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 140,000 members worship in 843 congregations. We provide administrative support to eight conferences; two healthcare networks; 100 early childhood, elementary and secondary schools; a liberal arts university; a health sciences college; a dozen community services centers; 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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A MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT DAVE WEIGLEY

We are living through an unprecedented time, and while we are not immune to the impact of the coronavirus, we know that we serve an almighty God who sees, who cares and who is an ever-present help in times of trouble. As we journey this crisis together, we are in contact with the leaders of our conferences and institutions, and we are united in our commitment to do all we can to reduce the spread of the virus and help people in our communities. Please join us in praying for an end to COVID-19, and for the health care givers, first responders and other frontline workers who are working tirelessly to save lives.

At this time, our office remains closed to the public, until further notice. Please reach out to members of our administrative and ministry teams, and we will respond as quickly as possible.

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President Dave Weigley

September 9, 2021: The Prayer Under the Umbrella

“For with God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27, KJV).

My husband and I received a call to be Bible workers in Florida. We rented a moving trailer and car carrier for our trip. On our moving day, it started to rain, and because our car sat low to the ground, we had trouble getting it onto the carrier. The moving company upgraded the carrier so that the whole car could go on top instead of just the front wheels.

For a half hour, the church’s head elder and I watched under an umbrella as my husband tried to drive the car onto the carrier. Seeing this, the gentleman from the moving company said, “It is impossible; you will never get the car on the carrier.”

September 8, 2021: How I ‘Log in’ to God

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isa. 41:10, NIV).

College is a hard time for most young adults. Personally, that period of my life was lonely and discouraging, full of seemingly endless work on top of regular everyday life while figuring out how to be and act like an adult.

In 2017, the American College Health Association conducted a survey of nearly 48,000 college students that revealed 64 percent felt “very lonely” and 62 percent felt “overwhelming anxious” within the previous 12 months. For some students, college is just a bunch of lonely people together.

Editorial: Remembering the Fordhams

Image by Ulrike Leone from Pixabay

Words cannot express the loss and pain we feel in the passing of Henry and Sharon Fordham, president and first lady of the Allegheny East Conference. Few leader-couples have touched our lives as much as they did, and our hearts are with their family and conference family.

President Fordham was a quintessential Christian gentleman and friend who demonstrated genuine love for Jesus, for his dear wife, Sharon, for his family and for everyone he encountered.

He served with heart, led with humility and blessed countless lives.

La unión lamenta el fallecimiento del presidente y la primera dama de Allegheny Este

Image by David F. Turner for Allegheny Eastt Conference

Los miembros y líderes de la Unión de Columbia están de luto por la pérdida de Henry J. Fordham III y su esposa por 53 años, Sharon Fordham, luego de su fallecimiento en un incendio el 18 de julio en su casa de Pensilvania. Los Fordham pasaron sus 47 años completos de ministerio pastoral, administrativo y educativo sirviendo en la Conferencia Este de Allegheny (AEC), la segunda conferencia más grande en el territorio de la unión. En el momento de su muerte, ambos tenían 77 años y Henry estaba en su segundo mandato de cinco años como presidente.