Atlantic District (LCMS)
Encyclopedia
The Atlantic District is one of the 35 districts
of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
(LCMS), and covers eastern New York
state: New York City
, Long Island
, the Hudson Valley
, and the Capital District
. It comprises approximately 100 congregations and a number of mission stations, subdivided into 12 circuits
, as well as 22 preschools
, 16 elementary schools
and 6 utheran school|high schools. Baptized
membership in Atlantic District congregations is approximately 36,000.http://lcms.org/page.aspx?pid=456&reid=HvbrbSDwoMckhevlHthPvA%3d%3d&bbsys=0&bbrt=0 The rest of New York is included in the Eastern District
; in addition, four congregations in the New York City area are in the non-geographic English District
, and one congregation in Yonkers
is in the SELC District
.
The Atlantic District was formed in May 1906 out of the Eastern District; portions of the district were separated into the New England District
and the New Jersey District
in 1972. District offices are located in Bronxville, New York
; Rev. Dr. David Benke
has been the district president since September 1991, and was reelected to a seventh term in 2009 http://www.ad-lcms.org/pdfs/AD_Convention_2009_Session_1.pdf. 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 June 5-6, 2009, and the next will be held June 8-9, 2012 at Concordia College, Bronxville.
Concordia College, Bronxville
, part of the LCMS' Concordia University System
, is located within the district.
Ressmeyer was one of four district presidents who were removed from office by Synod President 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
http://chi.lcms.org/history/tih0402.htm.
Districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod is organized into 35 districts, 33 of which are defined along geographic lines. Each district has a president who oversees the congregations in his district, which are further subdivided into local circuits...
of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 2.3 million members, it is both the eighth largest Protestant denomination and the second-largest Lutheran body in the U.S. after the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Synod...
(LCMS), and covers eastern New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
state: New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, the Hudson Valley
Hudson Valley
The Hudson Valley comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in New York State, United States, from northern Westchester County northward to the cities of Albany and Troy.-History:...
, and the Capital District
Capital District
New York's Capital District, also known as the Capital Region, is a region in upstate New York that generally refers to the four counties surrounding Albany, the capital of the state: Albany County, Schenectady County, Rensselaer County, and Saratoga County...
. It comprises approximately 100 congregations and a number of mission stations, subdivided into 12 circuits
Circuit (LCMS)
A circuit, in the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod , is a local grouping of congregations within one of the Synod's 35 districts. Circuits typically include 8 to 12 congregations...
, as well as 22 preschools
Lutheran school
Lutheran schools and education were a priority for Lutherans who emigrated to the United States and Australia from Germany and Scandinavia. One of the first things they did was to create schools for their children. This strong educational tradition was handed down from Martin Luther himself. The...
, 16 elementary schools
Lutheran school
Lutheran schools and education were a priority for Lutherans who emigrated to the United States and Australia from Germany and Scandinavia. One of the first things they did was to create schools for their children. This strong educational tradition was handed down from Martin Luther himself. The...
and 6 utheran school|high schools. Baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
membership in Atlantic District congregations is approximately 36,000.http://lcms.org/page.aspx?pid=456&reid=HvbrbSDwoMckhevlHthPvA%3d%3d&bbsys=0&bbrt=0 The rest of New York is included in the Eastern District
Eastern District (LCMS)
The Eastern District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod , and covers: most of upstate New York; Pennsylvania, with the exception of York and Lancaster Counties; and Garrett County at the western corner of the Maryland panhandle...
; in addition, four congregations in the New York City area are in the non-geographic English District
English District (LCMS)
The English District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod . It is one of the Synod's two non-geographical districts, along with the SELC District, and has its origins in the congregations of the former English Evangelical Lutheran Synod, which merged with the LCMS in...
, and one congregation in Yonkers
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
is in the SELC District
SELC District (LCMS)
The SELC District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod . It is one of the Synod's two non-geographical districts, along with the English District, and has its origins in the congregations of the former Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church, which merged with the LCMS in...
.
The Atlantic District was formed in May 1906 out of the Eastern District; portions of the district were separated into the New England District
New England District (LCMS)
The New England District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod , and encompasses all six New England states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. In addition, three congregations in southwest Connecticut are in the non-geographic...
and the New Jersey District
New Jersey District (LCMS)
The New Jersey District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod , and comprises the state of New Jersey; five of the state's congregations are in the non-geographic English District, and five more are in the SELC District...
in 1972. District offices are located in Bronxville, New York
Bronxville, New York
Bronxville is an affluent village within the town of Eastchester, New York, in the United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located approximately north of midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County. At the 2010 census, Bronxville had a population of 6,323...
; Rev. Dr. David Benke
David Benke
David Benke is a Lutheran pastor and the current president of the Atlantic District of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.-Education and career:Benke was born on May 5, 1946 in Milwaukee, WI as the first child of Raymond and Dorothea Benke...
has been the district president since September 1991, and was reelected to a seventh term in 2009 http://www.ad-lcms.org/pdfs/AD_Convention_2009_Session_1.pdf. 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 June 5-6, 2009, and the next will be held June 8-9, 2012 at Concordia College, Bronxville.
Concordia College, Bronxville
Concordia College, Bronxville
Concordia College is a four-year coeducational liberal arts college located in the village of Bronxville, in Westchester County, New York, United States....
, part of the LCMS' Concordia University System
Concordia University System
The Concordia University System is an organization of ten colleges and universities throughout the United States operated by the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod . All ten institutions are named "Concordia" and all include professional church work programs as part of their curricula. The CUS was...
, is located within the district.
Presidents
- Rev. Ernst C. L. Schulze, 1906-18
- Rev. Philip H. L. Birkner, 1918-30
- Rev. Arthur J. C. Brunn, 1930-41
- Rev. George K. A. Koenig, 1941-42
- Rev. Herman J. Rippe, 1942-60
- Rev. Karl F. Graesser, 1960-67
- Rev. Rudolph P. F. Ressmeyer, 1967-76
- Rev. Henry L. Koepchen, 1976 (acting president)
- Rev. Ronald F. Fink, 1976-89
- Rev. James Zwernemann, 1989-91
- Rev. Dr. David H. Benke, 1991-present
Ressmeyer was one of four district presidents who were removed from office by Synod President J. A. O. Preus
J. A. O. Preus II
Jacob Aall Ottesen Preus II was a Lutheran pastor, professor, author, and church president. He served as the president of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod from 1969-1981. He was a major figure in the Seminex affair which resulted in a schism in the Missouri Synod.Preus attended Luther Seminary...
on April 2, 1976 for non-compliance with synodical directives on the ordination and placement of improperly endorsed ministerial candidates from Seminex
Seminex
Seminex is the widely used abbreviation for Concordia Seminary in Exile . An institution for the training of Lutheran ministers, Seminex existed from 1974 to 1987. It was formed after a walk-out by dissident faculty and students of Concordia Seminary in St...
http://chi.lcms.org/history/tih0402.htm.
Oldest congregations
- 1664 - Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Washington Heights, Manhattan, New YorkWashington Heights, ManhattanWashington Heights is a New York City neighborhood in the northern reaches of the borough of Manhattan. It is named for Fort Washington, a fortification constructed at the highest point on Manhattan island by Continental Army troops during the American Revolutionary War, to defend the area from the...
(oldest congregation in the Missouri Synod and in North America) - 1838 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Albany, New YorkAlbany, New YorkAlbany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
- 1844 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Glendale, Queens, New YorkGlendale, QueensGlendale is a neighborhood in the west-central portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. It is bounded by Cooper Avenue to the north, Woodhaven Boulevard to the east, Myrtle Avenue to the south and Fresh Pond Road to the West...
- 1844 - Saint John the Evangelist Lutheran Church, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New YorkWilliamsburg, BrooklynWilliamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to the north, Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick to the east and the East River to the west. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 1. The neighborhood is served by the NYPD's 90th ...
- 1850 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Hicksville, New YorkHicksville, New YorkHicksville is a hamlet and census-designated place located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population of the CDP was 41,547 at the 2010 census...
- 1852 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Port Richmond, Staten Island, New YorkPort Richmond, Staten IslandPort Richmond is a neighborhood situated on the North Shore of Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City, United States. It is along the waterfront of the Kill Van Kull, with the southern terminus of the Bayonne Bridge serving as the boundary between it and Mariners Harbor, the...
- 1854 - Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Albany, New YorkAlbany, New YorkAlbany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
- 1857 - Saint John Lutheran Church, College Point, Queens, New YorkCollege Point, QueensCollege Point is a working-middle class neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is located north of Flushing on Flushing Bay and the East River and is part of the Queens Community Board 7. Willets Point Boulevard and the Whitestone Expressway are often the neighborhood's...
- 1861 - Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Hastings-on-Hudson, New YorkHastings-on-Hudson, New YorkHastings-on-Hudson is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in the southwest part of the town of Greenburgh. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 7,849. It lies on U.S. Route 9, "Broadway" in Hastings...
- 1868 - Saint Mark Lutheran Church, Bushwick, Brooklyn, New YorkBushwick, BrooklynBushwick is a neighborhood in the northern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood, formerly Brooklyn's 18th Ward, is now part of Brooklyn Community Board 4...
- 1869 - Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Hudson, New YorkHudson, New YorkHudson is a city located along the west border of Columbia County, New York, United States. The city is named after the adjacent Hudson River and ultimately after the explorer Henry Hudson.Hudson is the county seat of Columbia County...
- 1870 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Stuyvesant, New YorkStuyvesant, New YorkStuyvesant is a town in Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 2,188 at the 2000 census.The Town of Stuyvesant is in the northwest part of Columbia County...
- 1872 - Zion Lutheran Church, Schenectady, New YorkSchenectady, New YorkSchenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
- 1879 - Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Canarsie, Brooklyn, New YorkCanarsie, BrooklynCanarsie is a neighborhood in the southeastern portion of the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City, United States. The area is part of Brooklyn Community Board 18....
- 1886 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New YorkBay Ridge, BrooklynBay Ridge is a neighborhood in the southwest corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA. It is bounded by Sunset Park on the north, Seventh Avenue and Dyker Heights on the east, The Narrows Strait, which partially houses the Belt Parkway, on the west and 86th Street and Fort Hamilton on...
- 1887 - Emanuel Lutheran Church, Corona, Queens, New YorkCorona, QueensCorona is a densely-populated neighborhood in the former Township of Newtown in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States...
- 1887 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Bushwick, Brooklyn, New YorkBushwick, BrooklynBushwick is a neighborhood in the northern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood, formerly Brooklyn's 18th Ward, is now part of Brooklyn Community Board 4...
- 1893 - The Lutheran Church of St. John, Flushing, Queens, New YorkFlushing, QueensFlushing, founded in 1645, is a neighborhood in the north central part of the City of New York borough of Queens, east of Manhattan.Flushing was one of the first Dutch settlements on Long Island. Today, it is one of the largest and most diverse neighborhoods in New York City...
- 1894 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Saratoga Springs, New YorkSaratoga Springs, New YorkSaratoga Springs, also known as simply Saratoga, is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 26,586 at the 2010 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area. While the word "Saratoga" is known to be a corruption of a Native American name, ...
- 1894 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Hawthorne, New YorkHawthorne, New YorkHawthorne is an unincorporated hamlet and census-designated place located in the town of Mount Pleasant in Westchester County, New York. The population was 4,586 at the 2010 census.-History:...
Largest congregations
- Membership totals include baptized members and are according to the LCMS website.
- 2630 - Saint James Lutheran Church, St. James, New YorkSt. James, New YorkSt. James is a census-designated place in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 13,268 at the 2000 census. St. James is part of the Town of Smithtown, New York, located on the North Shore of Long Island. The zip code is 11780....
- 2130 - Saint John's Lutheran Church, Sayville, New YorkSayville, New YorkSayville is a hamlet and CDP in Suffolk County, New York, . Located on the south shore of Long Island in the Town of Islip, the population of the CDP was 16,735 at the time of the 2000 census.-History:...
- 1375 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Hicksville, New YorkHicksville, New YorkHicksville is a hamlet and census-designated place located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population of the CDP was 41,547 at the 2010 census...
- 1315 - The Village Lutheran Church, Bronxville, New YorkBronxville, New YorkBronxville is an affluent village within the town of Eastchester, New York, in the United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located approximately north of midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County. At the 2010 census, Bronxville had a population of 6,323...
- 1277 - Zion Lutheran Church, Schenectady, New YorkSchenectady, New YorkSchenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
- 1240 - Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Middle Island, New YorkMiddle Island, New YorkMiddle Island is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 9,702 at the 2000 census. It is situated between the towns of Coram and Ridge, to the west and east, respectively, and Rocky Point and Yaphank to the north and south...
- 1082 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Walden, New YorkWalden, New YorkWalden is the largest of three villages of the Town of Montgomery in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 6,978 at the 2010 census. It has the ZIP Code 12586 and the 778 telephone exchange within the 845 area code...
- 1010 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Saratoga Springs, New YorkSaratoga Springs, New YorkSaratoga Springs, also known as simply Saratoga, is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 26,586 at the 2010 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area. While the word "Saratoga" is known to be a corruption of a Native American name, ...
- 992 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Islip, New YorkIslip, New YorkIslip is a hamlet and CDP that lies within the much larger Town of Islip in Suffolk County, New York. Located on the south shore of Long Island, the CDP had a population of 20,575 at the time of the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- 884 - Lutheran Church Of The Resurrection, Garden City, New YorkGarden City, New YorkGarden City is a village in the town of Hempstead in central Nassau County, New York, in the United States. It was founded by multi-millionaire Alexander Turney Stewart in 1869, and is located on Long Island, to the east of New York City, from mid-town Manhattan, and just south of the town of...
- 876 - Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Delmar, New YorkDelmar, New YorkDelmar is a hamlet in the town of Bethlehem, Albany County, New York. A census-designated place has been established since 1980 by the US Bureau of Census for tabulating the population of what the census has defined as the boundaries of the urbanized area in and around Delmar. The population was...
- 858 - Our Savior Lutheran Church, Fishkill, New YorkFishkill, New YorkFishkill is an upscale village within the much larger town, Town of Fishkill, one of the fastest growing towns in the region, in Dutchess County, New York, USA. The village population was 1,735 at the 2000 census...
- 838 - Our Savior Lutheran Church, Centereach, New YorkCentereach, New YorkAs of the census of 2000, there were 27,285 people, 8,176 households, and 6,998 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,429.4 per square mile . There were 8,329 housing units at an average density of 1,046.8/sq mi...
- 783 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Monroe, New YorkMonroe (town), New YorkMonroe is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 31,407 at the 2000 census. The town is named after President James Monroe....
- 768 - Our Savior Lutheran Church, Dix Hills, New YorkDix Hills, New YorkDix Hills is a hamlet Dix Hills is a hamlet Dix Hills is a hamlet (and a census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Huntington on the North Shore of Long Island in Suffolk County, New York, United States. Dix Hills was named the 19th most affluent U.S. neighborhood by Forbes in 2008.. It is one...
- 2630 - Saint James Lutheran Church, St. James, New York