Feature by V. Michelle Bernard 

Turkey bacon, eggs, cold cereal, cheese, lots of bread and pizza were common ingredients in Jennifer Engelkemier’s daily menu. But since attending Mountain View Conference’s (MVC) Wellness Camp last summer, she’s traded in some of her old breakfast favorites, including turkey bacon, for beans.

Before the camp, Engelkemier (pictured in middle, walking with wellness campers Herb Perrine and Susie Shaver) was overweight, had diabetes and high blood pressure, and also suffered from fatty liver disease. “I just want to get healthy overall,” she said during the first week of camp, where she lost 10 pounds and started walking more regularly.

Attention Columbia Union Conference photographers! We want to see the Columbia Union through your lens. Would you like for your photo to be considered for publication in the 2021 Columbia Union Calendar?

We’re looking for photos that showcase local landmarks, native fauna and scenes from all around the union—from cityscapes to dirt country roads. We want to feature all the seasons, so grab those winter scenes and capture the warmth of summer—and all that’s between.

Story by Celeste Ryan Blyden

This year marks the 125th anniversary of our beloved Columbia Union Conference Visitor magazine. Starting in 1895 in the Ohio Conference as The Welcome Visitor, it has evolved under the helm of 30 known editors.

No editor was listed during the first few years of publication. Copies of the four-page, black and white journal seem to indicate a joint publishing effort by conference leaders. They charged 35 cents for an annual subscription, that was to be paid up front. 

If you do a scholarly search for "sola scriptura," most of the references come since 1970, said David Trim at the Columbia Union Union Conference 2019 Leadership Summit. "This is telling us something. How we understand the primacy of the Scripture is big deal in the last years."

When Cindy Tutsch discovered her connection with Christ was broken, she started "Word" supplments. Tutsch shared practical tips for connecting with Christ through the Bible at the Columbia Union Conference 2019 Leadership Summit.

See more presentations from the event here.