing a concentration in Faith, Food, and Environmental Justice. A highlight of her time in seminary was serving as the seminary intern at PCM in 2023-2024. She is excited to be back on staff and continue working, asking questions, and striving with the students of PCM.

At PCM and beyond, she is interested in exploring connections between theology, creation care, and inclusive community building. Margie is on the leadership council of Farm Church in Durham and is a candidate for ordination in the Mid-South Presbytery of the PC(USA). Margie very much enjoys pedaling her bicycle and preparing/consuming yummy food with goofy people.