Southeastern District Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
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The SED

Southeastern District — Lutheran Church Missouri Synod

Connecting People with Jesus.

A district of 213 congregations, 7 states, and 33 million people within our reach. United by one mission: connecting people with Jesus so that lives are transformed and God’s Kingdom grows.

Rev. Dr. Bill Harmon, President of the Southeastern District LCMS

Rev. Dr. Bill Harmon

President, Southeastern District LCMS

A word from our president

Rejoice! Christ is risen.

“Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!”
This is the good news we receive and are privileged to share. As a resurrection people with a resurrection promise and a resurrection power, we serve as bearers of the light and heralds of the Gospel. There’s a temptation, when looking at the landscape of the church today, to let the few negatives outweigh the many positives. Membership trends. Difficult financial decisions. Vacancies that are difficult to fill. I understand that temptation. I’ve felt it too. Yet we rejoice, for Christ is Lord of the Church. He is a God who can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20–21).
Culture cannot overcome Him. Closures will not stop Him. Vacancies will not quiet Him. Division will not splinter Him.
We boldly and courageously rise to the call God has placed upon our hearts, connecting people with Jesus so that lives are transformed and His Kingdom grows. Each person, congregation, school, and mission station plays a vital role, in its unique context, and together we are making a difference in the lives of God’s people. I am honored to walk alongside you in this calling. Your calling has a home here, and we are grateful for it.
Rev. Dr. Bill Harmon

The district at a glance

By the Numbers

33M
People in Our Reach
213
Congregations
7
States + D.C.
21
Ministry Circuits
60+
School Ministry Sites

Our mission field

A district at the center of everything

The Southeastern District sits at the intersection of national influence and deep human need. From the nation’s capital in Washington D.C. to the mountains of Appalachia, from Atlantic coastlines to historic cities, our region is a portrait of the entire nation. With 33 million residents and visitors representing virtually every nation on earth, this is no ordinary mission field. To serve here is to plant your ministry in a place unlike any other in the synod.

Our states

Delaware · Maryland · Virginia North Carolina · South Carolina Washington D.C. · York, PA · Bristol, TN

Map of Southeastern District states

How we serve

How we walk alongside you

We don’t simply manage a district. We walk alongside every worker and congregation through four intentional ways.

Rejoice

We rejoice in a God who does immeasurably more through Jesus. This joy is our foundation and fuel.

Engage

We listen deeply, celebrate who you are, understand your context, and build lasting relationships.

Encourage

We walk alongside you to create an environment of possibility rooted in the Gospel’s power.

Serve

We love and serve you by supporting your unique calling as you connect people with Jesus.

Our focus

Our Critical Targets

Two priorities that shape everything we do.

Wellness

Equipping individuals and faith communities to thrive, body, mind, and spirit, through growth and renewal.

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Witness

Multiplying individuals and communities to boldly share the love of Christ in every neighborhood.

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About President Harmon

Rev. Dr. Bill Harmon is a native of Baltimore, Maryland. He attended Emmanuel Lutheran School and Baltimore Lutheran (now Concordia Preparatory School) before studying at Concordia College New York and Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. He holds a Doctor of Ministry in leadership, renewal, and coaching from Regent University in Virginia Beach. President Harmon was elected President/Bishop of the Southeastern District in May 2022 and reelected to a second term in May 2025. His leadership is shaped by a deep commitment to wellness and witness, walking alongside workers and congregations so the SED can fulfill its mission to connect people with Jesus so that lives are transformed and God’s Kingdom grows. He also serves as an Assistant Pastor at King of Glory in Williamsburg, Virginia. He and his wife, Gayle, are blessed with three sons.

Get in touch

President

Rev. Dr. Bill Harmon

703-971-9371 ext. 202 bharmon@se.lcms.org

Executive Assistant

Allison Klettke

703-971-9371 ext. 219 aklettke@se.lcms.org

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