Southern Illinois District (LCMS)

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. In addition, one in Granite City is in the non-geographic SELC District. The Southern Illinois District includes approximately 97 congregations and missions, subdivided into 11 circuits, as well as 14 preschools, 23 elementary schools and 3 high schools. Baptized membership in district congregations is over 40,000.

The Southern Illinois District was formed in 1907 when the Illinois District was divided. District offices are located in Belleville, Illinois; the Rev. Herbert Mueller, Jr. has been the district president since 1994, and was reelected to a fifth term in 2006 [http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=9706] . 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 23-25, 2006, and the next will be held in 2009.

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-present

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.

Oldest congregations

*1841 - Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Sugar Loaf Township, Illinois
*1841 - Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Wartburg, Illinois
*1841 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Columbia, Illinois
*1842 - Saint Salvator Lutheran Church, Venedy, Illinois
*1842 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Red Bud, Illinois
*1846 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Maryville, Illinois
*1846 - Saint John Lutheran Church, New Minden, Illinois
*1846 - Zion Lutheran Church, Staunton, Illinois
*1848 - Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Collinsville, Illinois
*1848 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Evansville/Ruma, Illinois
*1849 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Chester, Illinois
*1849 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Millstadt, Illinois

Largest congregations

:"Membership totals are c. 2006."
*2397 - Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Collinsville, Illinois
*1915 - Zion Lutheran Church, Bethalto, Illinois
*1897 - Zion Lutheran Church, Belleville, Illinois
*1755 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Edwardsville, Illinois
*1671 - Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Collinsville, Illinois
*1391 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Centralia, Illinois
*1343 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Chester, Illinois
*1311 - Zion Lutheran Church, Staunton, Illinois
*1251 - Saint Mark Lutheran Church, Steeleville, Illinois
*1185 - Saint John's Lutheran Church, Red Bud, Illinois

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
*Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Livingston, Illinois
*Immanuel Lutheran Church, Mount Olive, Illinois - est. 1881
*Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Greenville, Illinois
*Our Savior Lutheran Church, Hillsboro, Illinois
*Redeemer Lutheran Church, Gillespie, Illinois
*St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Nokomis, Illinois - est. 1870
*Trinity Lutheran Church, Girard, Illinois - est. 1903
*Trinity Lutheran Church, Harvel, Illinois - est. 1894
*Trinity Lutheran Church, Nokomis, Illinois - est. 1893
*Zion Lutheran Church, Carlinville, Illinois - est. 1856
*Zion Lutheran Church, Farmersville, Illinois - est. 1889
*Zion Lutheran Church, Litchfield, Illinois - est. 1886; 985 members
*Zion Lutheran Church, Staunton, Illinois - est. 1846; 1311 members

Circuit 2
*Concordia Lutheran Church, Cottage Hills, Illinois
*Emmaus Lutheran Church, Dorsey, Illinois - est. 1859
*Faith Lutheran Church, Godfrey, Illinois
*Hope Lutheran Church, Jerseyville, Illinois
*Messiah Lutheran Church, Alton, Illinois
*Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Carrollton, Illinois
*Saint John Lutheran Church, Kampsville, Illinois - est. 1859
*Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Brussels, Illinois - est. 1861
*Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Hardin, Illinois
*Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Wood River, Illinois - est. 1916; 755 members
*Saint Peter's Lutheran Church, Prairietown, Illinois - est. 1855
*Zion Lutheran Church, Bethalto, Illinois - est. 1859; 1915 members
*Zion Lutheran Church, Bunker Hill, Illinois - est. 1892

Circuit 3
*Hope Lutheran Church, Highland, Illinois
*Saint James Lutheran Church, Glen Carbon, Illinois
*St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Troy, Illinois - est. 1867; 801 members
*Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Worden, Illinois - est. 1856; 741 members
*Trinity Lutheran Church, Edwardsville, Illinois - est. 1901; 1755 members
*Trinity Lutheran Church, Worden, Illinois - est. 1877
*Zion Lutheran Church, Carpenter, Illinois - est. 1902

Circuit 4
*Concordia Lutheran Church, Granite City, Illinois - est. 1922
*Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Collinsville, Illinois - 1671 members
*Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Collinsville, Illinois - est. 1848; 2397 members
*Hope Lutheran Church, Granite City, Illinois
*Jerusalem Lutheran Church, Collinsville, Illinois - est. 1903
*Saint John Lutheran Church, Maryville, Illinois - est. 1846
*Unity Lutheran Church, East St. Louis, Illinois - est. 1901

Circuit 5
*Bethany Lutheran Church, O'Fallon, Illinois
*Blessed Savior Lutheran Church, O'Fallon, Illinois
*Messiah Lutheran Church, Lebanon, Illinois
*Saint Peter Lutheran Church, Caseyville, Illinois
*Signal Hill Lutheran Church, Belleville, Illinois - 621 members
*Zion Lutheran Church, Belleville, Illinois - est. 1861; 1897 members
*Zion Lutheran Church, Mascoutah, Illinois - est. 1868

Circuit 6
*Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church, Freeburg, Illinois
*Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Sugar Loaf Township, Illinois - est. 1841
*Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Wartburg, Illinois - est. 1841
*Immanuel Lutheran Church, Waterloo, Illinois - est. 1901; 984 members
*Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, Cahokia, Illinois - est. 1929
*Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Columbia, Illinois - est. 1841; 838 members
*Trinity Lutheran Church, Millstadt, Illinois - est. 1849

Circuit 7
*Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Ferrin, Illinois - est. 1905
*Christ Lutheran Church, Fairfield, Illinois
*Faith Lutheran Church, Mount Vernon, Illinois - est. 1913
*Hope Lutheran Church, Mount Carmel, Illinois
*Messiah Lutheran Church, Carlyle, Illinois
*Trinity Lutheran Church, Centralia, Illinois - est. 1892; 1391 members
*Trinity Lutheran Church, Hoffman, Illinois - est. 1874; 696 members
*Trinity Lutheran Church, Iuka, Illinois - est. 1873

Circuit 8
*Immanuel Lutheran Church, Okawville, Illinois - est. 1908
*Olive Branch Lutheran Church, Okawville, Illinois - est. 1865
*Saint John Lutheran Church, New Minden, Illinois - est. 1846
*Saint Luke Lutheran Church, Covington, Illinois - est. 1885
*Saint Peter Lutheran Church, New Memphis, Illinois - est. 1863
*Saint Salvator Lutheran Church, Venedy, Illinois - est. 1842
*Trinity Lutheran Church, Hoyleton, Illinois - est. 1867; 682 members
*Trinity Lutheran Church, Nashville, Illinois - est. 1886; 906 members

Circuit 9
*Bethel Lutheran Church, Du Quoin, Illinois - est. 1928
*Immanuel Lutheran Church, Campbell Hill, Illinois - est. 1876
*Saint John Lutheran Church, Chester, Illinois - est. 1849; 1343 members
*Saint John Lutheran Church, Sparta, Illinois - est. 1910; 616 members
*Saint Mark Lutheran Church, Steeleville, Illinois - est. 1872; 1251 members
*Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Steeleville, Illinois - est. 1859
*Saint Peter Lutheran Church, Campbell Hill, Illinois - est. 1890
*Trinity Lutheran Church, Pinckneyville, Illinois - est. 1897
*Zion Lutheran Church, Pinckneyville, Illinois - est. 1886

Circuit 10
*Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Renault, Illinois - est. 1853
*Saint John Lutheran Church, Baldwin, Illinois - est. 1883
*Saint John Lutheran Church, Evansville/Ruma, Illinois - est. 1848
*Saint John's Lutheran Church, Red Bud, Illinois - est. 1855; 1185 members
*Saint Paul Lutheran Church, New Athens, Illinois
*Saint Peter Lutheran Church, Evansville, Illinois - est. 1871
*Trinity Lutheran Church, Darmstadt, Illinois - est. 1865
*Trinity Lutheran Church, Red Bud, Illinois - est. 1842; 659 members

Circuit 11
*Christ Lutheran Church, Jacob, Illinois - est. 1876
*Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Marion, Illinois
*Immanuel Lutheran Church, Murphysboro, Illinois - est. 1897; 760 members
*Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Golconda, Illinois - est. 1865
*Our Savior Lutheran Church, Carbondale, Illinois
*Our Savior Lutheran Church, Carmi, Illinois
*Saint Luke Lutheran Church, Olmsted, Illinois - est. 1906
*Saint Paul Lutheran Church, West Frankfort, Illinois - est. 1926
*Trinity Lutheran Church, Anna, Illinois
*Trinity Lutheran Church, Herrin, Illinois - est. 1928

External links

* [http://www.sidlcms.org/ Southern Illinois District web site]
* [http://www.lcmsdistricts.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=6814 LCMS: Southern Illinois District]