Story by Ricardo Bacchus
On May 22, delegates to the Columbia Union Conference 28th Quinquennial Constituency Meeting re-elected President Dave Weigley (pictured left), Executive Secretary Rick Remmers and Treasurer Emmanuel Asiedu for the 2021–2026 term.
Weigley has been the Columbia Union president since 2006. He has served as a pastor, evangelist, conference communication director, ministerial director, stewardship director, executive secretary and conference president.
Weigley received a Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Southern Adventist University (Tenn.), has a Master of Business Administration in Managerial Leadership from City University of Seattle and received a Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership from Andrews University (Mich.).
Remmers Re-Elected as Executive Secretary
Remmers began his role as the union’s executive secretary in January 2021, filling the vacancy left by Rob Vandeman, who retired in January, and passed away in April.
In this role, he serves as the union’s official record keeper of minutes and archives. Remmers supports the mission by giving oversight to policy implementation, attending conference executive committees, serving as the Human Resources and Ministerial director, supporting as vice chair of the union’s two health care boards and university committees, and chairing the union’s WGTS media ministry membership board.
Remmers has served as a pastor, executive secretary, ministerial director, and, most recently, the president of Chesapeake Conference since 2011. He received a Master of Divinity from Andrews University and a Doctor of Ministry from United Theological Seminary (Ohio).
Emmanuel Asiedu Re-Elected as Treasurer
Emmanuel Asiedu has been the union’s treasurer since 2018. Previous roles include a staff accountant, an audit manager, conference associate treasurer and the director for the Columbia Union Revolving Fund.
Asiedu, a certified public accountant, has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Valley View University (Ghana) and a Master of Business Administration from La Sierra University (Calif.).
As reported in the Treasurer’s Report, Asiedu considers treasury a resource center and has repeatedly advocated to return funds to conferences to support mission, evangelism, education and other ministries. Before and during the pandemic, the union allocated an extra $4 million to its eight conferences and university.
In addition to managing tithes, offerings, budgets, payroll and furnishing financial reports, the treasury team provides accounting, payroll and auditing training for the union’s conferences and schools. Asiedu gives oversight to the Columbia Union Revolving Fund and chairs several financial and audit committees for the union’s health care networks and university.
His office also provides leadership mentoring to more than 20 treasury staff members from the union’s conferences and academies.