Getting to know Lutheran Information Technology Network (LITN)
In 1999, technology leaders from several Lutheran organizations met in St. Paul, Minnesota, to discuss common vendor issues. Attendees included LSS-Minnesota, LSS-South Dakota, LFS-Nebraska, LSS-Iowa, LSS-Wisconsin, and LSS-Illinois. The meeting was hosted by Gary Kilgard, who, many years before, had organized a mainframe timesharing arrangement between several Lutheran organizations. The group decided to form an ongoing organization called the Lutheran Information Technology Network (LITN), with the purpose to facilitate information sharing between technology leaders of Lutheran non-profits.
Around 2001, the relationship with LSA was solidified and a representative from LSA was named as a resource. Around 2002, LITN established twice-annual conferences, a fall joint conference with LFMA and a spring stand-alone conference. In 2005, the first LITN web site was created. In 2006, the operating procedures for LITN were written to codify the purpose, membership, election of officers, and finances of LITN. Membership grew significantly beyond the Midwest, and over 40 attended the spring conferences of 2006 and 2007. Around 2010, LITN members presented for the first time at the LSA conference. A new web site was introduced in 2010 and then again in 2017.