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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Washington Adventist University Hosts 2024 Visionaries Gala

Photo courtesy Washington Adventist University

Story by Weymouth Spence

This year’s Visionaries Gala, held Sept. 22, at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., was an overwhelming success, based on feedback from the honorees and attendees. The primary focus of the annual gala is to raise funds to support the many scholarships Washington Adventist University (WAU) offers to our students annually. We aim to reduce or eliminate student debt at WAU to help our students become competent moral leaders who can effectively serve their communities. 

United 'In One Accord'

Story by Lillian Torres

Jesus’ prayer for all of His disciples in John 17:21 is “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us” (NKJV). Unity brings strength, and if the church is to give the last warning message with power, we must seek to answer Jesus’ prayer for unity.

The Holy Spirit brings unity as we worship together, pray together and do mission together. The book of Acts records multiple incidences of the power of God manifested upon its people when they were united in one accord. The Pennsylvania Conference seeks to be intentional in uniting its leaders and members through its “In One Accord” five-year evangelism initiative. Each year of this quinquennium will intentionally focus on a specific part of evangelism in which to unite:

New Jersey Conference Announces New Vision, Mission

Adrianna Geo/Unsplash

Editorial by Stephen Lee

I am honored to introduce our new vision and mission for the New Jersey Conference (NJC), guiding us to fulfill God’s calling. Our new vision, “A World Without Strangers,” embodies a God-given dream to create a community where everyone feels welcome, valued and loved. In Matthew 24, Jesus’ disciples ask Him about the signs of His coming. Jesus describes signs in the natural, political and religious worlds, but adds, “The end is not yet.”

How Not to Help in Hurricane Helene

Image by WikiImages from Pixabay

Bob Mitchell, Adventist Community Services and Disaster Response coordinator for the Potomac Conference, shared the following to help encourage people how to best help those impacted by Hurricine Helene:

It is appreciated that our members are so giving and supportive of those in need. However, it is requested that all collection efforts be coordinated for best results.

There are frequent national and state Zoom calls and direct communication with local and state government officials that include our Potomac Conference ACS Disaster Re- sponse Coordinator. There are also official news releases by the governments of the states involved, including Virginia.