Praying for Those in Authority: Klamath County

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Crater Lake, Oregon

For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now I will arise," says the Lord; I will set him in the safety for which he yearns." Psalm 12:5

We are moving from the Southern Coast region to the South Central region of Oregon which only includes two counties, Klamath and Lake. While only two counties, this is a very large area, stretching from Jackson County east to Harney, bordered by California and Nevada to the south.

Klamath County is over 6,000 square miles with a population of 69,000. It includes Crater Lake at the northwest corner of the county with the county seat, Klamath Falls, in the south-central portion. This was the home of the Klamath Indians, as well as the Modoc, who were just across the state line in California.

We often mention the homeless situation as a crisis in many counties, and a point of prayer. On a brighter note, a ministry has existed in Klamath Falls for many years to help low-income and homeless.

The Klamath Falls Gospel Mission was established in 1958 in the building of what had been the Swedish Covenant Church. That congregation was established in the 1930’s and the services were conducted in Swedish. That building was next door to the Scandia Hall, built in 1920.  By 1958 the buildings were being used for other purposes and the Gospel Mission opened there. In the last few years, the Mission acquired land elsewhere in the city and has since moved to a new location.

Klamath County

The Mission has room for 50 men for short-term (three months) stay for low-income and homeless individuals. They also have a recovery program for those struggling with substance abuse. Three meals a day are provided as well as showers and clean clothing. There is a separate area for women and their children, about 12 beds.

To find out more, go here. 

While Klamath Falls is the major town in the county, and the county seat, about twenty miles southeast is the town of Merrill, Oregon. It sits very near the California border and one of the County Commissioners, Dave Henslee, owns a cattle ranch there. It is the oldest settlement in the Tule Lake Basin. It has an annual Potato Festival, as it is in the heart of a potato growing area. A small town, population 845, it was founded in 1894 and officially incorporated in 1904. The Lost River runs through Merrill, and the local high school is the Raiders of Lost River High School.

The main churches in Merrill are the Merrill Presbyterian Church, St. Augustine Catholic Church, Merrill Assembly of God, and Merrill Baptist Church.

Captain Jack (Kintpuash), the famous Modoc Indian leader, had a family village site on Lost River, near where Merrill is now. He had hoped to be allowed to remain there, on a reservation created nearby, but the Modoc Indian War of 1872-3 ended that hope.

Currently, the County has a three-member Board of Commissioners: Dave Henslee, Kelley Minty, and Derrick DeGroot.

Dave Henslee is a retired police chief. He held positions in law enforcement in Corvallis and in Klamath Falls and is a graduate of FBI National Academy, Quantico, VA.  He and his wife own 5H Cattle Company in Merrill, Oregon.

Kelley Minty is the vice-chair and was a TV broadcast journalist. She grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and worked briefly in Upstate New York in TV before returning to Oregon.

 Derrick DeGroot, the chair, was first elected 2016. He was born and raised in Klamath County, served in the US Navy, then returned home to a career in finance before going into public service.

Sheriff Chris Kaber is the county sheriff. The Sheriff’s Office appears to be growing. He recently restarted the K9 program and added a second officer-plus-K9 team. They have been training new officers and in February had the largest swearing-in ceremony in recent history.