In 1903, the Parmele family decided to build a school along Drift Creek. Using hand-sawn lumber, they built a one-room schoolhouse and hired their very first teacher, Charles Butterfield, to teach a dozen students.
Over the years, Lincoln City Adventist School went through several iterations and moved several times before finally landing where it currently stands — as Lincoln City Christian School — in 1988. Today, LCCS is a mission field, with most of its students coming from homes without an Adventist background. Nearly half of its students come from homes that would not even consider themselves Christian.
In October 2023, LCCS will be celebrating 120 years since its first opening. On Friday, Oct. 6, LCCS community, staff and friends will kick off a weekend of celebration at the Lincoln City Adventist Church. The weekend will feature special guests who have played a significant part in the school’s history over the years, including elder Ed Keyes, now Arizona Conference president.
“This school has a long reputation,” said Bill Mayne, Lincoln City Church pastor. “We have a lot of students coming from unchurched families and families who aren’t Adventist. Some were former students who are now bringing their kids back for the second generation, so it’s had a lasting legacy. There are grandparents who remember this school from a long time ago and are now sending their grandkids there. It’s had a consistent legacy in our small town of being a place for quality education and a good representation of Christian life.”
The Mayne family currently has two children enrolled at the school themselves. “I’m glad to be part of a school that has opened its arms to the community,” Mayne shared. “We have a pretty broad swath of community families that are giving Adventist education a shot and are finding value in it. I have times when I am out in public and I’ll have a kid yell out to me at the store, ‘Hey, Pastor Bill!’ So, it’s given me a positive connection and the ability to connect with and serve more of the people in our community.”
While LCCS educators are certainly teaching their students many things, the Adventist community in the area is learning a lot from these new connections. “We have quite a few families who move into town separated from their faith communities but who find a welcome home here,” said Mayne.
“Because our community is made up of many denominations, it’s given Adventists the opportunity to learn a new language and to realize that traditional Adventist language doesn’t mean a lot outside our church walls. We’re finding new ways to share with people," he continued. "There’s a lot we have in common, and this has given our community the chance to build friendships and kind of break down those barriers between each other. This has brought people together who may not be together otherwise, so it’s been an eye-opener, but it’s also brought in a lot of pleasant surprises and new, good friendships.”
If you would like to learn more about LCCS’s 120-year celebration or would like to learn more about the school itself, you can contact them at 541-994-5181.
The celebration will begin at Lincoln City Church, located at 2335 NE 22nd St. Lincoln City, Oregon, on Friday, Oct. 6, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and will continue with a special church service and lunch the next day.
