Columbia Union News

Story by Michelle Greene

After more than 20 years of serving at the headquarters of the Columbia Union Conference in Columbia, Md., Harold and Christine Greene are retiring March 1.  

Prior to working at the Columbia Union, Harold worked as an educator for 19 years—many of those years as principal and science and math teacher at Pennsylvania Conference’s Huntington Valley Christian Academy (formerly Greater Philadelphia Junior Academy). Christine also served there, as the coordinator for the Christian Playcare Center.

Their passion for education created the opportunity to work at the union.  

Douglas Morgan and Emory Tolbert wrote this article, published in the February 2007 Columbia Union Visitor.

When Adventism took root in Washington, D.C., in the late 1800s, the capital city had the largest concentration of blacks of any American city. Howard University, outstanding public high schools, and federal government jobs made Washington a place of opportunity and high achievement for black Americans.

The first sizable group of black Adventist believers, in what would become Columbia Union territory, worked and worshiped in full fellowship with white believers in the Seventh-day Adventist Church of Washington, D.C.

Columbia Union Conference Executive Committee members voted to celebrate January 1, 2022, as a day of praise and prayer across the union.

Watch a special message from Columbia Union President Dave Weigley at 10:30 a.m. on the Columbia Union Visitor's Facebook page or Youtube channel.

Historia de Visitor Personal

En su reunión final del 2021, el Comité Ejecutivo de la unión nombró a Celeste Ryan Blyden como secretaria ejecutiva. Es la primera mujer en ocupar el puesto en los 114 años de historia de la unión.

Blyden se ha desempeñado como vicepresidenta de Comunicación Estratégica y Relaciones Públicas desde el 2014, cuando hizo historia como la primera vicepresidenta mujer en la unión. Fue reelegida en las sesiones de constituyentes en el 2016 y en el 2021.

"Celeste ha demostrado una verdadera pasión por la misión y el liderazgo eficaz y ha sido pastora y animadora de quienes la rodean", dice el presidente Dave Weigley.