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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Praying Woman Hands by Long Thiên from Flickr

Editorial by Gary Gibbs

As the evangelist preached to the crowd gathered at a stadium in Africa, a spiritual battle was raging behind the stage platform. A woman was writhing, kicking and foaming at the mouth. Her deep, gruff voice sent shivers up my spine as I and others prayed for her to be freed from tormenting demons. Through prayer in the name of Jesus, a peaceful calm ultimately swept over her, and she left that night free and happy.

Barbara Spessard is now a member of the Waynesboro church, in large part due to her son Tony Hade’s relentless prayers for 15 years.

Story by Tamyra Horst

Barbara Spessard has been intermittently around Seventh-day Adventists for most of her life. Her in-laws, Roy and Mabel Hade, shared biblical truths from an Adventist’s perspective nearly 50 years ago. Velora Gunder, a member of the Pennsylvania Conference's Waynesboro church, shared Bible studies with Spessard a number of years ago. More recently, Chris Trent, a Bible instructor for the Waynesboro church, studied with her. She attended Sabbath vespers and Sabbath School.

Marquis Johns, pastor of the North Philadelphia church, enthusiastically preaches the Word during the recent WaS UP event.

Story by LaTasha Hewitt

Several Allegheny East Conference churches in the Philadelphia area recently joined together for the Worship Share Urban Project (WaS UP), a creative evangelism initiative. Held in Upper Darby, Pa., the worship experience reached well over 1,000 people throughout the course of the day.

“This model is meant to introduce worship to the community, which can serve as a precursor to a more in-depth crusade, or just simply open the doors to Bible studies,” says Shawn Fordham, one of the event coordinators.