Who We Are, How We Serve

The Columbia Union Conference coordinates the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s work in the Mid-Atlantic United States, where 150,000 members worship in 860 congregations. We provide administrative support to eight conferences; two healthcare networks; 81 early childhood, elementary and secondary schools; a liberal arts university; a health sciences college; a 49 community services centers; 8 camps; 5 book and health food stores and a radio station.

Mission Values 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.

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Story by Rebecca Ingle

Professor Daniel Schoun has taught chemistry, physics, and math at Kettering College. He’s been a teacher his entire career, which is a surprise to him, considering he envisioned himself working in research. But he learned early on to trust God and to obediently go where he has felt he was being called.

A unique aspect of Dan’s 42-year career is that he has taken only jobs that have come to him. He says, “I’ve never gotten a job because I applied for it.” His driving force in life is listening for God’s voice. He admits he sometimes might argue with God, but, ultimately, Dan patiently listens to where he feels he is needed and acts on it.

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Editorial by Yves Monnier

People still ask the same thing the disciples did 2,000 years ago: “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1, NKJV). We all know, the disciples included, that prayer is an integral part of our journey with God. However, we all seem to struggle to make prayer a vibrant and meaningful part of our daily lives and, consequently, the request, “Lord, teach us to pray.”

Jesus’ answer is one of the most memorized passages in the Bible: The Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1–4). While memorizing this timeless prayer is good, we must grasp that Jesus’ answer goes beyond just repeating lofty words. Behind that prayer are potent principles that truly transform how one prays.

Photo courtesy Washington Adventist University

Story by Weymouth Spence

This year’s Visionaries Gala, held Sept. 22, at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., was an overwhelming success, based on feedback from the honorees and attendees. The primary focus of the annual gala is to raise funds to support the many scholarships Washington Adventist University (WAU) offers to our students annually. We aim to reduce or eliminate student debt at WAU to help our students become competent moral leaders who can effectively serve their communities. 

Story by Lillian Torres

Jesus’ prayer for all of His disciples in John 17:21 is “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us” (NKJV). Unity brings strength, and if the church is to give the last warning message with power, we must seek to answer Jesus’ prayer for unity.

The Holy Spirit brings unity as we worship together, pray together and do mission together. The book of Acts records multiple incidences of the power of God manifested upon its people when they were united in one accord. The Pennsylvania Conference seeks to be intentional in uniting its leaders and members through its “In One Accord” five-year evangelism initiative. Each year of this quinquennium will intentionally focus on a specific part of evangelism in which to unite:

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Editorial by Stephen Lee

I am honored to introduce our new vision and mission for the New Jersey Conference (NJC), guiding us to fulfill God’s calling. Our new vision, “A World Without Strangers,” embodies a God-given dream to create a community where everyone feels welcome, valued and loved. In Matthew 24, Jesus’ disciples ask Him about the signs of His coming. Jesus describes signs in the natural, political and religious worlds, but adds, “The end is not yet.”