New England District (LCMS)
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The New England District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS), and encompasses all six New England states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. It comprises approximately 70 congregations and mission stations, subdivided into 9 circuits, as well as 32 preschools and 6 elementary schools. Baptized membership is over 22,000; with New England's total population standing at 14,240,000 as of 2005, the District's membership represents only 0.16% of the local population – the lowest of any of the LCMS' 33 geographical districts.
The New England District was formed in 1972 out of the Atlantic District. District offices are located in Springfield, Massachusetts; the Rev. James Keurulainen has been the district president since 1997, and was elected to a fourth term in 2006 [1]. 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 on June 1-3, 2006, and the next will be held in 2009.
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[edit] Presidents
- Rev. Robert J. Riedel, 1972-76
- Rev. Martin Dienst, 1976-85
- Rev. David Mulder, 1985-91
- Rev. Osmar Lehenbauer, 1991-97
- Rev. James E. Keurulainen, 1997-present
Riedel was among 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 [2].
Riedel (1961-72), Mulder (1981-85) and Lehenbauer (1986-91) had all previously served as pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Bristol, Connecticut [3].
[edit] Oldest congregations
- 1839 - First Lutheran Church, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts
- 1865 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Meriden, Connecticut
- 1866 - Saint Paul's Lutheran Church, Providence, Rhode Island
- 1867 - First Lutheran Church, Holyoke, Massachusetts
- 1871 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Roslindale, Boston, Massachusetts
- 1881 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Danbury, Connecticut
- 1883 - Zion Lutheran Church, Orange, Connecticut
- 1887 - Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, New Britain, Connecticut
- 1889 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Springfield, Massachusetts
- 1890 - Zion Lutheran Church, Manchester, Connecticut
- 1891 - Zion Lutheran Church, Wallingford, Connecticut
- 1892 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Bristol, Connecticut
- 1892 - Saint Luke Lutheran Church, Dedham, Massachusetts
- 1892 - Zion Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, Connecticut
- 1893 - Messiah Lutheran Church, Fitchburg, Massachusetts
- 1893 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Easthampton, Massachusetts
- 1895 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Manchester, New Hampshire
- 1895 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, New Hartford, Connecticut
- 1896 - Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Terryville, Connecticut
Oldest in Vermont: Community Lutheran Church, South Burlington, Vermont, 1952
Oldest in Maine: Redeemer Lutheran Church, Gorham, Maine, 1962
[edit] Largest congregations
- Membership totals are c. 2006.
- 1388 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Danbury, Connecticut
- 1319 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Bristol, Connecticut
- 682 - Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, Acton, Massachusetts
- 635 - Bethany Lutheran Church, West Hartford, Connecticut
- 549 - The Lutheran Church of the Savior, Bedford, Massachusetts
- 539 - Cheshire Lutheran Church, Cheshire, Connecticut
- 535 - Christ the King Lutheran Church, Newtown, Connecticut
- 525 - First Lutheran Church, Holyoke, Massachusetts
- 525 - Messiah Lutheran Church, Fitchburg, Massachusetts
- 518 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Meriden, Connecticut
Largest in Rhode Island: Saint Paul's Lutheran Church, Providence, Rhode Island, 513
Largest in New Hampshire: Grace Lutheran Church, Nashua, New Hampshire, 435
Largest in Vermont: Community Lutheran Church, South Burlington, Vermont, 378
Largest in Maine: Redeemer Lutheran Church, Gorham, Maine, 304
[edit] Congregations and missions
- Congregations established prior to 1930, or having 600 or more members, are noted (membership figures are c. 2006); in the absence of one or both of these within a circuit, the oldest and/or largest congregation is noted.
Circuit 1 (Northeast New England)
- Faith Lutheran Church, Exeter, New Hampshire
- Grace Lutheran Church, Nashua, New Hampshire - 435 members (largest in NH)
- Hope Lutheran Church, Bangor, Maine
- Immanuel Lutheran Church, Manchester, New Hampshire - est. 1895 (oldest in NH)
- The Lutheran Church of the Savior, Bedford, Massachusetts
- Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, Acton, Massachusetts - est. 1909; 682 members
- Redeemer Lutheran Church, Gorham, Maine - est. 1962; 304 members (oldest and largest in ME)
- Resurrection Lutheran Church, Waterville, Maine
Circuit 2 (Greater Boston)
- First Lutheran Church, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts - est. 1839
- Messiah Lutheran Church, Lynnfield, Massachusetts
- Our Savior Lutheran Church, Topsfield, Massachusetts
- Saint James Lutheran Church, Canton, Massachusetts
- Saint Luke Lutheran Church, Dedham, Massachusetts - est. 1892; 465 members
- Trinity Lutheran Church, Roslindale, Boston, Massachusetts - est. 1871
- Wollaston Lutheran Church, Quincy, Massachusetts
Circuit 3 (North/West New England)
- Christ Lutheran Church, Troy, New Hampshire - est. 1912
- Community Lutheran Church, South Burlington, Vermont - est. 1952; 378 members (oldest and largest in VT)
- Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Peterborough, New Hampshire
- Messiah Lutheran Church, Fitchburg, Massachusetts - est. 1893; 525 members
- Messiah Lutheran Church, Rutland, Vermont
- Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, New Ipswich, New Hampshire
- Our Savior Lutheran Church, Westminster, Massachusetts
- Trinity Lutheran Church, Clinton, Massachusetts - est. 1915
- Trinity Lutheran Church, Keene, New Hampshire
- Williamstown Lutheran Church, Graniteville, Vermont
Circuit 4 (South/East New England)
- Christ Lutheran Church, Scituate, Massachusetts
- Lutheran Church of the Cross, Hanover, Massachusetts
- Lutheran Church of the Way, Raynham, Massachusetts
- Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Smithfield, Rhode Island
- Our Savior Lutheran Church, Mashpee, Massachusetts
- Saint Paul's Lutheran Church, Providence, Rhode Island - est. 1866; 513 members (oldest and largest in RI)
- Trinity Lutheran Church, Ashaway, Rhode Island - est. 1922
Circuit 5 (Western Massachusetts)
- First Lutheran Church, Holyoke, Massachusetts - est. 1867; 525 members
- Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Suffield, Connecticut
- Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer, Enfield, Connecticut
- Saint John Lutheran Church, Westfield, Massachusetts - est. 1901
- Trinity Lutheran Church, Easthampton, Massachusetts - est. 1893
- Trinity Lutheran Church, Springfield, Massachusetts - est. 1889
Circuit 6 (Connecticut, Upper Central)
- Bethany Lutheran Church, West Hartford, Connecticut - 635 members
- Christ Lutheran Church, Hebron, Connecticut
- Hope Lutheran Church, Storrs, Connecticut
- Lutheran Church of the Deaf, West Hartford, Connecticut
- Our Savior Lutheran Church, South Windsor, Connecticut
- Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Coventry, Connecticut
- Redeemer Lutheran Church, Lebanon, Connecticut - est. 1916
- Zion Lutheran Church, Manchester, Connecticut - est. 1890
Circuit 7 (Connecticut, Lower Central)
- Cheshire Lutheran Church, Cheshire, Connecticut
- Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Terryville, Connecticut - est. 1896
- Immanuel Lutheran Church, Bristol, Connecticut - est. 1892; 1319 members
- Saint John Lutheran Church, Waterbury, Connecticut - est. 1903
- Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, New Britain, Connecticut - est. 1887
- Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Naugatuck, Connecticut - est. 1903
- Saint Paul Lutheran Church, New Hartford, Connecticut - est. 1895
- Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Bantam, Connecticut
Circuit 8 (Connecticut, Lower East)
- Christ Lutheran Church, Niantic, Connecticut
- Faith Lutheran Church, Groton, Connecticut
- Grace Lutheran Church, Middletown, Connecticut - est. 1901
- The Lutheran Church of Madison, Madison, Connecticut
- Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, New London, Connecticut - est. 1916
- Saint John Lutheran Church, Meriden, Connecticut - est. 1865; 518 members
- Zion Lutheran Church, Orange, Connecticut - est. 1883
- Zion Lutheran Church, Wallingford, Connecticut - est. 1891
Circuit 9 (Connecticut, Lower West)
- Christ the King Lutheran Church, Newtown, Connecticut
- First Lutheran Church, Greenwich, Connecticut
- Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, New Fairfield, Connecticut
- Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Trumbull, Connecticut
- Immanuel Lutheran Church, Danbury, Connecticut - est. 1881; 1388 members
- Saint Peter Lutheran Church, Norwalk, Connecticut - est. 1911
- Trinity Lutheran Church, New Milford, Connecticut
- Zion Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, Connecticut - est. 1892
[edit] External links
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