Iowa District West (LCMS)
The Iowa District West is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS), and covers the western half of the state of Iowa including the state capital, Des Moines; the rest of the state forms the Iowa District East. The Iowa District West includes approximately 176 congregations and missions, subdivided into 19 circuits, as well as 42 preschools and 9 elementary schools. Baptized membership in district congregations is over 62,000. [1]
The Iowa District West was formed in 1936 when the Iowa District (created in 1879) was divided in half. District offices are located in Fort Dodge, Iowa; the Rev. Paul Sieveking has been the district president since August 2000, and was reelected to a fourth 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 2009, and the next will be held in June 24-26, 2012 at Camp Okoboji.
Presidents
- Rev. Adolph Schwidder, 1936–45
- Rev. Herbert W. Berner, 1945–46
- Rev. John Theodore Martin Hoemann, 1946–48
- Rev. Gustav W. Lobeck, 1948–66
- Rev. A. Ellis Nieting, 1966–85
- Rev. Richard G. Kapfer, 1985-2000
- Rev. Paul G. Sieveking, 2000-present
Oldest congregations
- 1858 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Dayton, Iowa
- 1863 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Fort Dodge, Iowa
- 1866 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Boone, Iowa
- 1868 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Boone, Iowa
- 1869 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Clarinda, Iowa
- 1870 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Clarinda, Iowa
- 1870 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Marcus, Iowa
- 1871 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Spirit Lake, Iowa
- 1871 - Zion Lutheran Church, Dexter, Iowa
- 1871 - Zion Lutheran Church, Storm Lake, Iowa
- 1872 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Lidderdale, Iowa
- 1872 - Zion Lutheran Church, Denison, Iowa
- 1872 - Zion Lutheran Church, Ogden, Iowa
- 1873 - St. John's Lutheran Church, Hastings, Iowa
- 1873 - Zion Lutheran Church, Auburn, Iowa
- 1874 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Greenfield, Iowa
- 1874 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Webster City, Iowa
- 1875 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Lone Rock, Iowa
- 1875 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Adair, Iowa
- 1875 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Ireton, Iowa
- 1875 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Manson, Iowa
Largest congregations
- Membership totals include all baptized members and are according to the LCMS website.
- 2736 - Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Urbandale, Iowa
- 2194 - Zion Lutheran Church, Denison, Iowa
- 1613 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Fort Dodge, Iowa
- 1413 - Redeemer Lutheran Church, Sioux City, Iowa
- 1118 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Algona, Iowa
- 1066 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Ida Grove, Iowa
- 1021 - Memorial Lutheran Church, Ames, Iowa
- 990 - Zion Lutheran Church, Humboldt, Iowa
- 977 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Sioux City, Iowa
- 962 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Ankeny, Iowa
- 896 - First English Lutheran Church, Spencer, Iowa
- 885 - Calvary Lutheran Church, Sioux City, Iowa
- 865 - Our Savior Lutheran Church, Denison, Iowa
- 803 - St Paul Lutheran Church, Garner, Iowa
- 789 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Spirit Lake, Iowa
- 786 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Boone, Iowa
External links