Southeastern District (LCMS)

The Southeastern District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS). It encompasses Washington, D.C. and the states of Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, as well as York and Lancaster Counties in Pennsylvania, and Maryland with the exception of Garrett County at its western end. Garrett County and the rest of Pennsylvania are part of the Eastern District; also, one Virginia is in the non-geographic English District, and two of the state's congregations are in the SELC District. The Southeastern District includes approximately 205 congregations and missions, subdivided into 19 circuits, as well as 59 preschools, 29 elementary schools and 2 high schools. Baptized membership in district congregations is over 70,000.

The Southeastern District was formed in 1939 out of the Eastern District, and also incorporated a number of congregations which had previously been in the English District – including those in the Carolinas and part of Georgia; the Georgia areas were separated into the Florida-Georgia District in 1948. District offices are located in Alexandria, Virginia; the Rev. Dr. Jon Diefenthaler has been the district president since 2003, and was reelected to a second term in 2006. [ [http://www.lcms.org/pages/rpage.asp?NavID=9992 The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod - Southeastern re-elects Diefenthaler] ] Delegates from each congregation meet in convention every three years to elect the district president, vice presidents, circuit counselors, a board of directors, and other officers; the last convention was held on May 5-7, 2006, and the next will be held in 2009.

Presidents

*Rev. J. George Spilman, 1939–45
*Rev. Oscar Adelbert Saner, 1945–48
*Rev. Rudolph Stang Ressmeyer, 1948–54
*Rev. William H. Kohn, 1954–59
*Rev. Leslie F. Frerking, 1959–63
*Rev. William H. Kohn, 1963–67
*Rev. Martin C. Poch, 1967–70
*Rev. Charles S. Mueller, 1970–78
*Rev. Richard T. Hinz, 1978-94
*Rev. Roy A. Maack, 1994-97
*Rev. Arthur W. Scherer, 1997-2003
*Rev. Jon T. Diefenthaler, 2003-present

Oldest congregations

*1772 - Bethany-Trinity Lutheran Church, Waynesboro, Virginia
*1798 - Saint John's Lutheran Church, Conover, North Carolina
*1825 - Saint Peter Lutheran Church, Conover, North Carolina
*1849 - St. John's Lutheran Church of Blenheim, Glen Arm, Maryland
*1850 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Kingsville, Maryland
*1852 - Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Richmond, Virginia
*1853 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Cumberland, Maryland
*1854 - Salem Lutheran Church, Taylorsville, North Carolina
*1862 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Columbia, Pennsylvania
*1864 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Ramblewood, Baltimore, Maryland
*1866 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Catonsville, Maryland
*1867 - Martini Lutheran Church, Federal Hill, Baltimore, Maryland
*1869 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Charlottesville, Virginia
*1870 - Bethel Lutheran Church, Claremont, North Carolina
*1870 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Alexandria, Virginia
*1874 - First St. John Lutheran Church, York, Pennsylvania
*1874 - Saint John Lutheran Church, York, Pennsylvania
*1878 - Concordia Lutheran Church, Conover, North Carolina
*1883 - Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Meherrin, Virginia
*1887 - Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Cedonia, Baltimore, Maryland
*1888 - Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Catonsville, Maryland
*1889 - Saint Thomas Lutheran Church, Pratt Monroe, Baltimore, Maryland

Oldest in Delaware: Saint John Lutheran Church, Dover, Delaware, 1923
Oldest in South Carolina: Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Columbia, South Carolina, 1930
Oldest in Washington, D.C.: Mount Olivet Lutheran Church, Logan Circle, Washington, D.C., 1933

Largest congregations

:"Membership totals are c. 2006."
*2042 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Glen Burnie, Maryland
*1933 - Saint Stephen's Lutheran Church, Hickory, North Carolina
*1728 - Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Springfield, Virginia
*1658 - Resurrection Lutheran Church, Cary, North Carolina
*1454 - Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Bel Air, Maryland
*1397 - Lutheran Church of St. Andrew, Silver Spring, Maryland
*1160 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Richmond, Virginia
*1098 - St. John's Lutheran Church, Alexandria, Virginia
*1070 - Concordia Lutheran Church, Conover, North Carolina
*1070 - Resurrection Lutheran Church, Charlotte, North Carolina
*981 - Bethel Lutheran Church, Claremont, North Carolina
*966 - Saint Peter Lutheran Church, Conover, North Carolina
*930 - Hope Lutheran Church, Virginia Beach, Virginia
*919 - Redeemer Lutheran Church, Richmond, Virginia
*893 - Hope Lutheran Church, Wake Forest, North Carolina
*880 - Holy Nativity Lutheran Church, Arbutus, Maryland
*862 - Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Reston, Virginia
*830 - Saint John's Lutheran Church, Conover, North Carolina
*798 - Grace Lutheran Church, La Plata, Maryland
*789 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Kingsville, Maryland
*787 - Saint John Lutheran Church, York, Pennsylvania
*784 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
*760 - Redeemer Lutheran Church, Fredericksburg, Virginia

Largest in Washington, D.C.: Peace Lutheran Church, Marshall Heights, Washington, D.C., 678
Largest in Delaware: Saint John Lutheran Church, Dover, Delaware, 659
Largest in South Carolina: Calvary Lutheran Church, Charleston, South Carolina, 575

Congregations and missions

:"Congregations established prior to 1930, or having 600 or more members, are noted (membership figures are c. 2006); in the absence of one or both of these within a circuit, the oldest and/or largest congregation is noted."

Circuit 1 (Delmarva)
*Bethany Lutheran Church, Salisbury, Maryland
*Christ Lutheran Church, Seaford, Delaware
*Concordia Lutheran Church, Wilmington, Delaware
*Faith Lutheran Church, Bear, Delaware
*Galilee Lutheran Church, Chester, Maryland
*Immanuel Lutheran Church, Easton, Maryland - est. 1928
*Immanuel Lutheran Church, Preston, Maryland - est. 1896
*Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Newark, Delaware
*Our Savior Lutheran Church, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
*Our Shepherd Lutheran Church, Cambridge, Maryland
*Peace Lutheran Church, Smyrna, Delaware
*Saint John Lutheran Church, Dover, Delaware - est. 1923; 659 members
*Saint Paul on the Shore Lutheran Church, Hallwood, Virginia
*Trinity Lutheran Church, Chestertown, Maryland - est. 1929

Circuit 2 (Baltimore, North)
*Advent Lutheran Church, Forest Hill, Maryland
*First Lutheran Church, Towson, Maryland
*First St. John Lutheran Church, York, Pennsylvania - est. 1874
*Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, York, Pennsylvania - est. 1922
*Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Towson, Maryland
*Redeemer Lutheran Church, Parkton, Maryland
*St. John's Lutheran Church of Blenheim, Glen Arm, Maryland - est. 1849
*Saint John Lutheran Church, York, Pennsylvania - est. 1874; 787 members
*Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Bel Air, Maryland - 1454 members
*Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Kingsville, Maryland - est. 1850; 789 members
*Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Columbia, Pennsylvania - est. 1862

Circuit 3 (Baltimore, East)
*Berea Lutheran Church, Belair-Edison, Baltimore, Maryland
*Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Cedonia, Baltimore, Maryland - est. 1887
*Calvary Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Baltimore, Maryland - est. 1915; 718 members
*Christ Lutheran Church, Dundalk, Maryland - est. 1904
*Faith Lutheran Church, Middle River, Maryland
*Immanuel Lutheran Church, Ramblewood, Baltimore, Maryland - est. 1864
*Living Water Lutheran Church, Rosedale, Maryland
*Martini Lutheran Church, Federal Hill, Baltimore, Maryland - est. 1867
*Nazareth Lutheran Church, Brewer's Hill, Baltimore, Maryland - est. 1905
*Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Coldstream-Homestead-Montebello, Baltimore, Maryland - est. 1892
*Saint James of Overlea Lutheran Church, Overlea, Maryland - est. 1906
*Saint Mark Deaf Lutheran Church, Towson, Maryland

Circuit 4 (Baltimore, South)
*First Lutheran Church, Bowie, Maryland - est. 1910
*First Lutheran Church, Odenton, Maryland
*Galilee Lutheran Church, Pasadena, Maryland
*Resurrection Lutheran Church, Brooklyn Park, Maryland
*Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Annapolis, Maryland
*Saint Paul's Lutheran Church, Gambrills, Maryland
*Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Glen Burnie, Maryland - est. 1908; 2042 members
*Trinity Lutheran Church, Bowie, Maryland

Circuit 5 (Baltimore, West)
*Bethany Lutheran Church, Violetville, Baltimore, Maryland - est. 1898
*Christ the King Lutheran Church, Owings Mills, Maryland
*Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Catonsville, Maryland - est. 1888; 728 members
*Faith Lutheran Church, Eldersburg, Maryland
*Holy Nativity Lutheran Church, Arbutus, Maryland - est. 1927; 880 members
*Our Shepherd Lutheran Church, Columbia, Maryland
*Pilgrim Lutheran Church, Lochearn, Maryland - est. 1924
*Redeemer Lutheran Church, Irvington, Baltimore, Maryland - est. 1898
*Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Catonsville, Maryland - est. 1866
*Saint Thomas Lutheran Church, Pratt Monroe, Baltimore, Maryland - est. 1889

Circuit 6 (Washington, North)
*Calvary Lutheran Church, Silver Spring, Maryland
*Christ Deaf Lutheran Church, Silver Spring, Maryland
*Concordia Lutheran Church, Hagerstown, Maryland
*Lutheran Church of St. Andrew, Silver Spring, Maryland - 1397 members
*Lutheran Church of the Cross, Rockville, Maryland
*Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Olney, Maryland
*Messiah Lutheran Church, Germantown, Maryland
*Peace in Christ Lutheran Church, Walkersville, Maryland
*Pilgrim Lutheran Church, Bethesda, Maryland
*Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Hancock, Maryland - est. 1909
*Trinity Lutheran Church, Cumberland, Maryland - est. 1853

Circuit 7 (Washington, East)
*Ascension Lutheran Church, Landover Hills, Maryland
*Christos Senor de Vida Lutheran Mission, Hyattsville, Maryland
*Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Greenbelt, Maryland
*Mount Olivet Lutheran Church, Logan Circle, Washington, D.C. - est. 1933 (oldest in Washington, D.C.)
*Our Savior Lutheran Church, Laurel, Maryland
*Peace Lutheran Church, Marshall Heights, Washington, D.C. - 678 members
*Redeemer Lutheran Church, Hyattsville, Maryland
*Trinity Lutheran Church, Mount Rainier, Maryland - est. 1931

Circuit 8 (Washington, South)
*Concordia Lutheran Church, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
*First Lutheran Church, Sunderland, Maryland - 633 members
*Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Callao, Virginia
*Grace Lutheran Church, La Plata, Maryland - 798 members
*Lutheran Church of Our Savior, Bryans Road, Maryland - est. 1911
*Oxon Hill Lutheran Church, Temple Hills, Maryland
*Peace Lutheran Church, King George, Virginia
*Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Charlotte Hall, Maryland - est. 1909
*Trinity Lutheran Church, Lexington Park, Maryland

Circuit 9A (Northern Virginia East)
*Bethany Lutheran Church, Alexandria, Virginia
*Immanuel Lutheran Church, Alexandria, Virginia - est. 1870
*Our Savior Lutheran Church, Arlington, Virginia
*Our Savior Lutheran Church, Winchester, Virginia
*Redeemer Lutheran Church, Fredericksburg, Virginia - 760 members
*St. John's Lutheran Church, Alexandria, Virginia - 1098 members
*Saint Paul's Lutheran Church, Falls Church, Virginia - 637 members

Circuit 9B (Northern Virginia West)
*Christ Community Lutheran Church, Leesburg, Virginia
*Concordia Lutheran Church, Triangle, Virginia - est. 1959
*Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Reston, Virginia - 862 members
*Grace Lutheran Church, Woodbridge, Virginia
*Grace Ethiopian Lutheran Fellowship, Springfield, Virginia
*Hope Lutheran Church, Manassas, Virginia
*Living Hope Lutheran Church, Stafford, Virginia
*Living Savior Lutheran Church, Fairfax Station, Virginia
*Our Savior's Way Lutheran Church, Ashburn, Virginia
*Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Springfield, Virginia - 1728 members

Circuit 10 (Richmond)
*Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Richmond, Virginia - est. 1852; 629 members
*Grace Lutheran Church, Chester, Virginia
*Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Ashland, Virginia
*Nazareth Lutheran Church, Hopewell, Virginia - est. 1928
*New Hope Lutheran Church, Chesterfield, Virginia
*Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Rockville, Virginia
*Redeemer Lutheran Church, Richmond, Virginia - 919 members
*Resurrection Lutheran Church, Richmond, Virginia
*Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Mechanicsville, Virginia
*Trinity Lutheran Church, Richmond, Virginia - 1160 members

Circuit 11 (Blue Ridge)
*Bethany-Trinity Lutheran Church, Waynesboro, Virginia - est. 1772; 356 members
*Christ the King Lutheran Church, Danville, Virginia
*Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Roanoke, Virginia
*Immanuel Lutheran Church, Charlottesville, Virginia - est. 1869
*Our Savior Lutheran Church, Lynchburg, Virginia
*Saint John's Lutheran Church, Farmville, Virginia - est. 1904
*Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Meherrin, Virginia - est. 1883
*Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Amelia, Virginia - est. 1910
*Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Meherrin, Virginia - est. 1894

Circuit 12 (Tidewater)
*Chesapeake Lutheran Community of Hope, Chesapeake, Virginia
*Christ Lutheran Church, Norfolk, Virginia
*Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Hampton, Virginia
*Grace by the Sea Lutheran Church, Nags Head, North Carolina
*Hope Lutheran Church, Virginia Beach, Virginia - 930 members
*King of Glory Lutheran Church, Williamsburg, Virginia - 661 members
*Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Virginia Beach, Virginia
*Redeemer Lutheran Church, Portsmouth, Virginia
*Resurrection Lutheran Church, Newport News, Virginia
*Trinity Lutheran Church, Norfolk, Virginia - est. 1920
*Unity Lutheran Church, Norfolk, Virginia

Circuit 13E
*Calvary Lutheran Church, Jacksonville, North Carolina
*Faith Lutheran Church, Kinston, North Carolina
*Greenville North Carolina Lutheran Mission, Greenville, North Carolina
*Messiah Lutheran Church, Wilmington, North Carolina
*Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Fayetteville, North Carolina - 271 members
*Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Wilson, North Carolina
*Peace Lutheran Church, Goldsboro, North Carolina
*Saint James Lutheran Church, Southern Pines, North Carolina - est. 1898
*Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Havelock, North Carolina
*Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Pinehurst, North Carolina

Circuit 13W
*Advent Lutheran Church, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
*Grace Lutheran Church, Durham, North Carolina
*Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Clayton, North Carolina
*Hope Lutheran Church, Wake Forest, North Carolina - 893 members
*Our Savior Lutheran Church, Raleigh, North Carolina
*Resurrection Lutheran Church, Cary, North Carolina - 1658 members
*Saint Paul's Lutheran Church, Ridgeway, North Carolina - est. 1898

Circuit 14 (Piedmont)
*Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, Greensboro, North Carolina
*Ebenezer Lutheran Church, Greensboro, North Carolina - est. 1909
*Fountain of Life Lutheran Church, Kernersville, North Carolina
*Grace Lutheran Church, Greensboro, North Carolina - est. 1897
*Grace Lutheran Church, High Point, North Carolina
*Redeemer Lutheran Church, Burlington, North Carolina
*Saint John Lutheran Church, Winston-Salem, North Carolina - est. 1924; 784 members
*Saint Luke Lutheran Church, High Point, North Carolina - est. 1908
*Saint Mark Lutheran Church, Winston-Salem, North Carolina - est. 1921

Circuit 15 (Mecklenburg)
*Abundant Life Lutheran Church, Charlotte, North Carolina
*All Saints Lutheran Church, Charlotte, North Carolina
*Ascension Lutheran Church, Charlotte, North Carolina
*Chapel for the Deaf Lutheran Church, Charlotte, North Carolina
*Crown in Glory Lutheran Church, Salisbury, North Carolina - est. 1899
*Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Rock Hill, South Carolina
*Grace Lutheran Church, Concord, North Carolina - est. 1891
*Lake Norman Lutheran Church, Denver, North Carolina
*Messiah Lutheran Church, Charlotte, North Carolina
*Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, Kannapolis, North Carolina - est. 1898
*Point of Grace Lutheran Mission, Huntersville, North Carolina
*Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Charlotte, North Carolina
*Resurrection Lutheran Church, Charlotte, North Carolina - 1070 members
*Saint Peter Lutheran Church, Concord, North Carolina - est. 1895

Circuit 16 (Catawba)
*Bethel Lutheran Church, Claremont, North Carolina - est. 1870; 981 members
*Concordia Lutheran Church, Conover, North Carolina - est. 1878; 1070 members
*Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Newton, North Carolina
*Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Statesville, North Carolina - est. 1929
*Immanuel Lutheran Church, Conover, North Carolina - est. 1894
*Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Newton, North Carolina - est. 1895
*Redeemer Lutheran Church, Catawba, North Carolina - est. 1916
*Saint John's Lutheran Church, Conover, North Carolina - est. 1798; 830 members

Circuit 17 (North Carolina, Western)
*Augustana Lutheran Church, Hickory, North Carolina - est. 1905
*Christ Lutheran Church, Hickory, North Carolina - est. 1900
*Mountainside Lutheran Church, Linville, North Carolina
*Our Savior Lutheran Church, Hickory, North Carolina
*Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Marion, North Carolina
*Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Taylorsville, North Carolina - est. 1892
*Saint Peter Lutheran Church, Conover, North Carolina - est. 1825; 966 members
*Saint Stephen's Lutheran Church, Hickory, North Carolina - est. 1898; 1933 members
*Salem Lutheran Church, Taylorsville, North Carolina - est. 1854

Circuit 18 (South Carolina)
*Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Aiken, South Carolina
*Calvary Lutheran Church, Charleston, South Carolina - 575 members
*Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Charleston, South Carolina
*Grace Lutheran Church, Summerville, South Carolina
*Holy Lamb Lutheran Church, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
*Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Columbia, South Carolina
*Incarnate Word Lutheran Church, Florence, South Carolina
*Island Lutheran Church, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
*Lamb of God Lutheran Church, Spartanburg, South Carolina
*Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Greenville, South Carolina
*Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Columbia, South Carolina - est. 1930
*Risen Christ Lutheran Church, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Circuit 19 (Carolina Mountain)
*Abiding Savior Lutheran Church, Anderson, South Carolina
*Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Asheville, North Carolina - est. 1904; 593 members
*Eternal Shepherd Lutheran Church, Seneca, South Carolina
*Greenwood Lutheran Church, Greenwood, South Carolina
*Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Bristol, Virginia
*Immanuel Lutheran Church, Simpsonville, South Carolina
*Mount Pisgah Lutheran Church, Hendersonville, North Carolina
*Our Savior Lutheran Church, Clyde, North Carolina
*Peace Lutheran Church, Franklin, North Carolina
*Resurrection Lutheran Church, Franklin, North Carolina
*Trinity Lutheran Church, Tryon, North Carolina

External links

* [http://www.se.lcms.org/ Southeastern District web site]
* [http://www.lcmsdistricts.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=6812 LCMS: Southeastern District]