Connecting Columbia Union Seventh-day Adventists

Chesapeake Conference

The Chesapeake Conference has over 13,924 members in 74 congregations (64 churches, 10 companies) in Delaware, Maryland, and on the edges of Virginia and West Virginia. It has a pastoral workforce of 65, and its largest congregation, Spencerville (Silver Spring, Md.) has a membership in excess of 1,719. The Chesapeake Conference operates a strong Christian educational program that includes nearly 100 teachers and more than 1,050 students in 11 schools including one high school, a Pre-K - 12 grade academy, a Pre-K - 10 grade academy and eight elementary schools. It also operates an Adventist Book Center and four Adventist Community Services centers in Maryland and Delaware.

Mt. Aetna Camp and Retreat Center, outside Hagerstown, Md., is a fully-accredited camping and retreat center that hosts more than 700 youth during the conference's annual summer camp program. The site, which houses a nature center with a collection of stuffed animals, birds, insects, and reptiles from around the world, is used for field trips, outdoor learning programs, church retreats, spiritual seminars, and camping and hiking excursions.

Students Live Their Faith by Learning to Serve, Highland View Academy, Chesapeake Conference, David and Oleta Emerson,

Oleta Emerson stood in her driveway with tears in her eyes as she waved goodbye to the final van of students. Before they left, she prayed with each vanload and thanked the 20-plus Highland View Academy (HVA) students for spending the day helping her with her family’s farm. It was a simple moment, but one that captured the heart of service- based learning.

Through the Lens of Service, Spencerville Adventist Academy, Chesapeake Conference, Clark/Davis Breakfast, Samaritan Inns, Ethan Tracey, Aiden Zinke, Robert Martinez

Two Spencerville Adventist Academy (SAA) seniors recently discovered that faithful service has a way of multiplying. Ethan Tracey and Aiden Zinke volunteered last December for the annual Clark/Davis Breakfast, a community fundraising event that supports Samaritan Inns, a nonprofit that runs longterm recovery programs for individuals rebuilding their lives after experiencing homelessness, addiction and trauma.

Spencerville Concert Winds Tour Tennessee, Chesapeake Conference, Newport church, Knoxville First church, Ken Parsons

From October 8–12, 2025, the Spencerville Concert Winds embarked on a memorable tour to Tennessee—a trip filled with music, fellowship and faith. The days were rich with experiences: a day of fun and laughter at Dollywood, a day of learning under the guidance of Ken Parsons, wind symphony director at Southern Adventist University, and a day devoted entirely to performance and ministry.