Rev. Paul Egger was named President of Iowa District West in July 2025. He served as pastor of St. John’s in Galva since 2001. He previously served congregations in central and southern Illinois. He is a 1990 graduate of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne and has previously served as both 1st and 2nd vice president of IDW since 2015. He was a circuit visitor from 2009-2015; a pastoral delegate to the Synodical convention (1995, 2007, 2016) and served on a floor committee at the 2016 Synod convention. He has and is currently serving on several district committees including youth, education and Pastors Conference planning. He has served as circuit Bible Institute presenter since 2011 and continues to be involved with many community events and committees. He has been married to his wife Steph for over 36 years and they have six children.
Rev. Riggert has served as pastor of Trinity, Cherokee, since December of 2010. He previously served as associate pastor at Holy Cross in Saint Cloud, MN, for over five years. He graduated from Concordia, St. Paul in 2001 and from Concordia Seminary in Saint Louis in 2005. He has enjoyed serving Iowa District West in various ways including as dean of the IDW Senior High Youth Gathering (2012-2016), chaplain at Camp Okoboji for many years, pastoral delegate to the Synod Convention (2013, 2019), and most recently on the IDW Board of Directors as Chairman of the Youth Services Committee (2015-2022). Within the Cherokee region, he has served as president of the Cherokee County Ministerial Association and as Post 5 Chaplain for the Iowa State Patrol since 2012 along with chaplain duties for Cherokee Police, Sheriff, and Fire Department. He is blessed with 20 years of marriage to Jocelyn and three children which he enjoys the opportunities of coaching them and other youth through all the local sport seasons.
Rev Ben Dose has served as Senior Pastor of Trinity, Algona and St. John, Burt Iowa since 2024. He served at Zion Lutheran Church in Arcadia, Iowa from 2008-2024. Prior to that, he served at South Shore Trinity Lutheran Church in White Bear Lake, MN from 2003-2008. He graduated from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis in 2003. He has served on Camp Okoboji’s Board of Directors since 2009 as an ordained member and currently serves as the Vice President. He also served on the District Board of Directors from 2012-2015 as the Youth Services Committee Chairman and from 2022-2025 as the Education and Family Life Committee Chairman. He has served on the Junior Youth Gathering Committee and as the Circuit Visitor of the Carroll Circuit. He is a husband to Rebecca and father of four.
Pastor Richard Merrill is a 1991 graduate of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He has served in Iowa District West since his first call as assistant pastor at Zion, Humboldt in 1991. He currently serves as pastor of the multi-point parish of St. John, St. Paul and Immanuel, Charter Oak. Pastor Merrill previously served as Mapleton Circuit Visitor from 2010 until he was elected to District Secretary in 2018. He served as the chairman of the Stewardship & Finances floor committee at the 2015 District Convention and was a delegate to the 2019 Synod Convention. Since 1997 he has been an active member of the annual Cub Week staff at Camp Okoboji and served on the committee for the 125th Anniversary celebration of the Charter Oak community.
Kirk Warnke is from Manson, Iowa. He is retired as executive director of Camp Okoboji. Kirk is a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Pomeroy, where he has served as Board of Directors president, elder, trustee, member of the Finance and Education Committees and as a Camp Okoboji and Iowa District West Convention delegate. He is a member of the Iowa District West Endowment & Legacy and Nominating Committees, serves on the Lutheran Family Service and Camp Okoboji LCMS Foundation Board of Directors and is a past Board member and treasurer at Camp Okoboji.
Born and raised in Southwest Missouri, Rev. Lowe graduated from Concordia University Nebraska in 2003 and Concordia Seminary, St. Louis in 2008. He earned a PhD in Systematic Theology in 2025 from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Prior to serving at Trinity, Hawarden (2017-present), he served at Trinity in Blue Hill, Nebraska (2009-2017). He has also served on the Alumni Council at Concordia Seminary and was a delegate to the 2016 LCMS Convention. He currently serves as secretary/treasurer of the Hawarden Ministerial Alliance. He is married to Corinne and the father of three. Pastor Lowe enjoys playing the organ and gardening.
Rev. Senstad has served as senior pastor at Redeemer, Sioux City since 2001. He previously served as Associate Pastor at Redeemer from 1996-2000 and as Sole Pastor of Immanuel, Adair. He graduated from Concordia, Saint Paul in 1988 and from Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis in 1992. He has served as a Synod reconciler, Dean of Junior High Week at Camp Okoboji, Board of Directors at Camp Okoboji, Circuit Visitor for the Sioux City Circuit, on the IDW Pastor Conference Planning Committee, LWML Zone counselor in the Adair circuit, and on the IDW Board of Directors as Evangelism Chair from 2000-2003.
Rev. Ryan Roehrig has served at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Carroll since 2020. He previously served as pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Alta, Iowa for four years (2016-2020). He graduated from Concordia-Seward in 2012 and from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis in 2016. He has served on various district event committees and groups. He has served as Secretary of the District Pastors Conference and a member of the Kapfer Symposium Committee. Pastor Roehrig has served on the Junior Youth Gathering Committee as well as a member of the Youth Services Committee. He has served as pastoral delegate of the 2013 Synod Convention. He is married to Brianne and father of four.
The Rev. Chadric Dietrich is a son of Iowa District West and is pastor of Immanuel Lutheran, Rockwell City and Trinity Lutheran, Knierim, serving there since 2003 when he graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana. He has served on the District Pastor's Conference as an at-large member and is currently the president. He organizes the Mutual Consolation Conference For Pastoral Well-Being, held every spring. Patsor Dietrich is married to Brianne and father of Meghan and Joshua.
Pastor David Kuhfal is pastor at Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Des Moines. Formerly he served Grace Lutheran Church, Neligh, Nebraska (1995-2019) and also Trinity Lutheran Church, Elgin, NE, as Vacancy Pastor (1997-2019). Prior to that Pastor Kuhfal served as Director of Youth and Christian Education at Trinity Lutheran Church, Denver, CO (1991-1995). Pastor Kuhfal graduated from Concordia Seminary in St Louis and was ordained into the ministry in June of 1991. Pastor Kuhfal has served beyond the congregation in various roles: LWML Zone Advisor (2002); Circuit Visitor (2003-2015); Vicarage Supervisor (2003-2019); Presenter at District Lay Enrichment Conference (2005, 2012); Presenter EVE Pastors Wives Retreat (2012); Delegate LCMS Synod Convention (1998, 2007, 2010, 2016); NE District Participant CTCR Model Conference (2002); Participant NE District Pilot Koinonia Group; NE District Vice President (2015-2019); NE District Properties Committee (2015-2019). Pastor Kuhfal is married to Tami. They have two married daughters: Christina (and Matthew) Graves and Rebekah (and Jonathan) Eaton. They have three grandchildren and one foster grandson. Pastor Kuhfal enjoys reading, walking his dog, and traveling with Tami.
Carole White Mandernach has dedicated her professional life to financial stewardship and service within the Lutheran community. She served as Vice President for the Iowa Districts East and West of the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) from 1999 to 2024, providing decades of leadership and financial guidance. Carole is a Ramsey Master Financial Coach, certified in 2020, and holds a Certificate for Certified Public Accountant.
Carole earned an MBA (2016) and a BA in Accounting (1982) from the University of Northern Iowa. Prior to her tenure at LCEF, she worked as a bank cashier for 13 years.
Carole has served her congregation and the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) in various roles, including Treasurer.
Carole is married to Rick, and together they are blessed with four children, two children-in-law, and six grandchildren.
Dr. Mark Schulz spent his youth as a farm kid near Germantown, Iowa. He graduated from Iowa State University in 1970 with a degree in Veterinary Medicine and joined a veterinary practice in Hartley, Iowa. He spent 36 years in a growing practice working with and serving the people of Northwest Iowa. Mark and his wife, Sue, recently moved to Polk City, Iowa from Hartley, Iowa. They raised three children and now entertain eight wonderful grandchildren. Mark has attended one LCMS convention and multiple IDW conventions at Camp Okoboji. He has held most congregational offices at St. Paul’s Lutheran in Hartley, and some multiple times. Serving others in the name of his loving Savior and Lord is one of Mark’s passions.
Jacob grew up in rural Alta, Iowa attending St. John Lutheran Church, Hanover. He is a member there with his wife and three children. Jacob serves St. John as youth group leader and Sunday school teacher. He enjoys singing in the choir and being with his brothers and sisters in Christ. Jacob works during the day as an agriculture diesel mechanic for a local shop. He enjoys working with his hands and is always in awe of how God supplies workers for the many tasks in this world and His Church.