Executive Committee Members Agree: ‘It’s All About Jesus’

Story by V. Michelle Bernard

“I’ve always loved a good challenge,” said Gina Brown, describing her recent trip, where she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.

During her worship thought at today’s Columbia Union Conference Executive Committee meeting, Brown, a committee member from the Allegheny East Conference, reminded members of the importance Seventh-day Adventist churches and schools have in participating and training members to share the gospel prior to the second coming of Christ.

Though there are challenges facing our institutions, Brown reminded attendees that God cares for us and wants to help us. “Sometimes if you really need something, you need to drop all protocol and shout, ‘Lord, help me.’” She added, “Serving God isn’t about what your mother did, your lineage did, but it is about having a relationship with God."

After Brown finished her worship thought, Columbia Union officers, Marcellus T. Robinson, president; Celeste Blyden Ryan, executive secretary; and Emmanuel Asiedu, treasurer, thanked Brown for her nine years of serving as an executive committee member. This summer, Brown is leaving her position as dean of the College of Nursing at Howard University (D.C.) to start the new role as president of Oakwood University (Ala.).

In his president’s report, Robinson, who has served on the committee for a year now, applauded the committee members for making a unique difference in mission within their territories and encouraged them to continue doing so in their various roles and areas.

And he added the importance of becoming a loving disciple of Jesus.

“It’s not about us; it’s all about Jesus. … Every church in the union should be a place where people feel loved.”

Other highlights from the executive committee meeting included:

-José D. Espósito, assistant to the president for Evangelism, reported that Allegheny East and Chesapeake conferences are working together for the upcoming REACH Baltimore campaign, in addition to campaigns that have already taken place. The New Jersey Conference has trained more than 450 elders and spouses for their Pentecost 2025 events. And 126 churches and schools in the Potomac Conference will participate in the Pentecost 2025 meetings.

-Kelly Butler Coe, vice president for Communication, reported on how the Communication team has enjoyed collaborating with various departments at the union to create videos, promotions, program graphics and materials in support of Pentecost 2025 and the union’s 2025 Year of Prayer movement. She also updated the committee on plans for a unionwide crisis communication plan.

-Frank Bondurant, vice president for Ministries Development, is often asked what his department does. “We partner with and support [conferences],” he said. “That is why we exist. We come to the table, bring counsel and resources to help the local conference ministries be successful.”

Carolina Ramos, Ministries Development coordinator for several ministries—Children’s Ministries, Pathfinders and young adults—noted the growth of the union's Pathfinder Bible Experience (PBE) program and the Alive in Jesus Sabbath School curriculum trainings. “If we invest in our youth, we see the growth later on,” she said.

- Blyden took a moment to remember Monte Sahlin, a church leader who passed away April 2. Sahlin worked a majority of his career in the Columbia Union.

Ryan also shared that, for the first quarter of 2025, the union totaled 157,361 members, welcoming in 1,017 new members through baptism and profession of faith in its 874 churches and companies.

“We’re a praying union,” she said, highlighting the union’s monthly online prayer meeting that focuses on a different union entity the first Wednesday of every month. She also noted the various Women’s Ministries events she has spoken at over the last several months.

-Stephen Lee, New Jersey Conference president, and Gary Gibbs, Pennsylvania Conference president, gave a snapshot of what is happening in their conferences. Lee noted that his conference normally averages about 600 baptisms a year, but has a goal of 1,000 this year. He also highlighted the ongoing lay ministry trainings and an upcoming health clinic in September. “In order to finish God’s work, pastors and lay people need to work together,” he said.

Gibbs said that conference leadership is focused on helping members reignite their devotional time—something foundational to faith—he said. As part of this effort, he noted Back to the Altar, a book of devotionals written by Pennsylvania Conference members. He also shared a video highlighting the conference’s recent mission trip to the Philippines in which many pastors and members participated. The group held medical clinics and many evangelistic meetings there,  celebrating 6,500 attendees and 1,355 baptisms.

-Adventist HealthCare (AHC) President and CEO John Sackett said, “God is blessing us, and we’re doing well in business.” He added AHC exists to advance the mission of the church and goes beyond just taking caring of people physically. “Our place in the church is to extend God’s care through the ministry of physical, mental and spiritual healing.”

He noted that health care “gives us an opportunity to interact with the community like no other”—with more than 716,00 patient encounters last year.

-Mike Gentry, CEO of Kettering Health, talked about the importance of Adventist organizations acting in a Christlike manner and with excellence.

-Weymouth Spence, president of Washington Adventist University (WAU), noted that the school seeks to engage students’ minds and transform their lives every day—telling a story about a student-athlete from England who solely came to WAU to play soccer, but also encountered Jesus.

-Kevin Kreuger, president and CEO of Atlantic Gateway Communications, the organization that runs WGTS 91.9, shared that the ministry is independent of the church, but is run and overseen by Adventists. His staff doesn’t just “put out content,” but interacts with and impacts listeners. Last year, the station received 61,226 calls from listeners and ranked #12 in the Washington, D.C., radio market.

- Asiedu, treasurer, said that for the first quarter of 2025, the union had a 1.33 percent tithe increase compared to last year—a significant number because of the record increase the union also experienced last year. He also noted the faithfulness of union members, who have the highest giving per capita out of all the unions in the North American Division.

Asiedu, who had just returned from a mission trip to Ghana with the Ohio Conference, said the union uses their resources effectively and with transparency.

He reported that God blessed the trip, where 1,005 individuals were baptized and 1,000 others were helped with medical assistance. “It is important that every church and school focuses on evangelism at this time,” but God also encourages “us to go and make disciples of all nations … so with the Columbia Union, the mission goes beyond the Columbia Union territory.”