Who We Are, How We Serve
The Columbia Union Conference, established in 1907 to coordinate the Seventh-day Adventist Church's work in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, is part of the worldwide Protestant denomination of 23 million members in more than 212 countries. At the union level, we connect and provide administrative leadership, governance and support services to our conferences, schools, health care networks and ministries. Each year, our organizations sponsor programs and projects that address human needs, improve quality of life and introduce people to Jesus. Read our Mission, Values and Priorities.
We Believe
God is love, power, and splendor—and God is a mystery. His ways are far beyond us, but He still reaches out to us. God is infinite yet intimate, three yet one,
all-knowing yet all-forgiving.
The North American Division recently released the following statement in reaction to the Heritage Foundation's recently released "Saving American by Saving the Family" that calls to restore "blue laws" to establish a "uniform day of rest.":
The Chesapeake Conference Executive Committee elected Marilyn Scott as executive secretary of the Chesapeake Conference on Jan. 20. Scott fills the vacancy created when Andre Hastick became president on Jan. 1, following Jerry Lutz’s retirement.
Scott has served since 2024 as associate pastor for Children’s and Family Ministries at Bell Branch Church in Gambrills, Md., and as a Children’s Ministries specialist for Chesapeake Conference, providing training and resources for children’s ministries around the conference. Scott has pastored in the Chesapeake Conference for 16 years, serving previously as the Children’s Ministries associate pastor at Spencerville Church (2010–2016) and New Hope Church (2016–2024).
Story by Liz Bailey
Recently, the Mountain View Conference (MVC) hosted a first-of-its-kind retreat for professionals.
“The purpose of this retreat,” states Tim Bailey, MVC president, “is to get input from leaders in our conference and to involve them in strategic plans for our future growth.”
Story by LaTasha Hewitt
The New Life church in Hampton, Va., celebrated the completion of Phase 1 of its renovation project after several weeks of work and unforeseen challenges marking the transformation of its sanctuary into a vibrant, multipurpose LIFE Center, a space designed to serve both the congregation and the wider Hampton community.