Southeastern District (Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod)
The Southeastern District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). It encompasses Washington, D.C. and the states of Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, as well as York and Lancaster Counties in Pennsylvania, and Maryland with the exception of Garrett County at its western end. Garrett County and the rest of Pennsylvania are part of the Eastern District; also, one Virginia congregation is in the non-geographic English District, and two of the state's congregations are in the SELC District. The Southeastern District includes approximately 218 congregations and missions, subdivided into 19 circuits, as well as 60 preschools, 26 elementary schools and 3 high schools. Baptized membership in district congregations is over 67,000.
The Southeastern District was formed in 1939 out of the Eastern District, and also incorporated a number of congregations which had previously been in the English District – including those in the Carolinas and part of Georgia; the Georgia areas were separated into the Florida-Georgia District in 1948. District offices are located in Alexandria, Virginia. 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 Rev. Dr. John R. Denninger was elected district president in 2012. The 35th Regular Convention May 1–3, 2009 in Norfolk, VA under the theme "One Name Jesus"—based on the words of Acts 4:12. The 36th Regular Convention convention was held May 31-June 2 in Virginia Beach, VA under the theme "Till All Have Heard – Connecting People With Christ".
Presidents
- Rev. J. George Spilman, 1939–45
- Rev. Oscar Adelbert Saner, 1945–48
- Rev. Rudolph Stang Ressmeyer, 1948–54
- Rev. William H. Kohn, 1954–59
- Rev. Leslie F. Frerking, 1959–63
- Rev. William H. Kohn, 1963–67
- Rev. Martin C. Poch, 1967–70
- Rev. Charles S. Mueller, 1970–78
- Rev. Richard T. Hinz, 1978–94
- Rev. Roy A. Maack, 1994–97
- Rev. Arthur W. Scherer, 1997–2003
- Rev. Jon T. Diefenthaler, 2003–2012
- Rev. John R. Denninger 2012–present
Oldest congregations
- 1772 - Bethany-Trinity Lutheran Church, Waynesboro, Virginia
- 1798 - Saint John's Lutheran Church, Conover, North Carolina
- 1825 - Saint Peter Lutheran Church, Conover, North Carolina
- 1849 - St. John's Lutheran Church of Blenheim, Glen Arm, Maryland
- 1850 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Kingsville, Maryland
- 1852 - Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Richmond, Virginia
- 1853 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Cumberland, Maryland
- 1854 - Salem Lutheran Church, Taylorsville, North Carolina
- 1862 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Columbia, Pennsylvania
- 1864 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Ramblewood, Baltimore, Maryland
- 1866 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Catonsville, Maryland
- 1867 - Martini Lutheran Church, Federal Hill, Baltimore, Maryland
- 1869 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Charlottesville, Virginia
- 1870 - Bethel Lutheran Church, Claremont, North Carolina
- 1870 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Alexandria, Virginia
- 1874 - First St. John Lutheran Church, York, Pennsylvania
- 1874 - Saint John Lutheran Church, York, Pennsylvania
- 1878 - Concordia Lutheran Church, Conover, North Carolina
- 1883 - Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Meherrin, Virginia
- 1887 - Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Cedonia, Baltimore, Maryland
- 1888 - Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Catonsville, Maryland
- 1889 - Saint Thomas Lutheran Church, Pratt & Monroe, Baltimore, Maryland
Oldest in Delaware: Saint John Lutheran Church, Dover, Delaware, 1923
Oldest in South Carolina: Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Columbia, South Carolina, 1930
Oldest in Washington, D.C.: Mount Olivet Lutheran Church, Logan Circle, Washington, D.C., 1933
Largest congregations
- Membership totals are c. 2009.
- 2031 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Glen Burnie, Maryland
- 2021 - Saint Stephen's Lutheran Church, Hickory, North Carolina
- 1863 - Resurrection Lutheran Church, Cary, North Carolina
- 1300 - Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Springfield, Virginia
- 1283 - Lutheran Church of St. Andrew, Silver Spring, Maryland
- 1226 - Hope Lutheran Church, Wake Forest, North Carolina
- 1081 - Concordia Lutheran Church, Conover, North Carolina
- 1020 - Resurrection Lutheran Church, Charlotte, North Carolina
- 1011 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Richmond, Virginia
- 1000 - Bethel Lutheran Church, Claremont, North Carolina
- 903 - Saint John's Lutheran Church, Conover, North Carolina
- 902 - Redeemer Lutheran Church, Richmond, Virginia
- 890 - Saint Peter Lutheran Church, Conover, North Carolina
- 880 - Holy Nativity Lutheran Church, Arbutus, Maryland
- 866 - Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Herndon, Virginia
- 845 - Hope Lutheran Church, Virginia Beach, Virginia
- 838 - Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Bel Air, Maryland
- 820 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- 779 - Grace Lutheran Church, La Plata, Maryland
- 763 - Redeemer Lutheran Church, Fredericksburg, Virginia
- 752 - St. John's Lutheran Church, Alexandria, Virginia
- 735 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Kingsville, Maryland
Largest in Washington, D.C.: Peace Lutheran Church, Marshall Heights, Washington, D.C., 281
Largest in Delaware: Saint John Lutheran Church, Dover, Delaware, 659
Largest in South Carolina: Calvary Lutheran Church, Charleston, South Carolina, 131