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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Shawn Shives, Gary Gibbs and Kevin Costello will serve the Pennsylvania Conference for the next quinquennium.

This past weekend, delegates at the Pennsylvania Conference 2023 Constituency Session experienced a great morning of praising God for the incredible ways He has blessed them over the last five years.

Conference membership has grown to more than 13,680 members, as the conference welcome an average of 500 new believers--many from the 100 or more evangelistic events--each year.

Delegates to the session re-elected their officers, President Gary Gibbs, Executive Secretary Shawn Shives, and Treasurer Kevin Costello.

Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay

Editorial by Marvin C. Brown, III

King Solomon was known for his wisdom and fair judgments. In one famous story, two women appeared before him, each claiming to be the mother of a baby. They had given birth around the same time, and one of the babies had died. The surviving baby was the subject of their dispute. King Solomon listened to both women and decided to test their love for the child. He suggested cutting the baby in half and giving each mother half of the child. One of the women agreed to the idea, while the other begged him not to harm the child and let the other woman have it.

Graphic from Canva

October is Pastor Appreciation Month, and we have some ideas to help you encourage
and celebrate your local pastor.

• Send them a gift card to a local restaurant or cultural event.
• Pray for them every day.
• Write them an encouraging note, highlighting how they have helped your church.
• Take ownership of a ministry at your church. (Don’t wait for your pastor to do all the work!)
• Talk to your pastor directly (not to others) when you have a concern.
• Post a compliment on their social media account this month (and encourage others to do the same).