Columbia Union News

Story by V. Michelle Bernard

Members of the Columbia Union Conference Executive Committee gathered today for their first quarterly meeting of the 2021-26 quinquennium. Some of the committee members gathered at the union headquarters in Columbia, Md., while a majority participated via Zoom.

The executive leadership team shared updates on mission taking place across the territory, highlighting members’ resiliency in the midst of a pandemic and after the deaths of several renowned church leaders.

Dave Weigley, president of the Columbia Union, reported that a majority of the union’s 860 churches are holding in-person or hybrid worship services, with the exception of Allegheny East Conference, where about half of the churches are meeting only virtually.

Carol (Lindsey) Wright, who served for 39 years in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, passed away Thursday, September 9, 2021, after an extended battle with dementia and Parkinson's disease. Read more about her life here.

The Wright Family has announced that Carol's memorial service will be held at Potomac Conference's Sligo church in Takoma Park, Md., on Sunday, September 26, at noon.

Registration is required for in-person attendees (masks will be required) with two tickets permitted for each order: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/171458044627

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.

Story by Jiří Moskala

Amadeo Molnár, one of my favorite church history teachers, once said, “The history of the Christian Church is the history of the interpretation of the Bible.” Unfortunately, many modern problems arise from the misinterpretation of God’s Word. Divisions were created and wars fought because of certain dogmas; millions were tortured, killed or enslaved due to specific ideologies and wrong belief systems by believers. So many atrocities were committed in the name of God. And over the years, the Bible has also been used to justify racism.