Zion
Lutheran CHURCH
About Us
Meet the Team
The Rev. Martha McCreight
Pastor
pastormartha@zionpennhills.org
​
A native of Davenport, IA, Pastor Martha began her call at Zion Lutheran Church in November 2018. She
graduated from Luther College (Decorah, IA) in 2005 and worked as a credit analyst in commercial
banking for 4 years before following the call into ordained ministry. She graduated from Luther
Seminary (St Paul, MN) in 2014 and went on to serve at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church (Butte, MT) until
August 2018.
Pastor Martha’s greatest passions for ministry lies in preaching and teaching, and forming relationships
with those both inside and outside of the church. Her vision for ministry is to simply "be the church" in
worshipping, teaching and passing along the faith, and being involved in the community of Penn Hills
and surrounding communities. She continues to explore the question of: out of all the spaces that a
person occupies over the course of their week, how is the church space different, how does it transcend
all other spaces, and yet frees each of us to live fully as we were created to be in daily life?
When not at Zion, Pastor Martha prefers to spend her time in active ways, through bicycling, Crossfit, or
going for a hike on the many trails that SWPA offers. She enjoys time with family and friends, reading
the next theological book, trying out new cuisines or catching a live music show at one of the many
venues in Pittsburgh.
Welcome to Zion – may you find it a place of generous hearts and a place where you can gather with
other children of God to worship, study, and serve in the name of the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
Andrew Sabol
Director of Music Ministries
andrew@zionpennhills.org
​
Andrew Sabol is an acclaimed performer, composer, and educator dedicated to sharing his passion for music with his students, his church, and his community.
Growing up in Canonsburg, PA, a town self-proclaimed as 'America's Small Town Music Capital,’ Andrew developed an ongoing love for the arts and their role in schools, churches, and communities. He studied classical piano at Duquesne University graduating with a B.S. in Music Education in 2010. He currently teaches general music and band for grades K-8 at St. Louise de Marillac Catholic School in Upper St. Clair, PA.
Sacred music has always played an important role in Andrew’s musical life, motivating his start on the piano at age 5 and inspiring life-long involvement in the life of the church. He most recently served as Organist and Music Director for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church of Canonsburg for seven years, adding responsibilities as Organist and Music Director for Resurrection Lutheran Church in Oakdale for the past year. In addition, he has assisted in various churches in the Pittsburgh area as a choir member, instrumental soloist, and substitute organist and pianist. He has also performed for synod-wide events like Kennywood Day, Sunday Night Live, and Synod Assemblies and serves on the Synod Council and Synod Youth Committee.
Julie Nieser
Secretary
julie@zionpennhills.org
​
Julie has worked as our Administrative Secretary since April of 2006. She provides invaluable ministry keeping the church master calendar, maintaining communication with members and community groups, preparing worship bulletins, some financial administration and general secretarial duties. Julie is very familiar with Penn Hills as she grew up and attended school at Penn Hills High School.
When she is not at Zion, Julie enjoys baking and walking her dog Coco. Julie is married, has 2 sons, Kenny and Joshua, and lives in Plum Boro.
Kathy Conrad, RN
Parish Nurse
kathy@zionpennhills.org
​
A native of Punxsutawney, Kathy moved to the Pittsburgh area after graduating from Indiana Hospital School of Nursing. While completing degrees in nursing at Pitt and adult education at IUP, Kathy held a variety of cancer nursing roles. She currently works for a health information technology company that focuses on performance improvement, professional learning, and certification.
Kathy became a member of Zion after moving to Penn Hills. In 2010, she and several other enthusiastic members launched Zion’s Health Ministry Team. After completing the Foundations of Faith Community Nursing Course, she was commissioned as Zion’s Parish Nurse in 2015.
In conjunction with the Health Ministry Team, Kathy reminds people to care for their body, mind and spirit. In addition to providing individual health education and referrals, our parish nurse considers the health-related needs of our overall congregation.
Kathy’s other passions include life-long learning, quilting, reading and joining friends for craft retreats at Lutherlyn.