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.

Learn More

Chesapeake Conference Welcomes Humphreys to Education Team

Story by Andre Hastick

The Chesapeake Conference Executive Committee recently named Renee Humphreys as associate superintendent of schools. Humphreys fills the vacancy of Michael Jakobsons, whose wife, Andrea, accepted a call to serve as lead pastor of Ohio Conference’s Kettering church.

Humphreys has more than 35 years of educational experience in public and Seventh-day Adventist schools, including superintendent of education for the Lake Region Conference (Ill.) from 2014–2018. Before arriving to Chesapeake, she served as principal/teacher at Ephesus Junior Academy in Richmond, Va.

New Year, New Opportunities

Photo by Marco Verch Professional Photographer

Editorial by Andre Hastick

It’s 2021, and we turn a new page in our calendars. But now, perhaps more than ever, we hope to not only turn a literal page, but a figurative one as well. We seek to turn a new page on the global pandemic. We seek to turn a new page with the employment rate in our nation. We seek to turn a new page to reclaim a sense of “normalcy” again.

The Miracle More Than 40 Years in the Making

Story by Jackie Smith

With camp meeting approaching, it was clear that something needed to be done about the cratered dirt road leading into Camp Mohaven—the conference’s summer camp and retreat facilities, located in Danville. The cost to repair it was $10,000, with no funds in the budget available. Prayerfully, the conference moved forward on the project, not knowing where the money would come from.

Rehoboth Church Relaunches Food Pantry in Pandemic

Story by LaTasha Hewitt

In response to the pandemic, Rehoboth church members in Reading, Pa., wanted to reach their neighboring community. After assessing community needs, Catrice Davis-Ford, Rehoboth’s Adventist Community Services leader, proposed relaunching the church’s food pantry.

Davis-Ford discovered Helping Harvest, an organization that partners with churches for food distribution. To spread the word about the relaunch, members shared flyers within a five-mile radius and began preparing for the COVID-safe initiative.

Church members distributed food on the church grounds, making it safe and easy for individuals to pick up their pre-packaged boxes and keep the line moving. The meals included enough food for a family to eat for two weeks.