History of The Seventh-day Adventist
Church & School in Merced

Ellen G. White arrived in Merced on Thursday, May 23, 1907, for a joint Camp Meeting of the California and Nevada conferences of Seventh-day Adventists.  She spoke on Sabbath (Saturday) and Sunday, leaving on Monday to return to Elmshaven.

A few weeks later she wrote a letter to Dr. Wolfsen, an Adventist medical doctor, telling him that he should stay in Merced and raise up a church.  Thus, Amos Stevens (about 22 years of age) held tent meetings, and on November 2, 1907, the Merced Seventh-day Adventist Church was organized.

 Elder C. M. Gardener officiated at the organizational meeting.  The church was organized around four individuals – Dr. Lud Wolfsen, and his wife, Evelyn, Mrs. Grace Givens, and Mrs. E. J. Olds.  With the list somewhat incomplete, the list of charter members ranges from ten to twenty-three.

 The newly organized church met in the home of Dr. Lud Wolfsen.  Sometime before the close of 1911 (with a membership of 33) the congregation owned its own church building valued at $1700 with a seating capacity of 150.  This Church was located on the northeast corner of 18th and O Streets in downtown Merced.  (In 1929 this building was moved across the railroad tracks to where Highway 99 now exists.)

On September 24, 1927, the Adventist congregation moved into its new church building (formerly the First Methodist Church) on the corner of 20th and H Streets. This church building served the Adventists of Merced for forty years.

In 1928 H. M. S. Richards, Sr. held meetings in Merced, with Pastor C. Ellis and Henry De Fluter.  They baptized six people.

The earliest record that “We” have been able to find of a school in Merced dates back to 1926 with school being held on the Wolfsen’s ranch.  In 1930, school was held in the back of the church with two teachers.

In 1941 a school building was put up at 13th Street and Highway 140.  The school continued and in 1942 there was a ten grade school with Pastor Leslie Morril serving as principal and Jean Stevens (daughter of Amos and Sandie Wolfsen Stevens) as teacher.  In 1950 there were ten grades and three teachers.  However, by 1955 there was only one teacher and 12 students.

Church membership had reached 123 on January 15, 1956, with 18 students in the school.  A year and a half later, the first record of a Pathfinder Club is found.  The school had grown to 13 students in the lower grades and 16 as upper classmen.  This included several students from the community.

In the early 1960’s (with school tuition only $18 per month) fund raising began for a new church building.  This was accomplished on May 30, 1970, when the Auditorium/Gym on M Street (near Loughborough Drive) was used for the first time for a worship service.

Enrollment continued to fluctuate for Merced’s school in the 1970’s.A high of 43 took place in 1971, but by 1975, enrollment had dropped to 27.  In 1980, the school was closed.
 
In 1981, after many attempts to sell the M Street property, through the providence of God, the Auditorium/Gym and the six and one-half acres of land that remained was sold to a business developer for $1,085,000 cash.  With these funds, our current Sanctuary/Sabbath School complex and our School complex were constructed.  “Ground Breaking” was held on Sabbath afternoon, May 8, 1982, with a Land Dedication Service instead of the usual shovels and turning of dirt.

Construction began in June.  Our school opened in September, 1982, with 35 students and three teachers, under the name “Christian Cooperative Educational Center – A Seventh-day Adventist School.”  In the early 1990’s, the schools’ name was changed to “Olive East Christian School.”  Then, in 1998, the schools’ name was changed again, this time to “Merced Adventist School.”

The first service held in the Olive Avenue complex was on November 2, 1982, in celebration of the Adventist Church's 75th anniversary in Merced.  Though the building was incomplete and it was cold outside (and inside) it was filled with Christian warmth. The  first worship service was held on December 11, 1982.

Come and visit us soon.

        God bless.