View source for English District of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod

{{Short description|Non-geographical district of the LCMS}}
{{Infobox diocese
| jurisdiction      = English District
| name              = the LCMS
| image             =
| image_size        =
| image_alt         =
| caption           =
<!---- Locations ---->
| country           = United States and Canada
| territory         = Non-geographic
| headquarters      = [[Farmington, Michigan]]
| coordinates       = <!-- Use {{coord}} -->
<!---- Statistics ---->
| area_km2          = <!-- Area in square kilometers, automatically converted -->
| area_sqmi         = <!-- Area in square miles, automatically converted -->
| area_footnotes    =
| population        =
| population_as_of  =
| congregations     = 158
| schools           = {{plainlist|
*38 preschool
*17 elementary
*2 secondary
}}
| members           = 36,043
<!---- Information ---->
| denomination      = [[Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod]]
| established       = 1911
| dissolved         =
<!---- Current leadership ---->
| bishop            = Rev. Jeffrey Miskus
| bishop_title      = <!---- Map ---->
| map               = EnglishDistrictLCMS.png
| map_size          = 250px
| map_alt           =
| map_caption       =
<!---- Website ---->
| website           = {{url|www.englishdistrict.org}}
| footnotes         =
}}
The '''English District''' is one of the [[Districts of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod|35 districts]] of the [[Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod]] (LCMS). It is one of the Synod's two non-geographical districts, along with the [[SELC District of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod|SELC District]]. The district presently has congregations in the states of [[Arizona]], [[California]], [[Florida]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], [[Idaho]], [[Illinois]], [[Indiana]], [[Kentucky]], [[Michigan]], [[Minnesota]], [[Missouri]], [[Nebraska]], [[Nevada]], [[New Jersey]], [[New York (state)|New York]], [[Ohio]], [[Pennsylvania]], [[Texas]], [[Utah]], [[Virginia]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], [[West Virginia]], and [[Wisconsin]], as well as the Canadian province of [[Ontario]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Find A Church, School, Worker |url=https://locator.lcms.org/ |access-date=2024-02-29 |website=[[The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod]]}}</ref>
The district has its origins in the congregations of the former '''English Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri and Other States''', which merged with the LCMS in 1911. The '''English Synod''' had been formally organized in 1888 out of the '''English (Evangelical) Lutheran Conference of Missouri''' of the [[Evangelical Lutheran Tennessee Synod]].
== History ==
Prior to 1839, a group of Lutherans of the [[Evangelical Lutheran Tennessee Synod]] moved from western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee to southeast Missouri. In 1872, a free conference was held in [[Gravelton, Missouri]], with participants from that group, the LCMS, the Holston Synod, and the [[Synod of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America|Norwegian Synod]]. The LCMS president, [[C. F. W. Walther]], urged the Tennessee Synod members to organize themselves as a conference of the Tennessee Synod, the English (Evangelical) Lutheran Conference of Missouri.<ref name="Cyclopedia">{{cite encyclopedia|year=2000|title=Missouri and Other States, The English Evangelical Lutheran Synod of|encyclopedia=[[Christian Cyclopedia]]|publisher=[[Concordia Publishing House]]|location=St. Louis|url=http://cyclopedia.lcms.org/display.asp?t1=M&word=MISSOURIANDOTHERSTATES.THEENGLISHEVANGELICALLUTHERANSYNODOF|access-date=July 1, 2019|editor1-last=Lueker|editor1-first=Erwin L.|edition=Online|editor2-first=Luther|editor2-last=Poellot|editor3-first=Paul|editor3-last=Jackson}}</ref>
The conference applied for admission to the LCMS as a district in 1887, but was advised to instead form a separate [[synod]] because the LCMS was still a German-language synod while the conference used English. The conference therefore organized as the independent English Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri and Other States in 1888. The English Synod was in full agreement with the LCMS on doctrine, and joined the [[Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America|Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference]] in 1890.<ref name="Cyclopedia" />
In 1911, with members of the LCMS itself becoming at least bilingually English-speaking, the English Synod merged into the LCMS. However, because it wanted to maintain its identity, it was accepted as a non-geographical district. Despite the [[Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod#Transition to English|transition of the LCMS to English]], the English District has continued as a separate district.<ref name="Cyclopedia" />
The English Synod operated two colleges, both acquired in 1893. In 1908, it gave [[St. John's College (Kansas)|St. John's College]] of [[Winfield, Kansas]], to the LCMS. [[Concordia College (North Carolina)|Concordia College]] of [[Conover, North Carolina]], was transferred to the LCMS at the time of the merger.<ref name="Cyclopedia" /> Both colleges have since closed.
''[[The Lutheran Witness]]'', the main lay-oriented magazine of the LCMS, was originally published, starting in 1882, by the Cleveland District Conference. The English Synod took over publication in 1888, and it became an LCMS publication upon the 1911 merger.<ref name="Cyclopedia" />
== Current status ==
{{As of|2024}}, the district includes 158 congregations and missions in 22 [[U.S. state]]s and the [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Canadian province]] of [[Ontario]], subdivided into 25 [[circuit (LCMS)|circuits]], as well as 38 [[Lutheran school|preschools]], 17 [[Lutheran school|elementary schools]], and 2 [[Lutheran school|high schools]]. [[Baptism|Baptized]] membership in district congregations is approximately 36,053.<ref>{{cite web |title=English District - EN 14 |url=https://www.lcms.org/page.aspx?pid=456&reid=x9xQtKwqE7Zs7Lc8STfTkQ==&bbsys=0&bbrt=0 |access-date=February 28, 2024 |website=[[The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod]]}}</ref>
English District offices are located in [[Farmington, Michigan]]. 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.
==Bishops/Presidents==
* Henry Philip Eckhardt, 1911–1912
* M. S. Sommer, 1912–1915
* John Adam Detzer, 1915–1918
* O. C. Kreinheder, 1918–1927
* Guido R. Schuessler, 1927–1936
* Paul Lindemann, 1936–1938
* Martin Walker, 1938–1945
* Herman William Bartels, 1945–1951
* Hugo G. Kleiner, 1951–1963
* Bertwin L. Frey, 1963–1970
* John H. Baumgaertner, 1970–1974
* Harold L. Hecht, 1974–1976
* George W. Bornemann, 1976–1984
* Donald F. Jung, 1984–1986
* Roger D. Pittelko, 1986–1997
* David H. Ritt, 1997–2006
* David P. Stechholz, 2006–2015
* Jamison J. Hardy, 2015–2024
*Jeffrey Miskus, 2024-Present
Hecht was one of four district presidents who were removed from office by Synod President [[J. A. O. Preus II|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]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chi.lcms.org/history/tih0402.htm|title=Concordia Historical Institute: Department of Archives and History, LCMS|website=chi.lcms.org|access-date=2006-10-19|archive-date=2010-07-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100726222206/http://chi.lcms.org//history/tih0402.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Notes ==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://www.englishdistrict.org/ English District web site]
* [https://www.lcms.org/page.aspx?pid=456&reid=x9xQtKwqE7Zs7Lc8STfTkQ%3d%3d&bbsys=0&bbrt=0 LCMS: English District]
* [http://locator.lcms.org/nchurches_frm/church.asp LCMS Congregation Directory]
{{LCMS-Districts}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:English District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod}}
[[Category:Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod districts]]
[[Category:Christian organizations established in 1911]]
[[Category:1911 establishments in North America]]