Editorial by Mike Hewitt
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 145,000 members worship in 800 congregations. We provide administrative support to eight conferences, two healthcare networks, 81 elementary and secondary schools, a liberal arts university, a health sciences college, a dozen community services centers, six book and health food stores and a radio station.
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.
Story by Andre Hastick
Earlier this year, more than 260 lay-leaders and pastors from 25 churches in the Chesapeake Conference attended the MissionWorks workshop, led by the North American Division Evangelism Institute (NADEI) and the Chesapeake Evangelism Department. The keynote speaker for the weekend, Russell Burrill, former director of NADEI, shared inspiring messages that reminded members and pastors of the essentiality of following a biblical model for church and outreach.
Story by Tina Sheesley
Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center is one of the first hospitals in Maryland to perform spine surgery using the Mazor X™ Robotic Guidance Platform. The tool brings surgeons new capabilities when treating patients with debilitating spine conditions.
The platform gives surgeons planning tools, analytics and guidance during surgery, allowing greater precision when treating scoliosis, degenerative disc disease, herniated disc, hunchback and many other spine conditions. Neurosurgeon Dr. Amin Amini performed Shady Grove’s first operation using the platform in February. Shady Grove is one of the only hospitals in the Washington, D.C., region with the system.
Editorial by Carl Rodriguez
For more than 25 years, I have personally recruited about 1,000 volunteers. In the process, I have observed five recurring things volunteers are looking for when accepting the call.
First of all, volunteers want to get a sense that the leader of the team comprehends the ministry mission and vision. Though volunteers may not grasp the finite details of all of the team goals, they want to feel that their leader has a strong grasp on the direction and purpose of the team.
Story by Visitor Staff / Photos by Eduardo Gonzalez
Last weekend the Columbia Union Adventist-Laymen’s Services & Industries (CUASI) hosted their spring convention in Columbia, Md.