Who We Are, How We Serve

The Columbia Union Conference, established in 1907 to coordinate the Seventh-day Adventist Church's work in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, is part of the worldwide Protestant denomination of 23 million members in more than 212 countries. At the union level, we connect and provide administrative leadership, governance and support services to our conferences, schools, health care networks and ministries. Each year, our organizations sponsor programs and projects that address human needs, improve quality of life and introduce people to Jesus. Read our Mission, Values and 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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Conference Welcomes New Education Team

Apple- by jarmoluk at Pixabay.com

The Chesapeake Conference Executive Committee recently named Janesta Walker (below) as superintendent of schools, and Michael Jakobsons (right) as associate superintendent. Walker fills the vacancy left by Jacqueline Messenger, who is now associate director for secondary education for the Columbia Union Conference. Mark Walker, the current interim superintendent, is set to retire August 1.

“We welcome both of these educators to the Chesapeake Conference. Their combined training and experience, in a variety of school settings, will prove to be a genuine benefit to our schools,” says Rick Remmers, conference president.

Kettering Health Network First in Dayton to Offer More Accurate, Less Painful Breast Surgery Procedure

Story by Elizabeth Long

Kettering Adventist Healthcare is the first in Dayton to offer a more accurate, less painful breast surgery procedure. The procedure, called radioactive seed localization, is a new approach to pinpointing breast lesions.

Breast imaging technology has become more refined, allowing many breast abnormalities and cancers to be detected before they can be felt with a physical exam. While early detection allows for treatment to begin sooner and the patients to have better outcomes, it also presents a greater challenge in precisely locating and removing smaller or deeper lesions.

Washington Adventist University Gains Approvals To Offer New Bachelor of Music Therapy Degree

Story by Donna Bigler

Washington Adventist University (WAU) in Takoma Park, Md., has been approved to implement a new Bachelor of Music Therapy degree program. WAU is the first institution in the State of Maryland and currently the only Seventh-day Adventist institution in North America to offer this degree.

“We are thrilled beyond measure to be gaining this important new program on our campus, as it prepares students to use music as a vehicle for service and outreach,” says Cheryl Kisunzu, WAU provost. “It is a wonderful addition to this university which has, for more than a century, functioned as a gateway to service for those who seek to help others.”