Ohio Conference

A father and his daughter team up to share the timeless teac

Columbia Union team participation in the annual test of Bible knowledge has more than doubled over the past year.

Story by Columbia Union Staff; Photos by Jeff Cooley

Story by Elizabeth Long

Ohio Conference constituents received an unusual Christmas gift this year--a new conference president--Ron Halvorsen Jr., MDiv.

At the end of this year, Seventh-day Adventists in the Pennsylvania and Ohio conferences will see two Adventist Book Centers (ABC) close—one in Mount Vernon, Ohio—the other in Hamburg, Pa. The closures come as a result of the Idaho-based Pacific Press Publishing Association’s (PPPA) decision early this fall to end a management agreement of some 17 ABCs across the North American Division.

In addition to his family, staff members of Kettering Adventist HealthCare (KAHC) system based in Kettering, Ohio, are in mourning over the loss of one of their key founders. Vernon Luthas, MD, passed away Monday at the age of 85.
 

This week presidents of the Columbia Union’s eight conferences, two healthcare networks and university met in Columbia, Md., for executive-level board meetings. The week started with Presidents’ Council where each president shared praises and challenges from their field. On Tuesday each conference’s top-three officers met for Administrator’s Council where they handled the business of the union. They also heard a presentation on crisis communication from Celeste Ryan Blyden, Visitor publisher and editor, and author of the new book, Crisis Boot Camp, published by the North American Division.