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.

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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Event organizer Roland Blackman talks with a woman from the community.

Story by Oksana Wetmore / Photos by Urbanized Geek

This summer marks the fifth anniversary of Park N’ Praise (PNP), an event run by Seventh-day Adventists from across the Washington, D.C. area, that aims to raise awareness of the need for affordable housing.

Volunteers worshiped with community members, many of whom are homeless, distributed 500 meals, 5,000 diapers and personal care items, conducted 20 health screenings and prayed with 30 attendees at this year’s Washington, D.C., event at Shepard’s Park.

photo by moritz320 on pixabay

Editorial by José H. Cortés Sr., president of the New Jersey Conference

I remember when my family moved to the New Jersey Conference 30 years ago. My wife, Celita, two sons, Jose Jr. and Josue, and I came after ministering in the Euro-African Division. We carried four nearly empty pieces of luggage, but our hearts were lled with dreams. Now as we look back, we only have expressions of gratitude. The

Lord’s hands have been upon us! God took our dreams and multiplied them infinitely. Through our sons, He brought us daughters: Joanne and Joyce. He also blessed us with grandkids: Jose III, Nadia, Joel and Emma. God has given us much more than we deserve, and His blessings keep raining upon us.

Photo by domeckopol on pixabay

By Debra McKinney Banks

Visit a Seventh-day Adventist church these days, and it is no longer guaranteed that the service will start at 11 a.m. No one really knows the history of when or where the 11 o’clock Sabbath worship time began. Plausible theories from pastors and historians posit that during more agrarian times, farming families needed to tend to the livestock and finish the chores before attending church. Whatever the reason, most people don’t maintain that farming lifestyle anymore. Today some pastors have discovered that holding Sabbath services at non-traditional times—either before or after 11—are becoming more of a necessity to meet the missional needs of their flocks.