staff
“God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.”
2 TIMOTHY 1:7
Pastor, Pastor Christephor Gilbert
The Rev. Christephor Gilbert is a pastor, teacher, and creative spirit whose ministry is rooted in God’s love, justice, and presence in community. Awakened by the call of the church, Christephor seeks to walk alongside others in faith, listening deeply and helping people discover how God is at work in their lives and in the world.
Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Christephor received a Master of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, where formation included work with Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries, St. Paul’s House, Bonaventure House, and Resurrection Lutheran Church. He also served at Faith Lutheran and Risen Savior Lutheran in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and St. Paul Lutheran in Arlington, Massachusetts, experiences that helped shape a pastoral identity grounded in compassion, justice, and accompaniment.
From 2019 to 2023, Christephor served as pastor to St. Ansgar Lutheran Church in Portland, Maine. During this time, he also served as secretary of the Maine Council of Churches and as a member and chaplain to the New England Synod Council of the ELCA. Before his call to St. Peter’s, Christephor served Christ Lutheran Church in Natick, where he is an active member of the Natick Interfaith Leaders Group. Christephor is a certified facilitator of the Prepare/Enrich relationship assessment program and a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory. Christephor’s ministry is enriched by a diverse background. Before pastoral leadership, he worked in the performing arts as a choreographer, artistic director, and educator, holding a BA in Theatre and Dance from Bard College and an MFA in Dance from the University of Hawai‘i. His studies also include a Master of Arts in Spirituality from Bellarmine University. This blend of theology and the arts continues to shape a ministry that embraces creativity, embodiment, and imagination.
Christephor’s co-conspirators in life are his husband, Donald, and beloved cat Aeriel. Together they delight in community, hospitality, and exploring the many ways God’s Spirit continues to move in the world.
Minister of Music, Craig Tocher
I was born and raised in Benoni a small town near Johannesburg in South Africa. I graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg with a Bachelor of Music in Piano performance and a Higher Diploma in Education. I moved to the States in 1994 where I obtained my Master of Music in Organ performance from the Manhattan School of Music in NYC.
I have recently relocated to Provincetown which has been a dream ever since visiting for the first time 10 years ago. I taught at Convent of the Sacred Heart in NYC for the past 26 years. I was raised in a Baptist church in South Africa but have worked in Methodist, Presbyterian, Congregational (UCC) and Catholic churches and am now very happy to be a part of the Lutheran community of Harwich which has been so welcoming.
My favorite Bible text is Psalm 139 and my favorite hymn text is “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy”. Both speak to a kind and loving God who never stops loving us and will never forsake us.
Ministry Administrator, Susan Kiehnau
Susan Kiehnau is the new Ministry Administrator. She grew up in Concord, MA and spent summers in Brewster. Susan graduated from Mt. Holyoke College and Suffolk University Law School. Susan and her husband Mike have been married for over thirty years. After twenty-six years living outside of MA (in TX, VA, GA, and MI), they moved to Yarmouth Port five years ago. They have three grown children: Andrew, Eric and Caroline. Susan has worked for ten years as a church administrator. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, gardening and reading.
Operations Administrator, Ann German
I was born and brought up in NYC, and at 3 started summering on Cape Cod in Woods Hole where my parents were part of the Marine Biological Labs community. I moved to the Cape in 1978 for a year, and have been here ever since, now living in Marstons Mills with two lovely old rescue dogs. My two sons have grown up and flown the coop! I have small business clients, am secretary/ financial assistant to individual clients and the finance administrator for 5 churches.
I was born and was raised as an Episcopalian, and my father loved High church. I am an active member of St. Mary’s in Barnstable village and have volunteered in every possible role over the past 26 years that I have been part of that wonderful community.
One of my favorite hymns, learned when I was in 4th Grade, is A Mighty Fortress is Our God. It has reinforced my sense that if I keep God near to me, I will be in his loving embrace, no matter what challenges are facing me. (I did not know until recently that it is a hymn written by Martin Luther!) I love to cook, paint and garden, and find joy in the creativity these bring as a balance to a world of accounting. I was raised with my grandparents who came to the US from Germany in the 1920’s, and so I learned to speak German from them and my family who are still in Germany.
