Southern Illinois District (LCMS)
Encyclopedia
The Southern Illinois District is one of the 35 districts
of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
(LCMS), and covers the southern third of the state of Illinois
; the rest of the state is divided between the Northern Illinois District
and the Central Illinois District
.http://www.lcmsdistricts.org/ In addition, one congregation in Granite City
is in the non-geographic SELC District
. The Southern Illinois District includes 96 congregations http://sidlcms.org/Congregations.aspx and 1 mission start http://www.faithlcmssaline.org/, subdivided into 11 circuits
, as well as 14 preschools, 22 elementary schools
and 3 high schools.http://sidlcms.org/Documents/SchoolStats%2009-10.pdf Baptized
membership in district congregations is 43,046.http://sidlcms.org/congbycommun.aspx District pastors and lay members are involved in ministry in 27 prisons and jails located in the District. The District also carries out campus ministry at two colleges and supports an elementary school in East St. Louis.http://sidlcms.org/SIDMissions.aspx
The Southern Illinois District was formed in 1907 when the Illinois District was divided. District offices are located in Belleville, Illinois
. The Rev. Timothy J. Scharr became the district president in 2010 upon the election of the Rev. Herbert C. Mueller, Jr. as the First Vice President of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. 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 February 19-21, 2009, and the next will be held in February 16-18, 2012 in O'Fallon, IL.
Neunaber was one of several district presidents who were warned of removal from office in 1975 by Synod President J. A. O. Preus
for non-compliance with synodical directives on the ordination and placement of improperly endorsed ministerial candidates from Seminex
, although Preus opted to only admonish Neunaber http://www.time.com/time/magazine/printout/0,8816,947619,00.html. He later became bishop of the Great Rivers Synod of the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches
(AELC) from 1976-79.
Districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod is organized into 35 districts, 33 of which are defined along geographic lines. Each district has a president who oversees the congregations in his district, which are further subdivided into local circuits...
of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 2.3 million members, it is both the eighth largest Protestant denomination and the second-largest Lutheran body in the U.S. after the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Synod...
(LCMS), and covers the southern third of the state of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
; the rest of the state is divided between the Northern Illinois District
Northern Illinois District (LCMS)
The Northern Illinois District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod , and covers the northern third of the state of Illinois, including the Chicago metropolitan area; the rest of the state is divided between the Central Illinois District and the Southern Illinois...
and the Central Illinois District
Central Illinois District (LCMS)
The Central Illinois District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod , and covers the middle third of the state of Illinois; the rest of the state is divided between the Northern Illinois District and the Southern Illinois District...
.http://www.lcmsdistricts.org/ In addition, one congregation in Granite City
Granite City, Illinois
Granite City is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States, part of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area. At the 2010 census, the population was 29,849, making it the third largest city in the Metro-East and Southern Illinois, behind Alton and Belleville...
is in the non-geographic SELC District
SELC District (LCMS)
The SELC District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod . It is one of the Synod's two non-geographical districts, along with the English District, and has its origins in the congregations of the former Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church, which merged with the LCMS in...
. The Southern Illinois District includes 96 congregations http://sidlcms.org/Congregations.aspx and 1 mission start http://www.faithlcmssaline.org/, subdivided into 11 circuits
Circuit (LCMS)
A circuit, in the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod , is a local grouping of congregations within one of the Synod's 35 districts. Circuits typically include 8 to 12 congregations...
, as well as 14 preschools, 22 elementary schools
Lutheran school
Lutheran schools and education were a priority for Lutherans who emigrated to the United States and Australia from Germany and Scandinavia. One of the first things they did was to create schools for their children. This strong educational tradition was handed down from Martin Luther himself. The...
and 3 high schools.http://sidlcms.org/Documents/SchoolStats%2009-10.pdf Baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
membership in district congregations is 43,046.http://sidlcms.org/congbycommun.aspx District pastors and lay members are involved in ministry in 27 prisons and jails located in the District. The District also carries out campus ministry at two colleges and supports an elementary school in East St. Louis.http://sidlcms.org/SIDMissions.aspx
The Southern Illinois District was formed in 1907 when the Illinois District was divided. District offices are located in Belleville, Illinois
Belleville, Illinois
Belleville is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city has a population of 44,478. It is the eighth-most populated city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area and the most populated city south of Springfield in the state of Illinois. It is the county...
. The Rev. Timothy J. Scharr became the district president in 2010 upon the election of the Rev. Herbert C. Mueller, Jr. as the First Vice President of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. 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 February 19-21, 2009, and the next will be held in February 16-18, 2012 in O'Fallon, IL.
Presidents
- Rev. Fred William Brockmann, 1907–09
- Rev. Ulfert Iben, 1909–12
- Rev. Johannes Gottlieb Frederick Kleinhans, 1912–33
- Rev. C. Thomas Spitz, Sr., 1933–45
- Rev. Erhard H. Bohrer, 1945–46
- Rev. Paul Juergensen, 1946–47
- Rev. Harry C. Welp, 1947–57
- Rev. Walter William Adolf Raedeke, 1957–58
- Rev. W. Theophil Janzow, 1958–59
- Rev. Alfred Buls, 1959–67
- Rev. Herman F. Neunaber, 1967–76
- Rev. Alvin V. Kollmann, 1976-94
- Rev. Herbert C. Mueller, Jr., 1994-2010
- Rev. Timothy J. Scharr, 2010-present
Neunaber was one of several district presidents who were warned of removal from office in 1975 by Synod President J. A. O. Preus
J. A. O. Preus II
Jacob Aall Ottesen Preus II was a Lutheran pastor, professor, author, and church president. He served as the president of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod from 1969-1981. He was a major figure in the Seminex affair which resulted in a schism in the Missouri Synod.Preus attended Luther Seminary...
for non-compliance with synodical directives on the ordination and placement of improperly endorsed ministerial candidates from Seminex
Seminex
Seminex is the widely used abbreviation for Concordia Seminary in Exile . An institution for the training of Lutheran ministers, Seminex existed from 1974 to 1987. It was formed after a walk-out by dissident faculty and students of Concordia Seminary in St...
, although Preus opted to only admonish Neunaber http://www.time.com/time/magazine/printout/0,8816,947619,00.html. He later became bishop of the Great Rivers Synod of the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches
Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches
The Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches was a U.S. church body that existed from 1976 through the end of 1987. The AELC formed when approximately 250 dissident congregations withdrew from the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod in 1976, and ended as an independent body when it became part...
(AELC) from 1976-79.
Oldest congregations
- 1841 - Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Sugar Loaf Township, Illinois
- 1841 - Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Wartburg, IllinoisWartburg, IllinoisWartburg, Illinois is a small unincorporated community in the historic New Design Precinct of Monroe County, Illinois, United States. Wartburg lies along the road from Waterloo to Mayestown, and Camp Wartburg, a Lutheran youth retreat, is nearby.-History:...
- 1841 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Columbia, IllinoisColumbia, IllinoisColumbia is a city in Monroe and St. Clair County in the U.S. state of Illinois, about south of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 7,922 at the 2000 census.-History:...
- 1842 - Saint Salvator Lutheran Church, Venedy, IllinoisVenedy, IllinoisVenedy is a village in Washington County, Illinois, United States. The population was 138 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Venedy is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of...
- 1842 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Red Bud, IllinoisRed Bud, IllinoisRed Bud is a city in Randolph County, Illinois. The population was 3,422 at the 2000 census.It is the home of the of Southwestern Illinois College.-Geography:Red Bud is located at ....
- 1846 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Maryville, IllinoisMaryville, IllinoisMaryville is a village in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,651 at the 2000 census. The population grew to 5,899 in 2004, according to a special census.-Geography:Maryville is located at ....
- 1846 - Saint John Lutheran Church, New Minden, IllinoisNew Minden, IllinoisNew Minden is a village in Washington County, Illinois, United States. The population was 215 at the 2010 census. It possessed a post office from 1868 to 1976.-Geography:New Minden is located at ....
- 1846 - Zion Lutheran Church, Staunton, IllinoisStaunton, IllinoisStaunton is a city in Macoupin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,030 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Staunton is located at ....
- 1848 - Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Collinsville, IllinoisCollinsville, IllinoisCollinsville is a city located mainly in Madison County, and partially in St. Clair County, both in Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 26,016. Collinsville is approximately 12 miles from St. Louis, Missouri and is considered part of that city's Metro-East area...
- 1848 - Saint John Lutheran Church, EvansvilleEvansville, IllinoisEvansville is a village in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. The population was 724 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Evansville is located at ....
/Ruma, IllinoisRuma, IllinoisRuma is a village in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. The population was 260 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ruma is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land.... - 1849 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Chester, IllinoisChester, IllinoisChester is a city located on the bluffs of the Mississippi River Valley in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,400 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Randolph County and is located south of St. Louis, Missouri.-History:...
- 1849 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Millstadt, IllinoisMillstadt, IllinoisMillstadt is a suburb of St. Louis and a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, at the crossing of Illinois Route 163 and Illinois Route 158 . The village is known for its German heritage, with more than half its people of German descent...
Largest congregations
- Membership totals are c. 2009.http://sidlcms.org/congbycommun.aspx
- 2397 - Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Collinsville, IllinoisCollinsville, IllinoisCollinsville is a city located mainly in Madison County, and partially in St. Clair County, both in Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 26,016. Collinsville is approximately 12 miles from St. Louis, Missouri and is considered part of that city's Metro-East area...
- 1999 - Zion Lutheran Church, Belleville, IllinoisBelleville, IllinoisBelleville is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city has a population of 44,478. It is the eighth-most populated city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area and the most populated city south of Springfield in the state of Illinois. It is the county...
- 1798 - Zion Lutheran Church, Bethalto, IllinoisBethalto, IllinoisBethalto is a village located in Madison County, Illinois, USA. Bethalto, like the rest of Madison County, is part of the Illinois Metro-East portion of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area...
- 1717 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Edwardsville, IllinoisEdwardsville, IllinoisEdwardsville is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 24,293. It is the county seat of Madison County and is the third oldest city in the State of Illinois. The city was named in honor of Ninian Edwards, then Governor of the Illinois...
- 1678 - Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Collinsville, IllinoisCollinsville, IllinoisCollinsville is a city located mainly in Madison County, and partially in St. Clair County, both in Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 26,016. Collinsville is approximately 12 miles from St. Louis, Missouri and is considered part of that city's Metro-East area...
- 1427 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Centralia, IllinoisCentralia, IllinoisCentralia is a town located in Marion, Washington, Clinton, and Jefferson Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 13,032 at the 2010 census. The town was founded because it was the point where the two original branches of the Illinois Central Railroad, built in 1853, converged....
- 1295 - Zion Lutheran Church, Staunton, IllinoisStaunton, IllinoisStaunton is a city in Macoupin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,030 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Staunton is located at ....
- 1247 - Saint John's Lutheran Church, Red Bud, IllinoisRed Bud, IllinoisRed Bud is a city in Randolph County, Illinois. The population was 3,422 at the 2000 census.It is the home of the of Southwestern Illinois College.-Geography:Red Bud is located at ....
- 1173 - Saint Mark Lutheran Church, Steeleville, IllinoisSteeleville, IllinoisSteeleville is a village in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,077 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , of which, of it is land and 0.76% is water...
- 1166 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Chester, IllinoisChester, IllinoisChester is a city located on the bluffs of the Mississippi River Valley in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,400 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Randolph County and is located south of St. Louis, Missouri.-History:...
- 2397 - Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Collinsville, Illinois