Asbury’s new pastor likes what he sees in Uniontown
The Rev. Don Kephart has been finding a lot to like about Uniontown since he moved here in July to become the new pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church. “I love Uniontown. It’s a great place,” he said. “It’s nice being around the activities they have here – everything from the concert series to the Italian Festival. You have tremendous restaurants in this area. I enjoy walking through town. Uniontown has a lot of good things going for it.”
Kephart is a native of Pittsburgh and noted the common heritage between the Steel City and Uniontown, including an interest in sports.
“I grew up in the shadow of Three Rivers Stadium. People say I still have a Pittsburgh accent,” he said with a smile.
Kephart, who later moved to the suburbs, graduated in 1986 from the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor’s degree in political science, specializing in Russian and Eastern European studies. He worked in different law firms in Pittsburgh, including Klett, Lieber, Rooney and Shorling, where Art Rooney II was one of his supervisors.
“I shared a secretary with Larry Yacht, who was chairman of the Democratic state party. When John Heinz was killed, I was right there when all that happened,” Kephart said, referring to the tragic death of Sen. H. John Heinz III of Pittsburgh in a helicopter crash in April 1991.
Kephart’s work focused on employee benefits tax law but his heart was drawn toward the Church.
He said, “I was always active in church. From the time I was very young, I was involved in the church in some capacity.”
Kephart recalled receiving a Bible as a gift in fourth grade. Within a year, it was all marked up, and the zipper on the cover broke from so much use. As a lay leader, he helped teach Vacation Bible School.
“I believe as a Christian, everyone is involved in ministry,” he said.
But, eventually, Kephart decided to go back to school and do ministry full time as a pastor.
In 1996, he graduated from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
His first ministry was a youth director for Swissvale United Methodist Church near Pittsburgh and then as a chaplain intern with the Lutheran Church at Passavant retirement community in Zelionople, where he served to meet seminary requirements. These assignments gave him a strong background for working with youths and seniors as a pastor.
Kephart’s first full-time appointment was with Callensburg Charge in Clarion County, taking care of three churches from 1996 to 2000.
Before coming to Uniontown, Kephart spent 10 years as pastor of Kantner United Methodist Church in Somerset County. Both Asbury and Kantner churches are in the Connellsville District. Kantner is located near the crash of Flight 93, which took place on Sept. 11, 2001, and the Quecreek Mine Rescue, where nine trapped miners were rescued from underground in July 2002.
Kephart remembers the terrible events of Sept. 11 well.
He said of the Flight 93 crash, “I came out of my office and saw the plane flying over. It looked like it was upside down.”
A year later, this section of Somerset County caught national attention again when television cameras recorded the trapped miners successfully rescued.
“Both of those events put the area on the national map,” Kephart said.
As a pastor, Kephart has also participated in mission trips, traveling to Jamaica, the Middle East and Africa.
“You feel you make a difference in the world,” he said.
Kephart has also found people making a difference at Asbury, where he took over as pastor for the Rev. Thomas Brown, who retired. The Rev. Ruth Ann Campagna served as interim pastor from Jan. 1 to July 1.
“It’s a very active church. There are a lot of great things going on. The phones are always ringing,” he said. “There’s a very good preschool program, good youth activities and tremendous music here.”
Kephart came to Uniontown with his wife, Julie, who previously worked as assistant to the director of the Somerset County election bureau. The couple has three grown children, including daughters Jamie and Erin, who live in Somerset County with their families, and son, Wesley, who is single and lives in Bedford. The Kepharts have four grandchildren.
Kephart was looking forward to learning more about the Asbury congregation as the fall season began.
He said, “There’s a lot going on that I haven’t experience yet.”
Asbury is located at the corner of Beeson and Dunbar streets. Services include a 9 a.m. more casual and 11 a.m. more traditional service as well as 6 p.m. contemporary praise and worship on Sundays.
For more information about the church, call 724-437-7525.