Nebraska District (LCMS)
Encyclopedia
The Nebraska District is one of the 35 districts
of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
(LCMS), and comprises the state of Nebraska
with the exception of its Panhandle
, which is in the Wyoming District
; the district also includes one congregation in Kansas
. In addition, one congregation near the state's western border is in the Rocky Mountain District
, and another in Lincoln
is in the non-geographic English District
. The Nebraska District includes approximately 243 congregations and missions, subdivided into 22 circuits
, as well as 38 preschools, 39 elementary schools
, 4 high schools and 1 summer camp. Baptized
membership in district congregations is approximately 110,000; with the total population of the district's area (Nebraska, excepting its 11 western counties) standing at 1,674,000 as of 2005, the district's membership represents 6.5% of the local population – the highest of any of the LCMS' 33 geographical districts.
The Nebraska District was formed in September 1970 when the Northern Nebraska and Southern Nebraska Districts merged; a portion of the Northern Nebraska District was simultaneously separated to create the Wyoming District. An earlier Nebraska District had existed from 1882 to 1922, before dividing until the 1970 reorganization. District offices are located in Seward, Nebraska
; Rev. Russell Sommerfeld has been the district president since 2003, having been reelected to second and third terms in 2006 and 2009 http://www.ndlcms.org/news/communications/Reporter/09/July-August.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 4-6, 2009, and the next will be held in June 8-9, 2012 at Concordia University Nebraska.
Concordia University Nebraska, part of the LCMS' Concordia University System
, is located within the district.
Only congregation in Kansas: First Lutheran Church, Summerfield, Kansas
, 1947
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 comprises the state of Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
with the exception of its Panhandle
Nebraska Panhandle
The Nebraska Panhandle is an area in the west of the state of Nebraska. A panhandle is an area extending from the rest of a political unit; the Nebraska panhandle is two-thirds as broad as the rest of the state. It is approximately 100 miles east to west and 125 miles north to south...
, which is in the Wyoming District
Wyoming District (LCMS)
The Wyoming District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod , and encompasses the state of Wyoming as well as the Nebraska Panhandle and one congregation in Colorado; the rest of Nebraska constitutes the Nebraska District except for one congregation in the Rocky Mountain...
; the district also includes one congregation in Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. In addition, one congregation near the state's western border is in the Rocky Mountain District
Rocky Mountain District (LCMS)
The Rocky Mountain District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod . It encompasses the states of Colorado, New Mexico and Utah, as well as El Paso County, Texas; the rest of Texas constitutes the Texas District, and one Colorado congregation is in the Wyoming District...
, and another in Lincoln
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
is 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...
. The Nebraska District includes approximately 243 congregations and missions, subdivided into 22 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 38 preschools, 39 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...
, 4 high schools and 1 summer camp. 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 approximately 110,000; with the total population of the district's area (Nebraska, excepting its 11 western counties) standing at 1,674,000 as of 2005, the district's membership represents 6.5% of the local population – the highest of any of the LCMS' 33 geographical districts.
The Nebraska District was formed in September 1970 when the Northern Nebraska and Southern Nebraska Districts merged; a portion of the Northern Nebraska District was simultaneously separated to create the Wyoming District. An earlier Nebraska District had existed from 1882 to 1922, before dividing until the 1970 reorganization. District offices are located in Seward, Nebraska
Seward, Nebraska
Seward is a city in Seward County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Lincoln, Nebraska Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 6,133 at the 2000 census...
; Rev. Russell Sommerfeld has been the district president since 2003, having been reelected to second and third terms in 2006 and 2009 http://www.ndlcms.org/news/communications/Reporter/09/July-August.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 4-6, 2009, and the next will be held in June 8-9, 2012 at Concordia University Nebraska.
Concordia University Nebraska, 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. Frederick A. Niedner, 1970–78
- Rev. Eldor W. Meyer, 1978-91
- Rev. Eugene V. Gierke, 1991-2003
- Rev. Russell L. Sommerfeld, 2003-present
Oldest congregations
- 1868 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Beemer, NebraskaBeemer, NebraskaBeemer is a village in Cuming County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 773 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Beemer is located at on the table lands adjoining the Elkhorn River bottoms, 84 miles from Omaha and nine miles northwest of West Point, near the geographic center of Cuming County...
- 1869 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Hooper, NebraskaHooper, NebraskaHooper is a city in Dodge County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 827 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hooper is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
- 1869 - St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Arlington, NebraskaArlington, NebraskaArlington is a village in Washington County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,197 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Arlington is located at ....
- 1870 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Seward, NebraskaSeward, NebraskaSeward is a city in Seward County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Lincoln, Nebraska Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 6,133 at the 2000 census...
- 1870 - Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Staplehurst, NebraskaStaplehurst, NebraskaStaplehurst is a village in Seward County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Lincoln, Nebraska Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 270 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Staplehurst is located at ....
- 1870 - Zion Lutheran Church, Hampton, NebraskaHampton, NebraskaHampton is a village in Hamilton County, Nebraska, USA. The population was 439 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hampton is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....
- 1871 - Christ Lutheran Church, Columbus, NebraskaColumbus, NebraskaColumbus is a city in east central Nebraska, United States. Its population was 22,111 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Platte County.-Pre-settlement history:...
- 1871 - Christ Lutheran Church, Norfolk, NebraskaNorfolk, NebraskaNorfolk is a city in Madison County, Nebraska, United States, 113 miles northwest of Omaha and 83 miles west of Sioux City at the intersection of U.S. Routes 81 and 275. The population was 24,210 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Nebraska. It is the principal city of the...
- 1871 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Louisville, NebraskaLouisville, NebraskaLouisville is a city in Cass County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,046 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Louisville is located at ....
- 1871 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Pierce, NebraskaPierce, NebraskaPierce is a city in Pierce County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Norfolk, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,767 at the 2010 census...
- 1871 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, West Point, NebraskaWest Point, NebraskaWest Point is a city in and the county seat of Cuming County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 3,660 at the 2000 census.-History:West Point was first founded in the spring of 1857, when Omaha businessmen formed the Nebraska Settlement Association in order to find suitable townsites in...
- 1871 - Saint Peter Lutheran Church, Elk Creek, NebraskaElk Creek, NebraskaElk Creek is a village in Johnson County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 112 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Elk Creek is located at ....
- 1872 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Battle Creek, NebraskaBattle Creek, NebraskaBattle Creek is a city in Madison County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Norfolk, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,158 at the 2000 census.-History:...
- 1872 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Waco, NebraskaWaco, NebraskaWaco is a village in York County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 256 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Waco is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....
- 1874 - Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sterling, NebraskaSterling, NebraskaSterling is a village in Johnson County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 507 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sterling is located at ....
- 1874 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Crete, NebraskaCrete, NebraskaCrete is a city in Saline County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 6,960 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Crete is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
- 1874 - St. John's Lutheran Church, Lyons, NebraskaLyons, NebraskaLyons is a city in Burt County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 851 in the 2010 U.S. Census. The city is named after its founder.-History :...
- 1874 - Trinity Lutheran Church, Hebron, NebraskaHebron, NebraskaHebron is a city in Thayer County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,565 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Thayer County.Hebron is the home of the world's largest porch swing.-Geography:Hebron is located at ....
- 1874 - Zion Lutheran Church, Bancroft, NebraskaBancroft, NebraskaBancroft is a village in Cuming County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 520 at the 2000 census.John Neihardt, who later became Nebraska's poet laureate, lived in Bancroft for twenty years and wrote many of his works there. His study is preserved at the John G...
- 1874 - Zion Lutheran Church, St. Libory, NebraskaSt. Libory, NebraskaSt. Libory is an unincorporated community in southeastern Howard County, Nebraska, United States. It lies along U.S. Route 281 southeast of the city of St. Paul, the county seat of Howard County. Its elevation is 1,863 feet . Although St. Libory is unincorporated, it has a post office, with...
Only congregation in Kansas: First Lutheran Church, Summerfield, Kansas
Summerfield, Kansas
Summerfield is a city in Marshall County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 156.-Geography:Summerfield is located at...
, 1947
Largest congregations
- Membership totals include all baptized members and are according to the LCMS website.
- 4625- King of Kings Lutheran Church, Omaha, NebraskaOmaha, NebraskaOmaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
- 3198- Divine Shepherd Lutheran Church, Omaha, NebraskaOmaha, NebraskaOmaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
- 2987- Messiah Lutheran Church, Lincoln, NebraskaLincoln, NebraskaThe City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
- 2588- Christ Lutheran Church, Lincoln, NebraskaLincoln, NebraskaThe City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
- 2498- Saint John Lutheran Church, Seward, NebraskaSeward, NebraskaSeward is a city in Seward County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Lincoln, Nebraska Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 6,133 at the 2000 census...
- 2409- Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, LaVista, Nebraska
- 2276- Christ Lutheran Church, Norfolk, NebraskaNorfolk, NebraskaNorfolk is a city in Madison County, Nebraska, United States, 113 miles northwest of Omaha and 83 miles west of Sioux City at the intersection of U.S. Routes 81 and 275. The population was 24,210 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Nebraska. It is the principal city of the...
- 2037- Trinity Lutheran Church, Fremont, NebraskaFremont, NebraskaFremont is a city in and the county seat of Dodge County, Nebraska, United States, near Omaha in the eastern part of the state. The population was 26,397 at the 2010 census....
- 2014- Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Kearney, NebraskaKearney, NebraskaKearney is a city in and the county seat of Buffalo County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 30,787 at the 2010 census. It is home to the University of Nebraska-Kearney....
- 1849- Trinity Lutheran Church, Grand Island, NebraskaGrand Island, NebraskaGrand Island is a city in and the county seat of Hall County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 48,520 at the 2010 census.Grand Island is home to the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center which is the sole agency responsible for training law enforcement officers throughout the state,...
- 1783- Peace Lutheran Church, Columbus, NebraskaColumbus, NebraskaColumbus is a city in east central Nebraska, United States. Its population was 22,111 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Platte County.-Pre-settlement history:...
- 1769- Our Savior Lutheran Church, Norfolk, NebraskaNorfolk, NebraskaNorfolk is a city in Madison County, Nebraska, United States, 113 miles northwest of Omaha and 83 miles west of Sioux City at the intersection of U.S. Routes 81 and 275. The population was 24,210 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Nebraska. It is the principal city of the...
- 1684- Faith Lutheran Church, Hastings, NebraskaHastings, NebraskaHastings is a city in and the county seat of Adams County, Nebraska, United States. It is the principal city of the Hastings, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Adams and Clay counties. The population was 24,907 at the 2010 census...
- 1617- Peace Lutheran Church, Grand Island, NebraskaGrand Island, NebraskaGrand Island is a city in and the county seat of Hall County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 48,520 at the 2010 census.Grand Island is home to the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center which is the sole agency responsible for training law enforcement officers throughout the state,...
- 1512- Emmanuel Lutheran Church, York, NebraskaYork, NebraskaYork is a city in York County, Nebraska, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,766. It is the county seat of York County. It is the home of York College and the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women.-Geography:...
- 4625- King of Kings Lutheran Church, Omaha, Nebraska
- Only congregation in Kansas: First Lutheran Church, Summerfield, KansasSummerfield, KansasSummerfield is a city in Marshall County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 156.-Geography:Summerfield is located at...
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