Iowa District West (LCMS)
Encyclopedia
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 174 congregations and missions, subdivided into 19 circuits
, as well as 43 preschools and 10 elementary schools
. Baptized
membership in district congregations is over 65,000.
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.
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 the western half of the state of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
including the state capital, Des Moines
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
; the rest of the state forms the Iowa District East
Iowa District East (LCMS)
The Iowa District East is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod , and covers the eastern half of the state of Iowa; the rest of the state forms the Iowa District West. The Iowa District East includes approximately 119 congregations and missions, subdivided into 12...
. The Iowa District West includes approximately 174 congregations and missions, subdivided into 19 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 43 preschools and 10 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...
. 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 district congregations is over 65,000.
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
Fort Dodge, Iowa
Fort Dodge is a city and county seat of Webster County, Iowa, United States, along the Des Moines River. The population was 25,206 in the 2010 census, an increase from 25,136 in the 2000 census. Fort Dodge is a major commercial center for North Central and Northwest Iowa. It is located on U.S...
; 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, IowaDayton, IowaDayton is a city in Webster County, Iowa, United States. The population was 884 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Dayton is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
- 1863 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Fort Dodge, IowaFort Dodge, IowaFort Dodge is a city and county seat of Webster County, Iowa, United States, along the Des Moines River. The population was 25,206 in the 2010 census, an increase from 25,136 in the 2000 census. Fort Dodge is a major commercial center for North Central and Northwest Iowa. It is located on U.S...
- 1866 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Boone, IowaBoone, IowaBoone is a city in and the county seat of Des Moines Township, Boone County, Iowa, United States. It is the principal city of the 'Boone, Iowa Micropolitan Statistical Area', which encompasses all of Boone County. This micropolitan statistical area, along with the 'Ames, Iowa Metropolitan...
- 1868 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Boone, IowaBoone, IowaBoone is a city in and the county seat of Des Moines Township, Boone County, Iowa, United States. It is the principal city of the 'Boone, Iowa Micropolitan Statistical Area', which encompasses all of Boone County. This micropolitan statistical area, along with the 'Ames, Iowa Metropolitan...
- 1869 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Clarinda, IowaClarinda, Iowa-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 5,572 in the city, with a population density of . There were 2,180 housing units, of which 1,928 were occupied....
- 1870 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Clarinda, IowaClarinda, Iowa-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 5,572 in the city, with a population density of . There were 2,180 housing units, of which 1,928 were occupied....
- 1870 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Marcus, IowaMarcus, IowaMarcus is a city in Cherokee County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,139 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Marcus is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
- 1871 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Spirit Lake, IowaSpirit Lake, IowaSpirit Lake is a city in Dickinson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,261 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Dickinson County.The town is located along the western shore of East Okoboji Lake, in the Iowa Great Lakes region....
- 1871 - Zion Lutheran Church, Dexter, IowaDexter, IowaDexter is a city in Dallas County, Iowa, United States. The population was 689 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area...
- 1871 - Zion Lutheran Church, Storm Lake, IowaStorm Lake, IowaStorm Lake is a city in Buena Vista County, Iowa, United States. The population was 10,600 in the 2010 census, an increase from 10,076 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Buena Vista County. Storm Lake is home to Buena Vista University, originally Buena Vista College...
- 1872 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Lidderdale, IowaLidderdale, IowaLidderdale is a city in Carroll County, Iowa, United States. The population was 186 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lidderdale is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
- 1872 - Zion Lutheran Church, Denison, IowaDenison, IowaDenison is a city in Crawford County, Iowa, United States, along the Boyer River. The population was 7,339 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Crawford County.-Geography:Denison is located at ....
- 1872 - Zion Lutheran Church, Ogden, IowaOgden, IowaOgden is a city in Yell Township, Boone County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,023 at the 2000 census. It is part of the 'Boone, Iowa Micropolitan Statistical Area', which is a part of the larger 'Ames-Boone, Iowa Combined Statistical Area'....
- 1873 - St. John's Lutheran Church, Hastings, IowaHastings, IowaHastings is a city in Mills County, Iowa, United States. The population was 214 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hastings is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
- 1873 - Zion Lutheran Church, Auburn, IowaAuburn, IowaAuburn is a city in Sac County, Iowa, United States. The population was 296 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Auburn is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
- 1874 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Greenfield, IowaGreenfield, IowaGreenfield is a city in Greenfield Township, Adair County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,129 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Adair County. The current courthouse, which sits in the middle of the Greenfield Square, was built in 1891 and is listed on the National Register of...
- 1874 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Webster City, IowaWebster City, IowaWebster City is a city in Hamilton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 8,070 at the United States 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Hamilton County. Webster City is known as 'Boone River Country' with the Boone River meandering along the east side of the city from north to south...
- 1875 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Lone Rock, IowaLone Rock, IowaLone Rock is a city in Kossuth County, Iowa, United States. The population was 157 at the 2000 census. The city is named after a large boulder.Lone Rock calls itself "The Neatest Little Town in Iowa."- History :...
- 1875 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Adair, IowaAdair, IowaAdair is a city in Adair and Guthrie Counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 839 at the 2000 census.The Guthrie County portion of Adair is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
- 1875 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Ireton, IowaIreton, IowaIreton is a city in Sioux County, Iowa, United States. The population was 585 at the 2000 census.-History:The town was founded in 1882 as a 12 block lay out. The location was picked around the water stop of a railroad. It was a part of a larger series of settlements of Englishmen in Northwest Iowa...
- 1875 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Manson, IowaManson, IowaManson is a city in Calhoun County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,893 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Manson is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
Largest congregations
- Membership totals include all baptized members and are according to the LCMS website.
- 2736 - Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Urbandale, IowaUrbandale, IowaUrbandale is a city in Polk and Dallas counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 29,072; a special census taken by the city in 2005 counted 35,904 residents and the United States Census Bureau estimated that 38,369 residents lived there in 2008...
- 2194 - Zion Lutheran Church, Denison, IowaDenison, IowaDenison is a city in Crawford County, Iowa, United States, along the Boyer River. The population was 7,339 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Crawford County.-Geography:Denison is located at ....
- 1613 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Fort Dodge, IowaFort Dodge, IowaFort Dodge is a city and county seat of Webster County, Iowa, United States, along the Des Moines River. The population was 25,206 in the 2010 census, an increase from 25,136 in the 2000 census. Fort Dodge is a major commercial center for North Central and Northwest Iowa. It is located on U.S...
- 1413 - Redeemer Lutheran Church, Sioux City, IowaSioux City, IowaSioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state....
- 1118 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Algona, IowaAlgona, IowaAlgona is a city in and the county seat of Kossuth County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,741 at the 2000 census. Ambrose A. Call State Park is located two miles southwest of the city.-History:...
- 1066 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Ida Grove, IowaIda Grove, IowaIda Grove is a city in Ida County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,350 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Ida County.-Geography:Ida Grove is located at...
- 1021 - Memorial Lutheran Church, Ames, IowaAmes, IowaAmes is a city located in the central part of the U.S. state of Iowa in Story County, and approximately north of Des Moines. The U.S. Census Bureau designates that Ames, Iowa metropolitan statistical area as encompassing all of Story County, and which, when combined with the Boone, Iowa...
- 990 - Zion Lutheran Church, Humboldt, IowaHumboldt, IowaHumboldt is a city in Humboldt County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,690 at the 2010 census, gaining 238 people since the 2000 census.- History :...
- 977 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Sioux City, IowaSioux City, IowaSioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state....
- 962 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Ankeny, IowaAnkeny, IowaAnkeny is a city in Polk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 45,562 in the 2010 census, an increase of 68% from the 27,117 population in the 2000 census. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
- 896 - First English Lutheran Church, Spencer, IowaSpencer, IowaSpencer is a city in the state of Iowa , and the county seat of Clay County . It is located at the confluence of the Little Sioux and Ocheyedan Rivers. The population was 11,233 in the 2010 census, a decline from 11,317 in the 2000 census. Spencer is famous as the home of the Clay County Fair,...
- 885 - Calvary Lutheran Church, Sioux City, IowaSioux City, IowaSioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state....
- 865 - Our Savior Lutheran Church, Denison, IowaDenison, IowaDenison is a city in Crawford County, Iowa, United States, along the Boyer River. The population was 7,339 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Crawford County.-Geography:Denison is located at ....
- 803 - St Paul Lutheran Church, Garner, IowaGarner, IowaGarner is a city in and the county seat of Hancock County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,129 in the 2010 census, an increase from 2,922 in the 2000 census. -History:...
- 789 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Spirit Lake, IowaSpirit Lake, IowaSpirit Lake is a city in Dickinson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,261 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Dickinson County.The town is located along the western shore of East Okoboji Lake, in the Iowa Great Lakes region....
- 786 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Boone, IowaBoone, IowaBoone is a city in and the county seat of Des Moines Township, Boone County, Iowa, United States. It is the principal city of the 'Boone, Iowa Micropolitan Statistical Area', which encompasses all of Boone County. This micropolitan statistical area, along with the 'Ames, Iowa Metropolitan...
- 2736 - Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Urbandale, Iowa