Pacific Southwest District (Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod)
The Pacific Southwest District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS). It covers Southern California (the eight southernmost counties in California, including the Los Angeles metropolitan area), Arizona and the southern tip of Nevada, and includes approximately 291 congregations subdivided into 32 circuits, as well as 72 preschools , 65 elementary schools and 9 high schools. Baptized membership of Pacific Southwest congregations is approximately 91,682. [1]
The reminder of California and Nevada is included in the California-Nevada-Hawaii District; one Arizona congregation is in the Rocky Mountain District. In addition, 28 congregations in the Pacific Southwest District's area are in the non-geographic English District – 16 in Arizona, 6 in the San Diego area and 5 in the Los Angeles area.
The Pacific Southwest District was formed on July 2, 1930 as the Southern California District, separating it from the California and Nevada District. District offices are located in Irvine, California, The Rev. Dr. Larry Stoterau has been the district president since September 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 in June 27-29, 2012 in Irvine, CA.
Concordia University, Irvine, part of the LCMS' Concordia University System, is located within the district.
Presidents
- Rev. Gotthold H. F. Smukal, 1930-42
- Rev. Walter F. Troeger, 1942-48
- Rev. Armand E. T. Mueller, 1948-55
- Rev. Victor L. Behnken, 1955-69
- Rev. Arnold G. Kuntz, 1969-85
- Rev. Loren T. Kramer, 1985-2000
- Rev. Larry A. Stoterau, 2000-present
Oldest congregations
- 1882 - Saint John's Lutheran Church, Orange, California
- 1882 - Trinity Central Lutheran Church, Wilshire Park, Los Angeles, California
- 1892 - First Lutheran Church of Pasadena, Pasadena, California
- 1895 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Encanto, San Diego, California
- 1897 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Oxnard, California
- 1903 - Zion Lutheran Church, Anaheim, California
- 1905 - Christ Lutheran Church, Vermont Square, Los Angeles, California
- 1905 - First Lutheran Church, Long Beach, California
- 1906 - Grace Lutheran Church, Vermont Square, Los Angeles, California
- 1906 - St. John's Lutheran Church, Montebello, California
- 1906 - Trinity Lutheran Church, San Bernardino, California
- 1907 - Saint Paul's Lutheran Church, Orange, California
- 1908 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Whittier, California
- 1909 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Riverside, California
- 1909 - Trinity Cristo Rey Lutheran Church, Santa Ana, California
- 1911 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Covina, California
- 1912 - Grace Lutheran Church, Hillcrest, San Diego, California
- 1913 - Pilgrim Lutheran Church, Santa Monica, California
- 1915 - Emanuel Lutheran Church, Santa Barbara, California
- 1919 - Grace Lutheran Church, Escondido, California
Oldest in Arizona: Calvary Lutheran Church, Yuma, Arizona, 1931
Oldest in Nevada: First Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1940
Largest congregations
- Membership totals are c. 2006.
- 5277 - Saint John's Lutheran Church, Orange, California
- 2751 - Abiding Savior Lutheran Church, Lake Forest, California
- 2312 - Saint Paul's Lutheran Church, Orange, California
- 1921 - Bethany Lutheran Church, Long Beach, California
- 1812 - Christs Greenfield Lutheran Church, Gilbert, Arizona
- 1626 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Oxnard, California
- 1600 - Our Savior Lutheran Church, Arcadia, California
- 1434 - Fountain of Life Lutheran Church, Tucson, Arizona
- 1414 - Grace Lutheran Church, Escondido, California
- 1375 - Faith Lutheran Church, Vista, California
- 1356 - Zion Lutheran Church, Anaheim, California
- 1350 - Christ Lutheran Church, Costa Mesa, California
- 1321 - First Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Las Vegas, Nevada
- 1283 - Shepherd of the Desert Lutheran Church, Scottsdale, Arizona
- 1232 - Faith Community Lutheran Church, Las Vegas, Nevada
- 1208 - Risen Savior Lutheran Church, Chandler, Arizona
- 1160 - Christ Lutheran Church, Brea, California
- 1136 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Riverside, California
- 1108 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Simi Valley, California
- 1098 - Community Lutheran Church, Escondido, California
- 1095 - Christ Lutheran Church, La Mesa, California
- 1058 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Litchfield Park, Arizona
External links