Atlantic District (LCMS)

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The Atlantic District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS), and covers eastern New York state: New York City, Long Island, the Hudson Valley, and the Capital District. It comprises approximately 100 congregations and a number of mission stations, subdivided into 12 circuits, as well as 47 preschools, 26 elementary schools and 4 high schools. The rest of New York is included in the Eastern District; in addition, four congregations in the New York City area are in the non-geographic English District, and one congregation in Yonkers is in the SELC District. Baptized membership in Atlantic District congregations is approximately 40,000.

The Atlantic District was formed in May 1906 out of the Eastern District; portions of the district were separated into the New England District and the New Jersey District in 1972. District offices are located in Bronxville, New York; the Rev. Dr. David Benke has been the district president since September 1991, and was reelected to a sixth term in 2006 [1]. 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 8-10, 2006, and the next will be held in 2009.

Concordia College, Bronxville, part of the LCMS' Concordia University System, is located within the district.

1 Presidents
2 Oldest congregations
3 Largest congregations
4 Congregations and missions
5 External links

[edit] Presidents

Rev. Ernst C. L. Schulze, 1906-18
Rev. Philip H. L. Birkner, 1918-30
Rev. Arthur J. C. Brunn, 1930-41
Rev. George K. A. Koenig, 1941-42
Rev. Herman J. Rippe, 1942-60
Rev. Karl F. Graesser, 1960-67
Rev. Rudolph P. F. Ressmeyer, 1967-76
Rev. Henry L. Koepchen, 1976 (acting president)
Rev. Ronald F. Fink, 1976-89
Rev. James Zwernemann, 1989-91
Rev. David H. Benke, 1991-present

Ressmeyer was one of four district presidents who were removed from office by Synod President J. A. O. Preus on April 2, 1976 for non-compliance with synodical directives on the ordination and placement of improperly endorsed ministerial candidates from Seminex [2].

[edit] Oldest congregations

1664 - Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York (oldest congregation in the Missouri Synod)
1838 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Albany, New York
1844 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Glendale, Queens, New York
1844 - Saint John the Evangelist Lutheran Church, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York
1850 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Hicksville, New York
1852 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Port Richmond, Staten Island, New York
1854 - Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Albany, New York
1857 - Saint John Lutheran Church, College Point, Queens, New York
1861 - Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Hastings-on-Hudson, New York
1868 - Saint Mark Lutheran Church, Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York
1869 - Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Hudson, New York
1870 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Stuyvesant, New York
1872 - Zion Lutheran Church, Schenectady, New York
1879 - Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Canarsie, Brooklyn, New York
1886 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York
1887 - Emanuel Lutheran Church, Corona, Queens, New York
1887 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York
1893 - The Lutheran Church of St. John, Flushing, Queens, New York
1894 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Saratoga Springs, New York
1894 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Hawthorne, New York

[edit] Largest congregations

Membership totals are c. 2006.

2480 - Saint James Lutheran Church, St. James, New York
1969 - Saint John's Lutheran Church, Sayville, New York
1422 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Hicksville, New York
1251 - Zion Lutheran Church, Schenectady, New York
1228 - The Village Lutheran Church, Bronxville, New York
1168 - Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Middle Island, New York
1029 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Saratoga Springs, New York
1024 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Walden, New York
915 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Monroe, New York
904 - Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Delmar, New York

[edit] 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 (Schenectady)

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Glens Falls, New York
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Niskayuna, New York - est. 1902
Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Colonie, New York - est. 1929
Resurrection Lutheran Church, Latham, New York
Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Saratoga Springs, New York - est. 1894; 1029 members
SonRise Lutheran Church, Pottersville, New York
Trinity Lutheran Church, Schenectady, New York - est. 1905
Zion Lutheran Church, Schenectady, New York - est. 1872; 1251 members

Circuit 2 (Albany)

Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Delmar, New York - 904 members
Christ Lutheran Church, Albany, New York
Love Lutheran Church, East Greenbush, New York
Resurrection Lutheran Church, Cairo, New York - 712 members
Saint John Lutheran Church, Stuyvesant, New York - est. 1870
Saint Mark's Lutheran Church, Hudson, New York
Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Albany, New York - est. 1854
Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Hudson, New York - est. 1869
Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Albany, New York - est. 1838
Trinity Lutheran Church, Stamford, New York

Circuit 3 (Mid-Hudson)

All Saints Lutheran Church, LaGrangeville, New York
Atonement Lutheran Church, Stony Point, New York
Beth El Messianic Lutheran Church, Rego Park, Queens, New York
Family of Faith Lutheran Church, Middletown, New York
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Hurley, New York
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Warwick, New York
The Lutheran Church of Christ the King, Pawling, New York
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Fishkill, New York - 820 members
Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Monroe, New York - 915 members
Saint Peter Lutheran Church, Pine Island, New York - est. 1897
Saint Timothy Lutheran Church, Hyde Park, New York
Trinity Lutheran Church, Walden, New York - 1024 members

Circuit 4 (Westchester)

Immanuel Lutheran Church, Mount Vernon, New York - est. 1897
Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Peekskill, New York
Saint Luke Lutheran Church, Putnam Valley, New York - 636 members
St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Yonkers, New York - est. 1911
Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Hastings-on-Hudson, New York - est. 1861
Trinity Lutheran Church, Hawthorne, New York - est. 1894
The Village Lutheran Church, Bronxville, New York - est. 1916; 1228 members

Circuit 5 (Bronx)

Church For All Nations Lutheran, Midtown Manhattan, New York
Grace Lutheran Church, Bedford Park, The Bronx, New York - est. 1905
Mount Zion Lutheran Church, Hamilton Heights, Manhattan, New York
Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Morris Park, The Bronx, New York - est. 1927
Redeemer Lutheran Church, Wakefield, The Bronx, New York - est. 1928; 402 members
Saint Mark Deaf Lutheran Church, Hamilton Heights, Manhattan, New York
Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York - est. 1664
Saint Paul of Tremont Lutheran Church, East Tremont, The Bronx, New York - est. 1898
Trinity Lutheran Church, Castle Hill, The Bronx, New York - est. 1913

Circuit 6 (Brooklyn)

Christ Assembly Lutheran Church, Stapleton, Staten Island, New York - 438 members
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Flatlands, Brooklyn, New York - est. 1908
Risen Christ Lutheran Church, Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York
Saint John Lutheran Church, Port Richmond, Staten Island, New York - est. 1852
Saint John the Evangelist Lutheran Church, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York - est. 1844
Saint Mark Lutheran Church, Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York - est. 1868
Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Canarsie, Brooklyn, New York - est. 1879
Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Dongan Hills, Staten Island, New York - est. 1915
Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York - est. 1887
Saint Peter Lutheran Church, Highland Park, Brooklyn, New York - est. 1897
Trinity Lutheran Church, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York - est. 1886

Circuit 7 (Queens, Central)

Christ Lutheran Church, Woodside, Queens, New York - est. 1896
Emmaus Lutheran Church, Ridgewood, Queens, New York - est. 1904
Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Rego Park, Queens, New York - est. 1926; 350 members
Redeemer Lutheran Church, Glendale, Queens, New York - est. 1909
Saint John Lutheran Church, Glendale, Queens, New York - est. 1844
Saint Matthew Deaf Lutheran Church, Elmhurst, Queens, New York - est. 1911
True Light Lutheran Church, Chinatown, Manhattan, New York
United Bengali Lutheran Church of America, Woodside, Queens, New York

Circuit 8 (Queens, North)

Emanuel Lutheran Church, Corona, Queens, New York - est. 1887
Immanuel Chinese Lutheran Church, Bayside, Queens, New York
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Whitestone, Queens, New York - est. 1895
The Lutheran Church of St. John, Flushing, Queens, New York - est. 1893
Redeemer Lutheran Church, Bayside, Queens, New York - est. 1915
Resurrection Lutheran Church, Flushing, Queens, New York
Saint John Lutheran Church, College Point, Queens, New York - est. 1857; 238 members