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 congregation is in the non-geographic English District, and two of the state's congregations are in the SELC District. The Southeastern District includes approximately 218 congregations and missions, subdivided into 19 circuits, as well as 60 preschools, 26 elementary schools and 3 high schools. Baptized membership in district congregations is over 67,000. [1]
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. 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 Rev. Dr. John R. Denninger was elected district president in 2012. [2] The 35th Regular Convention May 1–3, 2009 in Norfolk, VA under the theme "One Name Jesus"—based on the words of Acts 4:12. [3] The 36th Regular Convention was held May 31-June 2 in Virginia Beach, VA under the theme "Till All Have Heard – Connecting People With Christ".
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, 2003–2012
Rev. John R. Denninger 2012–present
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
Membership totals are c. 2009.
2031 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Glen Burnie, Maryland
2021 - Saint Stephen's Lutheran Church, Hickory, North Carolina
1863 - Resurrection Lutheran Church, Cary, North Carolina
1300 - Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Springfield, Virginia
1283 - Lutheran Church of St. Andrew, Silver Spring, Maryland
1226 - Hope Lutheran Church, Wake Forest, North Carolina
1081 - Concordia Lutheran Church, Conover, North Carolina
1020 - Resurrection Lutheran Church, Charlotte, North Carolina
1011 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Richmond, Virginia
1000 - Bethel Lutheran Church, Claremont, North Carolina
903 - Saint John's Lutheran Church, Conover, North Carolina
902 - Redeemer Lutheran Church, Richmond, Virginia
890 - Saint Peter Lutheran Church, Conover, North Carolina
880 - Holy Nativity Lutheran Church, Arbutus, Maryland
866 - Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Herndon, Virginia
845 - Hope Lutheran Church, Virginia Beach, Virginia
838 - Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Bel Air, Maryland
820 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
779 - Grace Lutheran Church, La Plata, Maryland
763 - Redeemer Lutheran Church, Fredericksburg, Virginia
752 - St. John's Lutheran Church, Alexandria, Virginia
735 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Kingsville, Maryland
Largest in Washington, D.C.: Peace Lutheran Church, Marshall Heights, Washington, D.C., 281
Largest in Delaware: Saint John Lutheran Church, Dover, Delaware, 659
Largest in South Carolina: Calvary Lutheran Church, Charleston, South Carolina, 131
