Texas District (LCMS)
Encyclopedia
The Texas District is one of the 35 districts
of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
(LCMS), and comprises the state of Texas
with the exception of El Paso County, which is in the Rocky Mountain District
. The Texas District includes approximately 360 and missions (second to only the Michigan District
), subdivided into 39 circuits
, as well as 73 preschools
, 41 elementary schools
and 10 high schools
. Baptized
membership in district congregations is approximately 133,000.http://lcms.org/page.aspx?pid=456&reid=1ycq%2bpmLnZI8pSRl5N5tmw%3d%3d&bbsys=0&bbrt=0
The Texas District was formed in 1906 out of the Southern District
, and at one time included congregations in southern New Mexico
, but these were transferred to the Colorado District (since renamed the Rocky Mountain District) in 1941-42. District offices are located in Austin, Texas
; the Rev. Kenneth Hennings has been the district president since September 2006. 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 June 25–28, 2009, and the next convention will be held June 21- 23, 2012 in Lubbock, TX.
Concordia University Texas, part of the LCMS' Concordia University System
, is located in Austin.
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 comprises the state of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
with the exception of El Paso County, which is in the Rocky Mountain District
Rocky Mountain District (LCMS)
The Rocky Mountain District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod . It encompasses the states of Colorado, New Mexico and Utah, as well as El Paso County, Texas; the rest of Texas constitutes the Texas District, and one Colorado congregation is in the Wyoming District...
. The Texas District includes approximately 360 and missions (second to only the Michigan District
Michigan District (LCMS)
The Michigan District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod , and comprises the U.S. state of Michigan with the exception of the western half of the Upper Peninsula, which is in the North Wisconsin District. In addition, eighteen Michigan congregations are in the...
), subdivided into 39 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 73 preschools
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...
, 41 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 10 high 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...
. 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 approximately 133,000.http://lcms.org/page.aspx?pid=456&reid=1ycq%2bpmLnZI8pSRl5N5tmw%3d%3d&bbsys=0&bbrt=0
The Texas District was formed in 1906 out of the Southern District
Southern District (LCMS)
The Southern District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod , and encompasses the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, as well as the Florida Panhandle; the Florida peninsula is part of the Florida-Georgia District...
, and at one time included congregations in southern New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, but these were transferred to the Colorado District (since renamed the Rocky Mountain District) in 1941-42. District offices are located in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
; the Rev. Kenneth Hennings has been the district president since September 2006. 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 June 25–28, 2009, and the next convention will be held June 21- 23, 2012 in Lubbock, TX.
Concordia University Texas, part of the LCMS' Concordia University System
Concordia University System
The Concordia University System is an organization of ten colleges and universities throughout the United States operated by the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod . All ten institutions are named "Concordia" and all include professional church work programs as part of their curricula. The CUS was...
, is located in Austin.
Presidents
- Rev. Adolf W. Kramer, 1906–09
- Rev. Charles A. Waech, 1909–12
- Rev. Gotthilf Heinrich Wilhelm Birkmann, 1912–20
- Rev. Henry Peter Studtmann, 1920–26
- Rev. John W. BehnkenJohn William BehnkenJohn William Behnken was president of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod from 1935 to 1962. He previously served as president of the Synod's Texas District from 1926 to 1929.-External links:*...
, 1926–29 - Rev. Constantin Martin Beyer, 1929–42
- Rev. Edwin A. Heckmann, 1942–48
- Rev. Oliver R. HarmsOliver Raymond HarmsOliver Raymond Harms was President of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod from 1962 to 1969....
, 1948–50 - Rev. Roland P. Wiederaenders, 1950–59
- Rev. Albert F. Jesse, 1959–63
- Rev. Carl A. Heckmann, 1963–78
- Rev. Glenn R. O'Shoney, 1978–89
- Rev. Louis L. Pabor, 1989–91
- Rev. Gerald B. KieschnickGerald B. KieschnickGerald Bryan Kieschnick was the 12th president of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. He served 3 terms starting in 2001, re-elected in 2004, and again in 2007. He was defeated in his bid for a fourth term by the Rev. Matthew C...
, 1991–2001 - Rev. James R. Linderman, 2001–06
- Rev. Kenneth M. Hennings, 2006–present
Oldest congregations
- 1852 - Salem Lutheran Church, Tomball, TexasTomball, TexasTomball is a city in Harris county in the U.S. state of Texas, a part of the Houston metropolitan area. The population was 9,089 at the 2000 census. In 1907, the community of Peck was renamed Tomball. The city are named for local congressman Thomas Henry Ball, who had a major role in the...
- 1853 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Cypress, TexasCypress, TexasCypress is an unincorporated area of Harris County, Texas, United States located completely inside the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City of Houston. The Cypress area is located along U.S...
- 1854 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Serbin, TexasSerbin, TexasSerbin is an unincorporated community in southwestern Lee County, Texas, United States. Located about east of Austin, it was originally established as Low Pin Oak Settlement by Wendish immigrants to Texas in the mid-1850s...
- 1860 - Bethlehem Lutheran Church, BrenhamBrenham, TexasBrenham is a city in east-central Texas in Washington County, Texas, United States, with a population of 16,147 according to the 2009 census. It is the county seat of Washington County...
/William Penn, Texas - 1870 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Lexington, TexasLexington, TexasLexington is a town in Lee County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,178 at the 2000 census. Lexington, a trading town, is about northeast of Austin.-Geography:Lexington is located at ....
- 1873 - Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Warda, TexasWarda, TexasWarda is an unincorporated community in northern Fayette County, Texas, United States. Although it is unincorporated, Warda has a post office, with the ZIP code of 78960.-External links:* Handbook of Texas Online....
- 1874 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Spring, TexasSpring, TexasSpring, Texas is a census-designated place within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Houston in Harris County, Texas, United States, north of Downtown Houston. The population was 54,298 at the 2010 census...
- 1874 - Zion Lutheran Church, Ridgewood Park, Dallas, TexasRidgewood Park, Dallas, TexasRidgewood Park is a neighborhood in east Dallas Texas . It is bordered by Lovers Lane on the north, Abrams Road on the west, the DART on the south, and Fisher Road on the east....
- 1876 - Ebenezer Lutheran Church, Manheim, Texas
- 1876 - Saint Michael Lutheran Church, Winchester, TexasWinchester, TexasWinchester is an unincorporated community in northwest Fayette County, Texas, United States.-External links:* Handbook of Texas Online....
- 1879 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Washington Avenue - Old Sixth Ward, Houston, TexasHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
- 1882 - Bethlehem Lutheran Church, North Zulch, TexasNorth Zulch, TexasNorth Zulch is an unincorporated community in Madison County, Texas, United States at the intersection of U.S. Highway 190 and State Highway 21 and is six miles from the Navasota River and thirteen miles west of Madisonville in west central Madison County....
- 1882 - Zion Lutheran Church, Anderson, TexasAnderson, TexasAnderson is a city in Grimes County, Texas, United States. The population was 280 in 2009. It is the county seat. The city and its surroundings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Anderson Historic District.-Geography:...
- 1882 - Zion Lutheran Church, Walburg, TexasWalburg, TexasWalburg, originally called Concordia, is an unincorporated area located at the crossroads of Farm to Market Road 972 and Farm to Market Road 1105 in Williamson County, Texas, United States, thirty-three miles northeast of Austin. Walburg is a German American settlement...
- 1883 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Giddings, TexasGiddings, TexasGiddings is the county seat of Lee County, Texas, United States situated on the intersection of U.S. Highways 77 and 290, east of Austin. Its population was 5,105 at the 2000 census. The city's motto is "Giddings Texas: Experience Hometown Hospitality"....
- 1883 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, The Grove, TexasThe Grove, TexasThe Grove is an unincorporated community in Coryell County, Texas, United States. It is located some sixteen miles southeast of Gatesville, Texas in the eastern portion of the county.The Grove is located on Texas State Highway 36....
- 1883 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Riesel, TexasRiesel, TexasRiesel is a town in McLennan County, Texas, United States. The population was 973 at the 2000 census, and 1,023 according to a July 2009 estimate. It is part of the Waco Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
- 1883 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Sealy, TexasSealy, TexasSealy is a city in Austin County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The population was 5,248 at the 2000 census. Sealy is located 50 miles west of the downtown Houston area.-Geography:...
- 1884 - Saint James Lutheran Church, Honey Grove, TexasHoney Grove, TexasHoney Grove is a city in Fannin County, Texas, United States. Honey Grove is regarded as "The Sweetest Town in Texas." The population was 1,746 at the 2000 census....
- 1886 - Faith Lutheran Church, Corsicana, TexasCorsicana, TexasCorsicana is a city in Navarro County, Texas, United States. It is located on Interstate 45 some fifty-five miles south of downtown Dallas. The population was 24,485 at the 2000 census...
- 1886 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Clifton, TexasClifton, TexasClifton is the largest city in Bosque County in Central Texas. The city's population was 3,542 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Clifton is located at ....
- 1886 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Lincoln, TexasLincoln, TexasLincoln is an unincorporated community in central Lee County, Texas, United States. It lies along U.S. Route 77 north of the city of Giddings, the county seat of Lee County. Its elevation is 371 feet . Although Lincoln is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of...
- 1886 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Hamilton, TexasHamilton, TexasHamilton is a city in Hamilton County in Central Texas. The population was 3,095 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Hamilton County.-Geography:Hamilton is located at ....
- 1887 - Evangelists Lutheran Church, Kingsbury, TexasKingsbury, TexasKingsbury is a census-designated place in Guadalupe County, Texas, United States. The population was 652 at the 2000 census. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
- 1887 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Lyons, TexasLyons, TexasLyons is an unincorporated community in Burleson County, Texas, United States. Although it is unincorporated, Lyons has a post office, with the ZIP code of 77863.-External links:...
Largest congregations
- Membership totals are c. 2009.
- 6375 - Concordia Lutheran Church, San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, TexasSan Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
- 3378 - Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Nassau Bay, TexasNassau Bay, TexasNassau Bay is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States, bordering the southeastern edge of the city of Houston. It is located in the Clear Lake Area near Galveston Bay, directly adjacent to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. The population was 4,170 at the 2000 census...
- 3325 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Spring, TexasSpring, TexasSpring, Texas is a census-designated place within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Houston in Harris County, Texas, United States, north of Downtown Houston. The population was 54,298 at the 2010 census...
- 3321 - Redeemer Lutheran Church, Austin, TexasAustin, TexasAustin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
- 2815 - Salem Lutheran Church, Tomball, TexasTomball, TexasTomball is a city in Harris county in the U.S. state of Texas, a part of the Houston metropolitan area. The population was 9,089 at the 2000 census. In 1907, the community of Peck was renamed Tomball. The city are named for local congressman Thomas Henry Ball, who had a major role in the...
- 2564 - Bethany Lutheran Church, Austin, TexasAustin, TexasAustin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
- 2158 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth, TexasFort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
- 1997 - Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Carrollton, TexasCarrollton, Texas-Climate:*On average, the warmest month is July.*The highest recorded temperature was 112°F in 1980.*The average coolest month is January.*The lowest recorded temperature was 1°F in 1989.*The most precipitation on average occurs in May....
- 1985 - Messiah Lutheran Church, Plano, TexasPlano, TexasPlano is a city in the state of Texas, located mostly within Collin County. The city's population was 259,841 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Texas and the 71st most populous city in the United States. Plano is located within the metropolitan area commonly referred to as...
- 1925 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Cypress, TexasCypress, TexasCypress is an unincorporated area of Harris County, Texas, United States located completely inside the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City of Houston. The Cypress area is located along U.S...
- 1785 - Christ the King Lutheran Church, Kingwood, Houston, TexasKingwood, Houston, TexasKingwood is a 14,000 acre master-planned community located in northeast Houston, Texas, United States. The majority of the community is located in Harris County with a small portion in Montgomery County...
- 1775 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Washington Avenue - Old Sixth Ward, Houston, Texas
- 1688 - Lamb of God Lutheran Church, Flower Mound, TexasFlower Mound, TexasFlower Mound is a town in Denton and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas, and a suburb of Fort Worth and Dallas. Its population was 50,702 at the U.S. Census Bureau's 2000 census, and 64,669 at the 2010 Census. The town derives its name from the prominent mound located in the southern...
- 1684 - Peace Lutheran Church, Hurst, TexasHurst, TexasHurst is a city in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. Hurst is one of the Mid-Cities between Fort Worth and Dallas, but is a suburb of Fort Worth. The city was founded by William Letchworth Hurst...
- 1526 - Our Savior Lutheran Church, Oak Forest, Houston, TexasOak Forest, Houston, TexasOak Forest is a large residential community in northwest Houston, Texas, United States. Oak Forest is the third largest group of subdivisions in Harris County.-History:...
- 1485 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Giddings, TexasGiddings, TexasGiddings is the county seat of Lee County, Texas, United States situated on the intersection of U.S. Highways 77 and 290, east of Austin. Its population was 5,105 at the 2000 census. The city's motto is "Giddings Texas: Experience Hometown Hospitality"....
- 1316 - Zion Lutheran Church, Ridgewood Park, Dallas, TexasRidgewood Park, Dallas, TexasRidgewood Park is a neighborhood in east Dallas Texas . It is bordered by Lovers Lane on the north, Abrams Road on the west, the DART on the south, and Fisher Road on the east....
- 1161 - Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, TexasSan Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
- 1159 - Saint Mark Lutheran Church, Spring Branch East, Houston, TexasSpring Branch, Houston, TexasSpring Branch is a district in west-northwest Harris County, Texas, United States, roughly bordered by Clay Road and U.S. Highway 290 to the north, Beltway 8 to the west, Interstate 10 to the south, and the 610 Loop to the east; it is almost entirely within the City of Houston...
- 1148 - Epiphany Lutheran Church, Pearland, TexasPearland, TexasPearland , is a city located along the Gulf Coast region in the US state of Texas within the metropolitan area and is in the counties of Brazoria, Fort Bend, and Harris. As of the census of 2000, the city's population was 37,640. As of 2008, Pearland is estimated to have a population of 90,700...
- 1158 - Resurrection Lutheran Church, Spring, TexasSpring, TexasSpring, Texas is a census-designated place within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Houston in Harris County, Texas, United States, north of Downtown Houston. The population was 54,298 at the 2010 census...
- 1071 - Zion Lutheran Church, Walburg, TexasWalburg, TexasWalburg, originally called Concordia, is an unincorporated area located at the crossroads of Farm to Market Road 972 and Farm to Market Road 1105 in Williamson County, Texas, United States, thirty-three miles northeast of Austin. Walburg is a German American settlement...
- 1060 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Bellmead, TexasBellmead, TexasBellmead is a city in McLennan County, Texas, United States. The population was 9,214 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Waco Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Bellmead is located at ....
- 1056 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Temple, TexasTemple, TexasTemple is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. Located near the county seat of Belton, Temple lies in the region referred to as Central Texas. Located off Interstate 35, Temple is 65 miles north of Austin and 34 miles south of Waco. In the 2010 Census, Temple's population was 66,102, an...
- 1056 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, McAllen, TexasMcAllen, TexasMcAllen is the largest city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. It is located at the southern tip of Texas in an area known as the Rio Grande Valley and is part of the . Its southern boundary is located about five miles from the U.S.–Mexico border and the Mexican city of Reynosa, the Rio...
- 1038 - Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Cedar Park, TexasCedar Park, TexasCedar Park is a city in Travis and Williamson counties in the U.S. state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population is 48,937. The city is a major suburb of Austin, the center of which is approximately to the southeast, although Austin directly borders Cedar Park at the latter's...
- 1023 - Faith Lutheran Church, Plano, TexasPlano, TexasPlano is a city in the state of Texas, located mostly within Collin County. The city's population was 259,841 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Texas and the 71st most populous city in the United States. Plano is located within the metropolitan area commonly referred to as...
- 6375 - Concordia Lutheran Church, San Antonio, Texas