Story by V. Michelle Bernard
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.
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 Tamyra Horst
Bob Williams pastored more than a dozen churches, helped start a school and served on numerous conference committees and boards in his 40-year career with the Pennsylvania Conference. He and his wife, Amy, raised three daughters, all Blue Mountain Academy graduates, during their ministry in the conference.
On Wednesday, June 14th a group of Republican lawmakers were practicing in a quiet Alexandria, Virginia neighborhood for the annual Congressional baseball charity game when things took a scary turn as a lone gunman attacked them. Five people were injured, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise. Officers Crystal Griner and David Bailey with the U.S. Capitol Police were both hurt while defending the congressman and other guests at the practice.
Editorial by Heather Crews, pastor of Courthouse Road church
Wander into the world of social media and you will find it colored with grief. We are reeling and pained by the actions of terror in our world. To try to fathom the loss of one life, and then to multiply that in order to understand the loss here is staggering. And so we post a new profile picture, filtered through our grief. We do this seeking to connect with the world and find hope. In a world getting-smaller-every-day we desire to share our pain. Then in that connection to find a spark of hope or a breath of peace for the day ahead.
Story by Gerry Lopez, pastor of Children and Family Ministry at Sligo Church
A parent told me recently that their child didn’t want to come to church because they got bullied by the other children at church. This wasn’t at school or online; this was happening at church!
These are statements that as a children’s pastor I don’t want to hear, but I need to be aware of them! I thought to myself, no not here in church; not in this place where we all should feel safe and loved! It blew my mind and made me ask, am I doing enough to make sure this stops? Sadly, I realized that I am not. But why not? I’ve known that bullying behavior has been around for a while but I have put the matter on the back burner.