Central Illinois District (LCMS)
The Central Illinois District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS), and covers the middle third of the state of Illinois; the rest of the state is divided between the Northern Illinois District and the Southern Illinois District. The Central Illinois District includes approximately 159 congregations and missions, subdivided into 16 circuits, as well as 30 preschools, 23 elementary schools and 3 high schools. Baptized membership in district congregations is over 70,000. [1]
The Central Illinois District was formed in 1907 when the Illinois District was divided. District offices are located in the state capital, Springfield, Illinois. 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. Mark A. Miller became the district president in 2012. The 56th Regular Convention was held on July 5–7, 2009 in Springfield, IL under the convention theme of "Born Again to a Living Hope," from 1 Peter 1:3. [2] The 57th Regular Convention was held July 8–10, 2012 in Springfield, IL. [3]
Presidents
- Rev. Frederick Brand, 1907–17
- Rev. Fred William Brockmann, 1917–18
- Rev. August Friedrich Wilhelm Heyne, 1918–27
- Rev. P. Schulz, 1927–32
- Rev. Philip Wilhelm, 1932–33
- Rev. Walter Ernest Hohenstein, 1933–35
- Rev. John Carl Schuelke, 1935–42
- Rev. Albert Otto Carl Bernthal, 1942–48
- Rev. Emil Frederick Tonn, 1948–54
- Rev. Alvin W. Mueller, 1954–63
- Rev. Lewis C. Niemoeller, 1963–70
- Rev. Rudolph A. Haak, 1970–74
- Rev. Arthur T. Kuehnert, 1974–85
- Rev. Robert T. Kuhn, 1985–95
- Rev. David J. Bueltmann, 1995–2012
- Rev. Mark A. Miller, 2012-present
Oldest congregations
- 1837 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Quincy, Illinois
- 1841 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Springfield, Illinois
- 1845 - Concordia Lutheran Church, Warsaw, Illinois
- 1848 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Beardstown, Illinois
- 1849 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Bath, Illinois
- 1850 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Chapin, Illinois
- 1850 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Havana, Illinois
- 1851 - Saint James Lutheran Church, Quincy, Illinois
- 1851 - Zion Lutheran Church, Mount Pulaski, Illinois
- 1852 - Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Golden, Illinois
- 1852 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Pekin, Illinois
- 1852 - Zion Lutheran Church, East Moline, Illinois
- 1854 - Zion Lutheran Church, Taylor Ridge, Illinois
- 1855 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Champaign, Illinois
- 1856 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Rock Island, Illinois
- 1857 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Peoria, Illinois
- 1858 - Salem Lutheran Church, Jacksonville, Illinois
- 1858 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Bloomington, Illinois
- 1860 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Dieterich, Illinois
- 1860 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Decatur, Illinois
Largest congregations
- Membership totals include all baptized members and are according to the LCMS website.
- 3370- Trinity Lutheran Church, Bloomington, Illinois
- 2806- Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Decatur, Illinois
- 2525- Redeemer Lutheran Church, Peoria, Illinois
- 2002- Trinity Lutheran Church, Springfield, Illinois
- 1739- Saint John Lutheran Church, Decatur, Illinois
- 1714- Our Savior Lutheran Church, Springfield, Illinois
- 1458- Bethel Lutheran Church, Morton, Illinois
- 1450- Saint John's Lutheran Church, Mattoon, Illinois
- 1356- Trinity Lutheran Church, Peoria, Illinois
- 1241- Saint John Lutheran Church, Pekin, Illinois
- 1186- Saint John Lutheran Church, Green Valley, Illinois
- 1141- Saint John Lutheran Church, Champaign, Illinois
- 1122- Saint Peter Lutheran Church, East Peoria, Illinois
- 1117- Saint John Lutheran Church, Effingham, Illinois
- 1019- Immanuel Lutheran Church, Altamont, Illinois
