Our pastors
Pastor Michael Dunaway
Pastor Mike was born in Council Bluffs Iowa, was baptized at Faith Lutheran Church and later transferred his membership to Timothy Lutheran Church. After graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School, he entered the U.S. Marine Corps. Following basic and advanced infantry training in San Diego, California, he completed Military Police School in Fort Gordon, GA., and then, a couple years later, Criminal Investigation School at Fort McClellan, AL.
In 1975, Mike married his hometown sweetheart Shelley Tague, and together they continued to serve in the Marine Corps another 17 years. In addition to his duties as a Marine Investigator, Mike served as a member of the Naval Investigation Service (now known as NCIS) in Okinawa, Japan and as a Marine Corps Drill Instructor at Parris Island, SC. Upon leaving the military, he, Shelley and their two sons, James and Corey moved to rural Manilla, Iowa, where they farmed, raised livestock and enjoyed spending time with all of their relatives.
While serving as an Elder at Trinity Lutheran Church in Manilla and after experiencing two extended vacancies at his church, Mike responded to a call to serve in the Holy Ministry. After augmenting his A.A.S. degree in diesel technology, and the various college courses he had completed during His military service, with coursework in early childhood education, Mike entered Concordia Seminary in Saint Louis, MO. In April 2007, upon graduation, he was called to serve the four churches of the Northeast Kansas Partnership. In his spare time, Pastor Mike enjoys hunting, fishing, and motorcycle riding in the Kansas countryside.
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Pastor Ian Kinney
Pastor Kinney grew up in Belleville, Illinois. He went to college at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work and a Minor in classical languages. He worked for a year as a clinician at a mental health and narcotics agency and then went to seminary. In 2021, Pastor Kinney completed seminary at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana and received a call to serve as Pastor of the parishes of the Northeast Kansas Partnership.
In 2018, Pastor Kinney married his wife Hannah and they have two children, Eva Maria and Raphael. Pastor Kinney likes to hunt, fish, kayak, and garden.