Rev. Cynthia Towle Kephart

Pastor Cindy was called by the congregation of First Presbyterian Church of Alameda in January 2020. She greatly enjoys interacting with members, friends, and neighbors of the church, and worshipping in the historic sanctuary of First Pres. Her greatest joy is studying the Bible with others and gaining new insight into Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God the Father.

Pastor Cindy is a member of the Presbytery of San Francisco and a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the PC(USA). She was ordained by the Presbytery of Stockton serving as the interim pastor at Grace Presbyterian Church. Before ordination, Cindy was a long-time member of Park Boulevard Presbyterian Church in Oakland.

Cindy graduated from Fuller Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree. She interned at the First Presbyterian Church of Richmond, CA with Rev. Jim Wheeler. With a focus on the Khmu congregation. She completed a one-year chaplaincy residency at the UC San Francisco Medical Center and worked as a staff chaplain at California Pacific Medical Center. She created and led worship services for residents at Lake Park Retirement Community in Oakland and Manor Care Health Services in Walnut Creek.

Cindy earned an MBA from the Haas School of Business at Cal and graduated with a BS in Applied Math from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. She was a Peace Corps volunteer, living in the Philippines for two years. After moving to San Francisco, she worked at Wells Fargo Bank as an industrial engineer and systems analyst. During this time, she volunteered in the Tenderloin, teaching English to refugees from Laos.

Cindy and her husband, Murray, have three adult children who live nearby. Cindy and Murray retain close ties to family members and the many friends they have made during the various seasons of their lives. They enjoy hosting people in their home, walking on the trails in the Bay Area, and interacting with neighbors where they live in Lafayette. Cindy returns to visit family in Massachusetts whenever possible.