Indiana District (LCMS)
The Indiana District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS), and encompasses the state of Indiana as well as most of western Kentucky; the remainder of Kentucky is divided between the Mid-South District and the Ohio District. In addition, one Kentucky congregation and eight Indiana congregations are in the non-geographic English District, and two congregations in Lake County are in the SELC District. The Indiana District is home to Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and includes approximately 236 congregations and missions, subdivided into 24 circuits, as well as 53 preschools, 49elementary schools and 3high schools. Baptized membership in district congregations is approximately 110,000. [1]
The Indiana District was formed in 1963 when the Central District was divided, also creating the Ohio District. District offices are located in Fort Wayne; the Rev. Daniel P. May has been the district president since 2003, and was reelected to a third term in 2009. 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 in 2000, and the next convention will be held June 28-29, 2012 in Fort Wayne, IN.
Presidents
- Rev. Edgar C. Rakow, 1963–70
- Rev. Elwood H. Zimmermann, 1970–88
- Rev. Reuben Garber, 1988-91
- Rev. Timothy E. Sims, 1991-2003
- Rev. Daniel P. May, 2003-present
Oldest congregations
- 1837 - Saint Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana
- 1838 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Seymour, Indiana
- 1838 - Zion-Friedheim Lutheran Church, Decatur, Indiana
- 1840 - Saint John's Lutheran Church, Columbus, Indiana
- 1841 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Evansville, Indiana
- 1842 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Evanston, Indiana
- 1842 - Saint Paul's Lutheran Church, Indianapolis, Indiana
- 1843 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Farmers Retreat, Indiana
- 1844 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Avilla, Indiana
- 1845 - Emmanuel Lutheran Church - Wayne Trace, Adams Township, Indiana
- 1845 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Decatur, Indiana
- 1845 - Saint Peter Lutheran Church, Decatur, Indiana
- 1846 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Lanesville, Indiana
- 1846 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Bremen, Indiana
- 1846 - Zion Lutheran Church, Corunna, Indiana
- 1847 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Columbia City, Indiana
- 1847 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Monroeville, Indiana
- 1847 - Saint Peter Lutheran Church, Mishawaka, Indiana
- 1847 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Darmstadt, Indiana
- 1848 - Saint James Lutheran Church, Logansport, Indiana
- 1848 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Columbus, Indiana
- 1849 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Decatur, Indiana
- 1849 - Saint Peter Lutheran Church, Huntington, Indiana
Oldest in Kentucky: Concordia Lutheran Church, Louisville, Kentucky, 1878
Largest congregations
- Membership totals include all baptized members and are according to the LCMS website.
- 3701- Saint Peter's Lutheran Church, Columbus, Indiana
- 3506- Immanuel Lutheran Church, Seymour, Indiana
- 3072- Saint James Lutheran Church, Lafayette, Indiana
- 2761- Carmel Lutheran Church, Carmel, Indiana
- 2661- Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- 2586- Immanuel Lutheran Church, Valparaiso, Indiana
- 2394- Concordia Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- 2190- Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Munster, Indiana
- 2016- Saint Peter Lutheran Church, Maplewood Park, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- 1915- Emmanuel Lutheran Church, West Central Fort Wayne, Indiana
- 1817- Saint John Lutheran Church, Indianapolis, Indiana
- 1580- Saint John Lutheran Church, Kendallville, Indiana
- 1535- Emanuel Lutheran Church, New Haven, Indiana
- 1459- Saint Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana
- 1342- Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Geist, Indianapolis, Indiana
External links