Uniquely traditional. Intentionally affordable. Distinctly Christian.
Meet Our Team
The staff of Pilgrim Christian School is composed of qualified individuals who believe in the mission of the school and who are committed to the cause of educating children and young people in a Christian worldview. Each staff member feels that their position is much more than a job. They are divinely tasked with helping mold the lives of God's most prized creation. Each student is more than a face and a name at PCS, and each student receives the care and support he or she needs from a caring staff member who is deeply invested in their academic and spiritual success.
Mrs. Stephanie Burley
Principal
Upper Learning Center Supervisor
Mrs. Burley was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, but within just a few months, she and her parents moved to Lima. Pilgrim Christian School opened its doors as Mrs. Burley was heading into second grade. She was privileged to attend PCS from grades 2-12, and graduated in 1994. Mrs. Burley attended God's Bible School and College and graduated with a B.A. in Christian Teacher Education in 1998. She was employed by PCS in May of 1998, just following college graduation. Since that time, she has served as Upper Learning Center Supervisor,
Learning to Read Supervisor, and most recently as Principal and Upper Learning Center Supervisor. Mrs. Burley holds a graduate degree from Liberty University. She and her husband have four children, three of which are PCS graduates.
Rev. Donald Nichols
Founder & Pastor/Administrator
Pastor Nichols grew up in the plains of south central Illinois. He felt the call to ministry at a very young age. After giving his life to Christ, he accepted the call and left his home state to enter Bible college in Cincinnati, Ohio.
In 1977, Pastor Nichols, along with his wife and young daughter, moved to Lima, Ohio to pastor the Pilgrim Holiness Church. In 1983, Pastor Nichols and his wife led the church in fulfilling the vision of opening a church school. Since that time, Pastor Nichols has filled a variety of roles within the school, and currently serves as Pastor/Administrator. Pastor Nichols has three married children, eleven grandchildren, and one very spoiled Cocker Spaniel. He and his wife, Ruth, enjoy spending their time leading the Lima Pilgrim Holiness Church, as well as serving as Conference President of the Pilgrim Holiness Church, a group of approximately 35 churches in the midwest and Carribean. Pastor Nichols holds an undergraduate degree from God's Bible School & College, and a graduate degree from Indiana Wesleyan University.
Mr. Evan Burley
Middle Learning Center Supervisor
(Levels 4-6)
Mr. Evan Burley was born and raised in Lima, Ohio. He attended Pilgrim Christian School from Kindergarten through 12th level, and attended Pilgrim Holiness Church with his parents all through his growing up years. Mr. Burley graduated from Pilgrim Christian School in 2019, and enrolled at Hobe Sound Bible College in Hobe Sound, Florida to pursue his bachelor's degree. During Mr. Burley's time in college, he traveled for two years with Legacy Quartet as part of the school's public relations department. During his senior year, he served as a resident assistant in the men's residence hall, and traveled with Covenant Quartet. In May of 2023, Mr. Burley graduated from Hobe Sound Bible College with the degree Bachelor of Arts in Ministerial Studies.
Mrs. Brenda Hunter
Preschool and Learning to Read Supervisor
Mrs. Hunter was born and raised in Bluffton, Ohio. She enrolled in Pilgrim Christian School at its opening in 1983, and graduated in 1989. Mrs. Hunter served as a nurse aide for several years before marrying her high school sweetheart. The next few years, Mrs. Hunter spent her days in the home caring for her children. In 2010, she returned to PCS as a Supervisor's Assistant in the Learning to Read Classroom. In 2017, Mrs. Hunter graduated from God's Bible School and College, and since that time she has served as the Learning to Read Supervisor. Mrs. Hunter and her husband have four children (three of which are PCS grads), a daughter-in-law, and one grandson. Mrs. Hunter resides in Lima.
