Values
Hearing God’s Voice
Obediently Walking in Deep Dependence on the Spirit
Intentionally and Aggressively Advancing the Kingdom in all four Acts 1:8 Environments
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27
“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
Events
District Conference
Every two years we have our District Conference. It’s a chance to connect as a District Family, share stories of what God has been doing, cast vision for what’s coming next, and collectively make decisions regarding future leaders and budgets.
District Retreat
District Retreat will be held October 6-9, 2025 at the Grand Hyatt Resort in Vail, Colorado. Registration opens on June 2nd. Be sure to register early for a discount!
Alliance Orientation Seminar
All individuals who are licensed with The Christian and Missionary Alliance must complete the Alliance Orientation at an Alliance College, by attending a seminar hosted by the MidAmerica District or through an online course. The orientation helps licensed workers explore the history, vision, values, and distinctives of The Christian and Missionary Alliance. It is an opportunity to more fully understand this Kingdom family and how we go about serving Jesus together both in America and abroad.
Alliance Orientation Seminar (West/Colorado)
Coming soon to a church near you!
Summer 2025
Alliance Women’s Retreats
The District Alliance Women host two annual retreats on the East and West sides of the District. This fall, women from C&MA churches in the MidAmerica District will gather for fellowship, rest, learning, and worship. Pricing coming soon.
Western Retreat
Date: October 17-19, 2025
Location: Breckenridge Colorado
Eastern Retreat
Date: September 12-14
Location: Boone, Iowa
Elder Training
Come explore all facets of eldership in the local church and work to build out an understanding of eldership for your local church.
Disciple Making Disciples
Disciplemaking Discipleship Training guides our leadership teams through the steps of creating a culture of disciplemaking in our local churches. The training covers the nature of culture creation, the elements of disciplemaking discipleship, and change dynamics for those areas where we may need to adjust our current approach.
Open Positions
Contact kent@madcma.org for more information.
HUBS
Newsletters
District Staff
Andrew Rutten
Mentors Coach
I really appreciate the heart of our district leadership to see young leaders develop in health and holiness. In order for disciples to be made, churches to grow, and for new churches to be planted, we need more godly leaders. I want to serve in that process of leadership development and mentorship in any way I can, in order to see God’s work advance in our district family.
Contact me if you need help working on mentorship for emerging leaders, especially if they are in the process of ordination/consecration.
Ashleigh Venema
Kids Ministry Coach
. I’ve lived almost my entire life in this district. I love it and the stories God is writing here. God has used serving in the local church and camp ministry to shape my heart for children’s discipleship. Contact me for anything about children’s discipleship, and equipping leaders for next generation ministry to raise up resilient followers of Jesus. Key words you’d consider contacting me about: Curriculum, Volunteer Recruitment & Training, Child Safety and Security.
Sandy Paasch
District Executive Administrator
Sandy’s career has been in social work for 18 years, when she felt God call her to quit her job and sit at His feet five years ago. The last five years, God has taken her on a journey of discovering more of Him and also opening the door to engaging in missions. Last year she felt like God was calling her to work in His church, but she wasn’t sure it was the actual church building. As she continued to pursue God, He revealed the Executive Administrator job to her. She is excited to utilize my strengths and to serve others in this position.
Delayne Samek
District Accountant
Delayne began working as the MidAmerica District accountant in July 2023. She and her husband, Jeff, married in 2015 and have three children (Arthur, Maly, and Fredrick) and an old black lab named Boomer (OU!) Delayne enjoys reading, gardening, thinking up landscaping projects, and golfing with Jeff. Her favorite part of district ministry is the camaraderie among colleagues and seeing how God multiplies earthly offerings to Kingdom impact.
Ingrid Marquis
Communications Director
Ingrid began working as the MidAmerica District Communications Director in January 2023. She graduated from the University of Michigan and Denver Seminary. Ingrid and her husband Will love traveling, doing music together, and having people over for food and good conversation. Ingrid desires to use creativity in communication to tell stories and build up the body of believers in the MidAmerica District to carry out the Great Commission.
Katie Whisler
Events and Travel Coordinator
Katie started working with the MidAmerica District in November 2022 and serves as the Events and Travel Coordinator. Katie and her husband, Nate, have been married for over 10 years and have three children, Max, Charlotte and Lucas. She enjoys spending quality time with her family, being outside, gardening, thrifting and ice cream. Her favorite part of district ministry is seeing people come together as a body of believers and pushing forward to further the Kingdom.
Kurt Trempert
Director of the Leadership Pipeline
Kurt Trempert serves as the Director of The Leadership Pipeline. His role is to discover, develop, and deploy more kingdom laborers to serve the established church, plant new churches, engage in global missions, serve in chaplaincy, and spur on other kingdom work across our district and beyond. Kurt helps coach, train, and shepherd churches and church leaders, and will give oversight to the LO&CC work of MidAmerica. Kurt and his wife Terasue have three adult children who are all married and spread out across the States along with Kurt and Terasue’s three grandchildren – and two more on the way! kurt@madcma.org
Kent Sovine
District Superintendent
Kent joined the MidAmerica District staff in June 2014. He previously served 12 years as the lead pastor and 3 years as an assistant pastor at Bethany Alliance Church in Charles City, Iowa. Kent and his wife, Jamie, have been married for 26 years and have four daughters and one son. He graduated from Toccoa Falls College and Bethel Seminary. He loves spending time with his family doing something outside, traveling, or working on some sort of house project. His favorite part of district ministry is seeing Jesus speak to his church and watching the church respond with obedience and excitement. kent@madcma.org
Dan Cutler
District Treasurer
Dan has served on church boards, the Crown College Board, the MidAmerica District DEXCOM as corporate treasurer, and the Camp Rivercrest board. Dan and his wife, Moni, will be celebrating 48 years of marriage and have 4 children and 5 grandchildren.
dcutler1951@gmail.com
Grace Spafford
Missions Mobilization Assistant
I have been working for the District since the Fall of 2024. Before that I was working full time as a nurse. My husband and I want to move overseas ourselves someday. I hope to serve the Alliance and mobilize people to go until we get the chance to go ourselves. I still work part-time as a nurse in a non-profit Women’s health clinic. My husband and I have a sweet pup and a baby on the way! I love being outside, eating ice cream, and spending time with family and friends.
Terasue Trempert
Leadership Pipeline Project Manager
All those going through the Leadership Pipeline can contact me with questions regarding the process, resources needed, setting up meetings with Kurt, and anything else regarding ordination and licensing needs. I update all contact information for workers within the Mid America District. If a worker changes addresses, job titles, phone numbers, email, etc, please contact me at terasue@madcma.org or in person by phone. I’m so excited to get to know everyone in the MidAmerica family and see this family grow.
TEAMS
DEXCOM & CC
DEXCOM
Dr. Yisfalem Alamdew
Dr. Yisfalem Alamdew is a member of Addis Kidan Church in Aurora, Colorado. Over the past 10 years, his role as a lay leader in the church includes serving as an elder, teaching, and providing integral support in the acquisition of property and guidance on the building committee. Dr. Alamdew received his medical degree from Addis Ababa University Faculty of Medicine. He graduated with honors in 1995 and attended New York Medical College from 2005 to 2011, completing his internal medicine residency and fellowship in Nephrology, a field in which he has provided service for 20 years. Beyond his professional and church commitments, Dr. Alamdew is a devoted family man, married to his wife, Kidist, and has three daughters.
Matt Peyton
Matt Peyton has served as the senior pastor of Wallace Community Church in Wallace, Nebraska, for the past two years. Prior ministry roles outside our District include youth pastor, associate pastor, and lead pastor. Matt previously served on DEXCOM in the Great Lakes District and as an ordination mentor. He is a graduate of Crown College with a BA in Christian Ministries/Biblical Studies and has been licensed with the Alliance for 12 years. Matt was ordained in October 2015. He has been married to Wendy for 18 years, and they are parents to Bethany, Josiah, and Jacob.
Shawn Dugan
Shawn Dugan has served as a licensed Alliance worker for 10 years. He was the Associate Pastor at Living Rock Church in Norwood Young America, MN, and Associate Pastor at Millard Alliance in Omaha where he became the Senior Pastor in 2020. Shawn graduated from Grace University with a BS in Bible and Christian Ministries. He was ordained with the Alliance in November 2020. Shawn has been married to his wife, Liliana, for 23 years. They are parents to three children, Anita, Abigail, and Andrew.
District Secretary
Craig Walter
Craig left the business world in 2009 to pursue a career in full-time ministry. Since that time he has served as the Missions Pastor at Christ Community Church in Omaha, as well as leadership positions within the broader Alliance to assist churches in their Missions efforts. He has been married since 1987 to his wife Lori and they have three children together. He finds great joy in mobilizing his congregation to have Kingdom impact around the globe and in their own city.
District Treasurer
Dan Cutler
I grew up on a small dairy farm in southeastern Minnesota. I finished up my schooling at the University of Nebraska-Omaha in accounting. I am an owner of a financial software services company in Omaha NE. I have been married to Ramona(Moni) since Oct 9, 1976. We have 4 children and 6 grandchildren.
Tim Fulkerson
Tim began his career in architecture but later sensed God's leading to pastoral ministry. He has served in ministry as a church planter and pastor with a desire to see people equipped for service in the Kingdom of God. He is a graduate of Spring Arbor University, Asbury Seminary and Fuller Seminary. He serves as Sr. Pastor at ClayHouse Church in Colorado Springs, CO. Tim is a native to Michigan, and enjoys all University of Michigan and Detroit sports teams. He enjoys playing board games, hiking, biking, reading, watching classic movies, and collecting baseball cards. Tim and his wife Amy have four young kids (1 girl and 3 boys) and try to keep up with their energy.
Doug Stevens
Doug is a child of God, husband to Whitney, and dad to five fun kids! He loves to follow Jesus as a gospel-centered, Spirit-empowered man. He helps lead Citylight Council Bluffs Church with his friend, Erick Whigham. Citylight Council Bluffs has planted three churches - one in a town of 450, one in a metro area of 2.1 million, and one just down the road in our own city. We are learning and growing by the grace of Jesus and thrilled to be part of the MidAmerica District!
CC
John Corby
· Retired and serving as the coordinator of Caleb Company and elder/Treasurer at ClayHouse Alliance Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado
· Serving in the Alliance since 1975 (you can do the math) in New York, Gabon, France, Europe/Middle East, and the National Office
· Family
o Married Fran in 1973
o Three adult children living in Colorado and many grandkids
Nick Petrick
Currently serving at Relevant Community Church in Elkhorn, Nebraska
· Serving in the Alliance for the last 17 years (all in the MidAmerica District)
· Family
o Married Amy in 2006
o 4 kids (the oldest is 16)
Matt Hayden
· Currently serving at Harvest View Alliance Church in Grand Junction, Colorado
· Serving in the Alliance for the last 17 years (ALL in MidAmerica except 2 years unassigned)
· Family
o Married Lauren in 2011
o 3 kids (oldest is 8)
Western Region
Danny Garrido
Danny did not grow up in a Christian family, at the age of 28 years came to the Lord, worked as a CPA for Compassion Int. Then moved from Ecuador to the US in 1994, with his wife and 4 children. In 1999 the Lord called him to plant a multicultural church in Colorado Springs. Today the church is reaching the hispanic community and it’s thriving. Danny is a bivocational pastor, and works also as an accountant for the City of Colorado Springs collecting taxes.
Eastern Region
Jeff Keady
Jeff and Debbie have four children and seven grandchildren. They have served in pastoral ministry since Easter Sunday 1987, and in the Alliance since January 2004 in the MidAmerica District. Jeff is a graduate of Clarks Summit University in PA, Bethel Seminary in MN, and a current student at Alliance Theological Seminary in NY. Jeff is thrilled to be lead pastor at Community Heights Alliance in Newton IA. Jeff and his friend, Jonny Craig, have produced the 200churches Podcast since January 2013, encouraging pastors of small churches. Jeff’s guilty pleasure is billiards, having been tutored by a nine-time world champion pool player for two years in 1980-81 (don’t tell!). Most important to Jeff is his wife, their kids/spouses, and their grandchildren!
Auxiliary Ministries
CAMP RIVERCREST
Camp Rivercrest is a C&MA camp located in Fremont, Nebraska. They believe that most people struggle to focus on what matters most, so they’re on a mission to create the space to focus on God and each other. You can get involved by sending kids to summer camp, bringing a group, or volunteering. Visit their website to learn more.
GLOBAL FRIENDS
Global Friends is an international student ministry that started in Omaha, NE and was founded by Julie Arant. Their mission is to bring in, build up, and send out internationals to the nations. The staff have recognized that some of the most unreached peoples are studying right here in our backyards! They have multiplied to Lincoln, NE, Bellevue, NE, and Okoboji, IA with hope to continue multiplying the ministry across the region. Visit their website to learn more.
CHAPLAINCY
Across our District, our chaplains are serving in a wide variety of settings: military posts, prisons, hospitals, and business. These laborers are bringing the light and hope of Jesus into places most others will find it hard to get into. We are grateful for the team! Here are some of the resources needed for our chaplains:
MidAmerica District Chaplain Policy
Church Ministry Guidelines for Chaplaincy
ALLIANCE WOMEN
Alliance Women exists to exalt Jesus and complete His Great Commission. They desire to connect women to Jesus, the work of the Alliance, and each other. Visit their website to connect with women locally and globally and for more resources.
Contact our Alliance Women District Director Peggy Schlieker at pschlieker@cox.net
ALLIANCE YOUTH
Alliance Youth exists to empower churches, youth workers, and students to realize the dreams God has given them for their lives. Visit their website for more resources and events.