Mt. Zion United Church
Mt. Zion United Church
"The Little Church That Does!"
Reverend Karen Smart, B.A. M.Div.
905 626-7552
The Rev. Karen Smart is delighted to be returning to Mount Zion United Church on March 1, 2023. She looks forward to working with the church to welcome the community in for many social events. She is gifted in pastoral care including weddings and funerals and enjoys presiding over worship services. Her services are scripturally based, educational, engaging and relevant. They are rooted in God’s call to us to journey forward in faith.
Karen is caring, compassionate and has a good sense of humour. Mount Zion is known as the “Little Church that Does!”
It is welcoming and would be pleased to welcome you!
Karen has:
•a Master of Divinity degree from Emmanuel College, University of Toronto
•an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree from University of Windsor
She has served in a variety of ministry positions:
•St. Paul’s, Ajax (1993-2000)
•The Greenwood Pastoral Charge (Greenwood and Mount Zion Churches) (2000-2010)
•At General Council Office as the Minister of Governance for
The United Church of Canada (2010-2016)
•Served on the On-Call Chaplaincy Team at The Ajax-Pickering Hospital
•Secretary of Lakeridge Presbytery (2007 – 2016)
•Pickering Village United Church (2016 – 2022)
•She is currently serving half time at Mount Zion United Church.
She is mother of three adult children. Her two sons and her eldest son’s partner live at home. Her youngest is a special needs daughter who lives in a group home in Oshawa. She is married to Tom who is a retired employee from Ontario Power Generation. They both enjoy gardening, curling, swimming, walking and reading.
Sharon Foreman - Music Director
Sharon Janes Foreman is an accomplished musician, with specialties in vocal and piano music. She graduated from Canadian Union College (now Burman University) in 1982 with a Bachelor of Music Education with emphasis in Voice and Choral Conducting. While teaching at Crawford Adventist Academy in Toronto, she began working on her Masters Degree in vocal pedagogy and choral conducting at Ohio State University, which she completed in 1988.
Sharon moved to Oshawa in 1986, to teach choir at Kingsway College. Her first term there was from 1986-1995. She left to pursue a solo music ministry, while maintaining a private music studio where she taught voice and piano. She returned to her position at Kingsway in 2012, where she continues to teach.
Sharon has won several awards at the Kiwanis Music Festival. She has also been involved in recording, both as a soloist and choir director. In addition, in 1997, she helped create, and directed, a multi-faith group of singers called the Durham Adventist Choir, which she led until 2015.
Sharon brought her wealth of talent and experience to Mount Zion United Church in 2022, where she is presently enjoying her current position as Music Director.