Our people are at the core of who we are. From campers to volunteer workers, our financial and prayer supporters to our partnership committees and all the other groups who make up ESA, it is the people that truly make ESA effective around Victoria.
Pastoral Workers
Gerard & Linda Abdoo
Pastoral Workers
Gerard and Linda live in Gippsland. They have three adult children who all live in Melbourne. Gerard has been a Pastoral Worker with ESA sin...
Meg Mitchell
Pastoral Worker
Meg is Ballarat born and bred. She started coming to ESA camps as a teenager and then as a leader. She was our ESA Rep for Halls Gap camp la...
Sarah Whitfield
Pastoral Worker
Sarah grew up in a missionary family, in Niger, West Africa. She has a real heart for the Gospel and for training and developing young leade...
Christian & Kylie Boscolo
Pastoral Workers
Christian and Kylie are long term ESA people, who met on an ESA camp! Christian is an experienced school chaplain with a heart for reaching ...
Matt Edwards
Pastoral Worker
ESA is in Matt’s blood: he and his wife Sarah both attended ESA junior camps and over the years they have both lead on and directed ESA camp...
Gerard & Linda Abdoo
Pastoral Workers
Gerard and Linda live in Gippsland. They have three adult children who all live in Melbourne.
Gerard has been a Pastoral Worker with ESA since 2008, and is supported by Linda in all aspects of this ministry.
They are actively involved with a wide variety of ESA camps across regional Victoria. They are passionate about seeing our young adult camp directors and leaders, encouraged and growing in faith, and equipped for mission. When not involved with camps Gerard and Linda are engaged in local mission throughout the Gippsland region and beyond. Prison Ministry with Prison Fellowship VIC, schools programs, aged care programs, online bible studies and mentoring are some of the local ministries they participate in.
Click here to watch a video about Gerard’s work with ESA.
Support Options |
Make a donation towards their work here |
Become an ongoing supporter here |
Meg Mitchell
Pastoral Worker
Meg is Ballarat born and bred. She started coming to ESA camps as a teenager and then as a leader.
She was our ESA Rep for Halls Gap camp last September and she was brilliant!
Until recently, Meg worked in risk and quality management, with a focus on coaching and mentoring others. She attends York Street Church of Christ in Ballarat. If you’re ever looking for Meg, she’ll be the one running around Ballarat! She has an amazing capacity to run and at the same time hold conversations with whoever is running beside her; she listens, shows love and shares the Gospel all at the same time!
Support Options |
Make a donation towards Meg’s work here |
Become an ongoing supporter here |
Sarah Whitfield
Pastoral Worker
Sarah grew up in a missionary family, in Niger, West Africa.
She has a real heart for the Gospel and for training and developing young leaders. She is keenly aware that the Gospel transforms lives.
‘I’m convinced the most loving thing we can do for others is to share the gospel with them, pray for their salvation, walk alongside them in discipleship as we navigate life together. I hope that I have the courage to do that faithfully’.
Sarah has Outdoor Education qualifications and experience, having led on countless SU camps and in schools. Sarah joined the leadership team for our Summer Junior Camp in January. She was a great blessing!
Sarah is married to Jono and she is mum to Mia. They live in Geelong and attend St John’s Anglican Church in Highton.
Support Options |
Make a donation towards Sarah’s work here |
Become an ongoing supporter here |
Christian & Kylie Boscolo
Pastoral Workers
Christian and Kylie are long term ESA people, who met on an ESA camp!
Christian is an experienced school chaplain with a heart for reaching youth on the margins with the Gospel. Amos 5:24 is one of his favourite Bible passages: “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream”. In Christian’s words, ‘God keeps encouraging me to invite those around me, especially those on the margins, to follow Jesus’.
Kylie has strong administrative and management gifts and a real heart for leadership development. Christian and Kylie were ESA Reps on our Summer Junior Camp in January and were a great encouragement to the leaders and the kids on camp.
The Boscolo family are based in Wodonga. They have 2 beautiful kids who they are home-schooling.
Support Options |
Make a donation towards their work here |
Become an ongoing supporter here |
Matt Edwards
Pastoral Worker
ESA is in Matt’s blood: he and his wife Sarah both attended ESA junior camps and over the years they have both lead on and directed ESA camps.
Matt loves Jesus. He’s a deep thinker and he quietly gets alongside people as he listens and supports them and shares the Gospel! Throughout his life, Matt’s faith has been impacted by the support of Godly people as they’ve walked alongside him. Matt reflects, ‘I desire to see people know Jesus and grow in their faith in him. It’s my hope that in my character and leadership, I will continue to point people towards Him’.
Matt and Sarah have 2 little boys, and together they love and serve their community at Belgrave South Baptist Church. Matt also works as a Chaplain to primary students at Belgrave Heights Christian School. He holds a Sports and Recreation qualification and is currently working towards a Bachelor of Ministry / Theology at MST.
Support Options |
Make a donation towards Matt’s work here |
Become an ongoing supporter here |
Our Staff
Cath Berryman
CEO
Cath commenced as CEO of ESA Country Ministries in June 2022. She first encountered Jesus on a camp in high school, and that changed everyth...
Campbell Bonello
Camping Coordinator
Campbell joined the ESA team in July 2022 as our Camping Coordinator. After growing up on ESA camps, he now gets to run them! Cam is excited...
Ash Jackson
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Ash started her role as ESA’s Marketing and Communications Coordinator in February 2024. She lives in the north-eastern suburbs of Adelaide ...
Cath Berryman
CEO
Cath commenced as CEO of ESA Country Ministries in June 2022.
She first encountered Jesus on a camp in high school, and that changed everything for her, so she is very excited to be leading ESA into the future He is planning for us.
Cath loves that for almost 140 years, God has faithfully worked in and through ESA, as the Gospel has been proclaimed and lives have been transformed; such a rich history of great ministry in partnership with churches throughout Victoria. Cath lives right on the far eastern edge of Melbourne with her husband, Simon.
Some of her favourite things are connecting with people, getting lost in a good book, getting outside in God’s creation, and drinking great coffee!
Campbell Bonello
Camping Coordinator
Campbell joined the ESA team in July 2022 as our Camping Coordinator.
After growing up on ESA camps, he now gets to run them! Cam is excited about learning more about ESA and seeing it from the inside. He’s excited to meet more of our volunteers who give up hours of their time to make sure our camps are excellent, and he’s looking forward to meeting more of our awesome, servant-hearted leaders and supporters.
Cam met his wife, Talana on an ESA camp(!) and they are both excited to serve with ESA in the years ahead.
Ash Jackson
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Ash started her role as ESA’s Marketing and Communications Coordinator in February 2024. She lives in the north-eastern suburbs of Adelaide with her husband, Nick. Through a series of what can only be called ‘God moments’, Ash was introduced to ESA and was both captured and inspired by our mission to share the gospel with young people around Victoria. During the rest of her week, Ash works as the Young Adults and Online Pastor at Clovercrest Baptist Church. In her spare time, you’ll find Ash seeking out new restaurants and cafes, reading a good novel, or walking along any of SA’s beautiful beaches.