SELC District (LCMS)
Encyclopedia
The SELC District is one of the 35 districts
of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
(LCMS). 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 1971. The SELC had been formed in 1902 in Connellsville, Pennsylvania
, and changed its name to the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in 1959 due to decreasing identification with the Slovak language
and culture
.
The district now includes approximately 52 congregations and missions (the fewest of any LCMS district), subdivided into 4 circuits
, as well as 13 preschools
and 4 elementary schools
. http://lcms.org/page.aspx?pid=456&reid=5%2bN6OUsAtp6%2f0L1XvnYi2A%3d%3d&bbsys=0&bbrt=0 Spread over 11 U.S. state
s and the Canadian
provinces of Ontario
and Quebec
, the great majority of congregations are in the Great Lakes
and Mid-Atlantic
regions. Baptized
membership in district congregations is over approximately 17,000.
SELC District offices are located in Cudahy, Wisconsin
; the Rev. Carl Krueger, Jr. has been the district president since 1997, and was reelected to a fifth term in 2009 http://www.lcms.org/pages/rpage.asp?NavID=15403. 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 22-25, 2009, and the next will be held June 22-24, 2012 in Oviedo, FL.
Oldest in Indiana
: Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Whiting, Indiana
, 1904
Only congregation in Missouri
: Saint Lucas Lutheran Church, Boulevard Heights
, St. Louis, Missouri
, 1905
Oldest in Wisconsin
: Saint John Lutheran Church, Cudahy, Wisconsin
, 1906
Oldest in Virginia
: Saint John the Baptist Lutheran Church, Emporia, Virginia
, 1909
Oldest in Florida
: Saint Luke's Lutheran Church, Oviedo, Florida
, 1912
Only congregation in Quebec: Ascension Lutheran Church, Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension
, Montreal
, 1929
Oldest in Ontario: Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Corso Italia, Toronto
, 1942
Largest in Pennsylvania
: Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
, 395
Largest in Indiana: Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Whiting, Indiana
, 268
Largest in Connecticut
: Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Greenwich, Connecticut
, 201
Largest in Ontario: Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, Chatham, Ontario
, 180
Largest in Virginia: Saint John the Baptist Lutheran Church, Emporia, Virginia
, 148
Only congregation in Quebec: Ascension Lutheran Church, Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension
, Montreal
, 140
Only congregation in New York
: Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Yonkers, New York
, 114
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). It is one of the Synod's two non-geographical districts, along with the 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 has its origins in the congregations of the former Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church
Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church
The Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches was an American Lutheran Christian denomination that existed from 1902 to 1971. In 1971 it merged with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, and it now operates as a non-geographic district of that body .The denomination was founded by Slovak Lutheran...
, which merged with the LCMS in 1971. The SELC had been formed in 1902 in Connellsville, Pennsylvania
Connellsville, Pennsylvania
Connellsville is a city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, USA, 57 miles southeast of Pittsburgh on the Youghiogheny River, a tributary of the Monongahela River. It is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. In 1890, 5,629 people lived in Connellsville, which was a borough at that time...
, and changed its name to the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in 1959 due to decreasing identification with the Slovak language
Slovak language
Slovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...
and culture
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
.
The district now includes approximately 52 congregations and missions (the fewest of any LCMS district), subdivided into 4 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 13 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...
and 4 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...
. http://lcms.org/page.aspx?pid=456&reid=5%2bN6OUsAtp6%2f0L1XvnYi2A%3d%3d&bbsys=0&bbrt=0 Spread over 11 U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
s and the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
provinces of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, the great majority of congregations are in the Great Lakes
Great Lakes region (North America)
The Great Lakes region of North America, occasionally known as the Third Coast or the Fresh Coast , includes the eight U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as well as the Canadian province of Ontario...
and Mid-Atlantic
Mid-Atlantic States
The Mid-Atlantic states, also called middle Atlantic states or simply the mid Atlantic, form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South...
regions. 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 approximately 17,000.
SELC District offices are located in Cudahy, Wisconsin
Cudahy, Wisconsin
Cudahy is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 18,429 at the 2000 census.-History:Originally known as the Buckhorn Settlement, it was renamed in the late 1800s when Patrick Cudahy purchased 700 acres of land in the Town of Lake, two miles from the Milwaukee city...
; the Rev. Carl Krueger, Jr. has been the district president since 1997, and was reelected to a fifth term in 2009 http://www.lcms.org/pages/rpage.asp?NavID=15403. 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 22-25, 2009, and the next will be held June 22-24, 2012 in Oviedo, FL.
Presidents
- Rev. Albert M. Marcis, 1972-1997http://www.calvaryparma.org/aboutus_church.html
- Rev. Carl H. Krueger, Jr., 1997-present
Oldest congregations
- 1884 - Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, StreatorStreator, IllinoisStreator is a city in LaSalle and partially in Livingston counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city is situated on the Vermilion River approximately southwest of Chicago, Illinois in the prairie and farm land of north-central Illinois. It is the center of the geographic region known as...
, IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... - 1891 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Braddock, Pennsylvania
- 1892 - Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, GarfieldGarfield, New JerseyGarfield is a city in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 30,487.When the area that is now Garfield was first developed in 1873, it was known as East Passaic. In 1881, the community's name was changed to Garfield in honor of...
, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware... - 1892 - Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, ParmaParma, OhioParma is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is the largest suburb of Cleveland and the seventh largest city in the state of Ohio...
, OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus... - 1894 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Raritan, New JerseyRaritan, New JerseyRaritan is a Borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 6,881.-Geography:Raritan is located at ....
- 1894 - Saint Stephen Lutheran Church, Dickson City, PennsylvaniaDickson City, PennsylvaniaDickson City is a borough in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, north of Scranton. Coal mining had been an important industry in the past. Some of the population totals follow: in 1900, 4,948; in 1910, 9,331; in 1920, 11,049; and in 1940, 11,548...
- 1895 - Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Yonkers, New YorkYonkers, New YorkYonkers 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...
- 1896 - Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Wilkes-Barre, PennsylvaniaWilkes-Barre, PennsylvaniaWilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
- 1902 - Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Pleasant City, OhioPleasant City, OhioPleasant City is a village in Guernsey County, Ohio, United States. The population was 439 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Pleasant City is located at ....
- 1902 - Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Greenwich, ConnecticutGreenwich, ConnecticutGreenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
Oldest in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
: Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Whiting, Indiana
Whiting, Indiana
Whiting is a city located in the Chicago Metropolitan Area in Lake County, Indiana, which was founded in 1889. The city is located on the southern shore of Lake Michigan. It is roughly 16 miles from the Chicago Loop and just short of two miles from Chicago's South Side. Whiting is home to Whiting...
, 1904
Only congregation in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
: Saint Lucas Lutheran Church, Boulevard Heights
Boulevard Heights, St. Louis
Boulevard Heights is a neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri.- References :...
, St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, 1905
Oldest in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
: Saint John Lutheran Church, Cudahy, Wisconsin
Cudahy, Wisconsin
Cudahy is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 18,429 at the 2000 census.-History:Originally known as the Buckhorn Settlement, it was renamed in the late 1800s when Patrick Cudahy purchased 700 acres of land in the Town of Lake, two miles from the Milwaukee city...
, 1906
Oldest in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
: Saint John the Baptist Lutheran Church, Emporia, Virginia
Emporia, Virginia
Emporia is an independent city located within the confines of Greensville County, Virginia, United States. The population was estimated to be 5,927 in 2010. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Emporia with surrounding Greensville county for statistical purposes...
, 1909
Oldest in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
: Saint Luke's Lutheran Church, Oviedo, Florida
Oviedo, Florida
Oviedo is a city in Seminole County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,316 as of the 2000 census. As of 2009, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 32,961...
, 1912
Only congregation in Quebec: Ascension Lutheran Church, Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension
Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension
Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension is a borough in the city of Montreal, Quebec. It has a population of 145,485 and an area of 16,05 km².-Location:...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, 1929
Oldest in Ontario: Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Corso Italia, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, 1942
Largest congregations
- Membership totals are c. 2006.
- 4233 - Saint Luke's Lutheran Church, Oviedo, FloridaOviedo, FloridaOviedo is a city in Seminole County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,316 as of the 2000 census. As of 2009, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 32,961...
- 1174 - Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Lake Mary, FloridaLake Mary, FloridaLake Mary is a city in Seminole County, Florida, United States. The population was 11,456 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 15,230...
- 865 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Cudahy, WisconsinCudahy, WisconsinCudahy is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 18,429 at the 2000 census.-History:Originally known as the Buckhorn Settlement, it was renamed in the late 1800s when Patrick Cudahy purchased 700 acres of land in the Town of Lake, two miles from the Milwaukee city...
- 623 - Faith Viera Lutheran Church, Rockledge, FloridaRockledge, FloridaRockledge is the oldest city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 20,170 at the 2000 census. As of 2008, the estimated population according to the U.S. Census Bureau is 24,747. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical...
- 594 - Redeemer Lutheran Church, Manchester, New Jersey
- 578 - Saint John Lutheran Church, Massillon, OhioMassillon, OhioMassillon is a city located in Stark County in the U.S. state of Ohio, approximately 8 miles to the west of Canton, Ohio, 20 miles south of Akron, Ohio, and 50 miles south of Cleveland, Ohio. The population was 32,149 at the 2010 census....
- 560 - Saint Lucas Lutheran Church, Boulevard Heights, St. Louis, MissouriBoulevard Heights, St. LouisBoulevard Heights is a neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri.- References :...
- 484 - Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Streator, IllinoisStreator, IllinoisStreator is a city in LaSalle and partially in Livingston counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city is situated on the Vermilion River approximately southwest of Chicago, Illinois in the prairie and farm land of north-central Illinois. It is the center of the geographic region known as...
- 468 - Calvary Lutheran Church, Parma, OhioParma, OhioParma is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is the largest suburb of Cleveland and the seventh largest city in the state of Ohio...
- 432 - Zion Lutheran Church, Clark, New JerseyClark, New JerseyClark is a township in southern Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 14,756.-History:...
- 4233 - Saint Luke's Lutheran Church, Oviedo, Florida
Largest in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
: Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
, 395
Largest in Indiana: Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Whiting, Indiana
Whiting, Indiana
Whiting is a city located in the Chicago Metropolitan Area in Lake County, Indiana, which was founded in 1889. The city is located on the southern shore of Lake Michigan. It is roughly 16 miles from the Chicago Loop and just short of two miles from Chicago's South Side. Whiting is home to Whiting...
, 268
Largest in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
: Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
, 201
Largest in Ontario: Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, Chatham, Ontario
Chatham-Kent, Ontario
Chatham–Kent is a unitary authority in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Mostly rural, its centres of population are Blenheim, Chatham, Dresden, Ridgetown, Tilbury and Wallaceburg. Modern Chatham–Kent was created in 1998 by the merger of Kent County and its municipalities.- History :The former city of...
, 180
Largest in Virginia: Saint John the Baptist Lutheran Church, Emporia, Virginia
Emporia, Virginia
Emporia is an independent city located within the confines of Greensville County, Virginia, United States. The population was estimated to be 5,927 in 2010. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Emporia with surrounding Greensville county for statistical purposes...
, 148
Only congregation in Quebec: Ascension Lutheran Church, Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension
Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension
Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension is a borough in the city of Montreal, Quebec. It has a population of 145,485 and an area of 16,05 km².-Location:...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, 140
Only congregation in 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...
: Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Yonkers, New York
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...
, 114