Hello Cathie,
Oldenburg, during the 19th century, was a grand duchy and a little state
with its own embassies and consulates.
Within this state there were approx. 130 parishes.
Löningen was such a parish, the town of Oldenburg was another parish, for
example.
Each parish used to have one church, but several settlements, like little
townships, villages, and even single farms.
The parish of Loeningen, for example, encompassed the following villages:
-Loeningen, Hagel, Brokstreek, Neuenbunnen, Altenbunnen, Roepke, Winkum,
Ehren, Angelbek, Werwe, Evenkamp, Duenkamp, Helmighausen, Borkhorn,
Augustenfled, Elbergen, Benstrup, Lodbergen and Boeen.
Within one village there were sometimes distinctly named settlements. Within
the village of Angelbek, parish Löningen, there were the settlements of
Angelbek, Schnetlage and Huckelrieden.
I assume, that in rural areas of the USA the organisation of the church
communities is not so different.
For family research, it is important to know the name of the parish. It is
there, where the church records were kept.
Regards
Gerold Diers, Oldenburg Genealogical Society