A Deeper Look: Umatilla County

Milton-Freewater Church, Umatilla County

The wilderness and the dry land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose. Isaiah 35:1

We are now moving into the Northeastern Region of Oregon, which includes Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Grant, and Baker. When I think of Umatilla County, I think of the Pendleton Roundup, rolling wheat fields, and the Wild Horse Casino. I noticed a box of Hermiston’s famous watermelons for sale outside a grocery store the other day. That is Umatilla County.

The small town of Athena, about twenty minutes northeast of Pendleton, hosts Caledonian Days every year, in honor of Scottish clans and traditions. Many of the early ranchers in the area were Scots.

There is a web page, Pioneer History, of Christian Church and Church of Christ history in the Pacific Northwest, that is very detailed and informative. These churches came out of the Reformation or Stone-Campbell Movement that arose out of the Second Great Awakening of the early 1800’s. Of course, other denominations were present, particularly the Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Catholic, and Baptists in those early years, but it has been interesting reading the details of how some long-standing congregations were established in Oregon.

Umatilla County

The Athena Christian Church is still active. It was, according to a letter published in 1877 in the Pacific Christian Messenger, officially organized in 1875 (but had been having meetings since 1868) and was referred to as the Wild Horse congregation. (The first homesteader in the area settled at Wild Horse Creek.) At the time of the letter, they had 52 members and were meeting once a month. At this time Athena was still called Centerville – the name would change in 1889. In 1885 R.H. Moss reported the church held a 24-day meeting and added 34 new members to the congregation, many first-time converts.

He wrote: The meeting had accomplished a revolution in our community that will tell for good in time to come. The interest was intense and the attendance large throughout. (Published in the Christian Standard, January 31, 1885.)

By 1889 the church had 250 members.

The meeting place changed for the congregation over the years. At first, they met in a schoolhouse, and then a small church building. A larger building with a bell tower appears to have been built about 1903. They were celebrating the building's centennial in 2003.

Today Athena Christian Church has about 100 members and is still active in the community.

It amazes me how many of these small churches were begun in the early days of Oregon and have continued to the present day. Each county has a share of historic church buildings and congregations – of many different denominations - established from the mid-to-late 1800’s. They met, at first, in private homes, storefronts, and schoolhouses and went on to raise the funds and labor to build sturdy church buildings, many of them landmarks in their communities. Once the pioneers had a roof over their heads, the next step was to build schools and churches. Often their preachers were circuit riders who also had families and homesteads to tend – and the dedication and sacrifices of the circuit riders is a story for another day.

Terry L. Rowan is the Sheriff of Umatilla County. Like many of the counties, the office is short-staffed with not enough applications coming in to fill open positions. Currently they are short 19 positions including those in the 9-1-1 Center, Jail, and Patrol. Work has begun on a major station modification that will enable them to do more. Material supply issues have held up the beginning of construction until now. The Sheriff’s Office covers an area of 3,231 square miles and 77,516 population.

All the county sheriffs in Oregon face similar situations, with growing criminal behaviors and shortages of funds and manpower. We will continue to pray for law enforcement in the state, but there is another way to help. The Oregon Sheriff’s Office Association is a non-profit that supports the county sheriffs. They also allow individuals and business to join in support. You can check it out here: www.oregonsheriffs.org.

 How do we pray for Umatilla County?

Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls…” Jeremiah 6:16

Keep the County Commissioners, George Murdock, John Shafer, and Dan Dorran in prayer.

Pray for Sheriff Terry L. Rowan and the staffing issues of the department. Pray for honorable, dedicated people to be called by God to those positions.

Pray for ALL the churches in Umatilla County, the deep-rooted ones that have been there since pioneer days, and the new ministries being called into place.