Praying for Those in Authority: Lincoln County

 

Toledo Church, Lincoln County, OR
For evildoers will be cut off; but those wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the land. Psalms 37:9

Lincoln County, named after President Lincoln, is just south of Tillamook County. Its long western edge paralleling the Pacific Ocean, it stretches from Lincoln City in the north to Yachats in the south. Newport, about mid-way, is a popular tourist destination, and is the county seat. Lincoln County is the Central Coast region of Oregon. The economy is supported by tourism, fishing, and timber.

A few years ago, I was vacationing in Newport and saw a large multi-storied structure high on a hill. It was in the process of being renovated, but part of it was open as the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center. We were able to tour the open sections. This year, from February 2 to May 7 the Center will present the exhibition of Portraits in Red: Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Portrait Painting Project by indigenous artist Nayana Lafond. So far, she has completed over 90 of these black and white, with red, portraits based on the photos of real victims. After May the exhibition will travel to Ilwaco, Ellensburg, Yakima, and Pendleton, all at cultural centers near reservations. The exhibit is intended to bring awareness and healing to the communities.

Recently the Missing and Murdered Unit was created within the Bureau of Indian Affairs to attempt to address what is considered a crisis in the indigenous population: the Native Americans and Alaskan Natives. The incidence of missing people in these groups is ten times the national average. Women, especially, are at much higher risk of rape, murder, and trafficking.

Lincoln County, OR
Lincoln County is home to the Confederate Tribes of Siletz. Originally established in 1855 at 1.1 million acres, the over 30 confederated bands now oversee the 3,666 acres of their reservation. Their history is complicated, and from the beginning the land set aside for them was steadily eroded by decisions to make sections open to non-native settlement.

Lincoln County is governed by a three-person elected Board of Commissions. This was not always so. Beginning in April of 1893, the County Commissioner’s Court met in Toledo in a rented building and consisted of two commissioners and a judge. The court system was replaced by the current three-member Board in 1960. The current Commissioners are Kaety Jacobson, Chair, who began her second term in 2023. Claire Hall, who has been a commissioner numerous times beginning in 2004, and Casey Miller, starting his first term in 2023.

Of the 36 counties in Oregon, 28 are now governed by a board of commissioners as opposed to the older county court system of commissioners plus a judge. According to the Lincoln County government website, “The national Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations has identified county government in Oregon as having the highest degree of local discretionary authority of any state in the nation.”

Sheriff Curtis Landers is the Lincoln County Sheriff. His career began in 1987 and he has worked up from Records/Property Clerk through Corrections Officer, Patrol Deputy, Patrol Sergeant, and Administrative Lieutenant. In 2016 he was appointed Sheriff and is currently serving his second four-year term.  

Other officials to keep in prayer include County Clerk Amy A. Southwell, and District Attorney Lanee Danforth.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Praying for Oregon Counties: Multnomah

Image
Mount Hood, Oregon Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep;  Psalm 36: 5-6   We turn our attention to Multnomah County, but most eyes, and news cameras, are fixed there already. Multnomah County is the smallest in land - 466 square miles - and the largest in population…and influence. Compare Multnomah with 1705 people per square mile, to Malheur County with three. This is, of course, due to Portland, the largest city in the state, which is also the county seat. In fact, since 1968 the county government has had a consolidated city-county government and there have been some attempts to merge the city-county government into one unit.  Multnomah was created in 1854 out of the eastern edge of Washington County and a northern strip of Clackamas County. Its northern border is the Columbia Ri...
Read more

Get With The Plan

Image
Image by  ErikaWittlieb  from  Pixabay   Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Isaiah 30:21   In writing this series of blog posts on Oregon counties, I’ve had to do some historical research. In looking at some counties, particularly those with which I have little personal experience or knowledge, I am sometimes at a loss to suggest a prayer focus. What is really going on behind the scenes? Most importantly, what are the spiritual roots of poverty, or corruption or a high crime rate in certain areas?   While it is always good to pray general prayers, asking the Lord to bless a certain city, to reveal truth, to encourage honest, faithful folks and prosper those who are seeking to earn a living for their families, sometimes we have to dig deeper, not just in research but in prayer.  This is where we hone our skill in hearing God’s directions, and following His plan. Image by...
Read more

Continue to Stand in the Gap: Umatilla County

Image
Umapine Church, Umatilla County, OR The wilderness and the dry land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose. Isaiah 35:1 Umatilla County - home to Hermiston watermelons, the Pendleton Roundup, and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The three-member Board of Commissioners for Umatilla County comprises Dan Dorran , George Murdock , and John Shafer . The Umatilla County Sheriff is Terry Rowan who oversees a county of over 3,000 square miles and a population of 77,000. The county seat is Pendleton while the largest town is Hermiston. We’ve written about the various sections of Umatilla County, the growth around Hermiston and other historical information, including some of the church history of the area here , here , and here . Umatilla County, Oregon As I wrote this over the weekend of February 25 th , a celebration took place in Pendleton at the Pendleton Convention Center. Called “Two Cultures, One Community Powwow,” it took place...
Read more