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 V. Michelle Bernard

For the first time in many years, the Columbia Union Conference experienced a drop in tithe, reported Treasurer Emmanuel Asiedu. Tithe was down 5.40 percent (approximately $1.6 million) from January to March, compared to last year.

Despite this drop, Asiedu says he has been impressed with members’ generosity during this hard time. “Their giving was more than my expectation, given the COVID-19 crisis and overall financial crisis we are experiencing,” he added.

Story by V. Michelle Bernard
Two committee members representing Allegheny East Conference spoke to the importance of proceeding with caution when making decisions about reopening churches and schools.
 
Gina Brown, dean of the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences at Howard University in Washington, D.C., shared that mental illness is on the rise and urged church members not to ignore it. In addition, she added, “Our senior [citizens] are significantly lonely, and everybody is being hit [by the isolation].”
 
Columbia Union Executive Committee members meet on Zoom

Story by V. Michelle Bernard

Members of the Columbia Union Conference Executive Committee gathered last week via Zoom to discuss and reflect on the church’s work over the last two months. The main topic? How COVID-19 has impacted the mission and ministry across the eight-state territory.

Dan Jackson, president of the North American Division (NAD), shared a worship thought on Ruth. “There is a tempest blowing in our land. There is desolation in many places, but we have the hope, the faith and the promise that we may shelter under the wings of the Almighty with our kinsman redeemer, Jesus Christ,’’ he said.

Story by Washington Adventist University Staff
 
Washington Adventist University (WAU) is proud to offer high-quality Christian education in the nation’s capital through which its mission to develop competent moral leaders is achieved. Although the challenges that COVID-19 has presented continue to make predicting the future difficult, WAU will move forward with this mission. Multiple contingencies are planned for many eventualities. An awareness of the distress some of these measures make on traditional student life is guiding WAU to seek guidance and think outside the box.