Southern District of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod
The Southern District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, and encompasses the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, as well as the western portion of the Florida Panhandle; the rest of Florida is part of the Florida-Georgia District. The Southern District includes approximately 170 congregations and missions, subdivided into 15 circuits, as well as 14 preschools, 17 elementary schools and 1 high school. Baptized membership in Southern District congregations is approximately 29,391.
The Southern District was formed on February 8, 1882 out of the Western District; portions of the district were separated into the Texas District and the Florida-Georgia District in 1906 and 1948 respectively. In 1963, 54 black congregations which were part of the Synodical Conference's Mission Program were merged into the Southern District; 33 such congregations in central Alabama were consolidated into 10 congregations shortly thereafter. About 40 existing congregations are historically black congregations, and most of the black pastors and teachers in the LCMS originated in this area.
District offices are located in Slidell, Louisiana. Delegates from each congregation meet in convention every three years to elect the district president, Vice Presidents and other officers. In 2018 Rev. Eric Johnson was elected as district president.
Concordia College Alabama in Selma, founded in 1922 as part of the Synodical Conference Mission Program part of the LCMS Concordia University System, was located within the district through its closure in 2018.- Rev. Timotheus Stiemke, 1882–88
- Rev. Gotthilf Heinrich Wilhelm Birkmann, 1888–91
- Rev. Gottfried Johann Wegener, 1891–1927
- Rev. Martin W. H. Holls, 1927–54
- Rev. Paul W. Streufert, 1954–57
- Rev. Edgar W. Homrighausen, 1957-69
- Rev. Lothar Kleinhans, 1969–70
- Rev. John E. Ellermann, 1970-78
- Rev. Richard H. Meyer, 1978-88
- Rev. Orval D. Mueller, 1988-2003
- Rev. Kurtis D. Schultz, 2003-2018
- Rev. Eric C. Johnson, 2018-present
