Rev. Benjamin Hayter, Administrative Pastor

Pastor Hayter was born and raised in Monroe, Michigan.  When he was ten years old, his father moved the family to the Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, where he studied for the ministry.  Pastor Hayter is a proud alumnus of The Concordia University Nebraska, where he studied music and pre-seminary.  From there he went back to St. Louis for his pastoral education at Concordia Seminary.  After graduating in 2021 (MDiv), his first call was to Zion Lutheran Church, in Chebanse, IL.  Pastor Hayter loves worshiping with God’s people and teaching the Scriptures.  He appreciates the richness of the Lutheran liturgy and hymns and loves to find Christ under every rock of the Scriptures in Bible Study.  While attending Concordia Nebraska, he met his wife, Elizabeth, whom he married two days before graduation.  The Lord has blessed them with one son, Lazarus, and another boy who is on the way.  Pastor enjoys singing with his family, muddling around the piano and guitar, DIY projects, board games, and cooking with his wife. His favorite Bible verse at the moment (it changes frequently) is Proverbs 3:11-12 “My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD disciplines him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.”

Lisa Clamors, Office Administrator

Lisa has been the secretary/office administrator at Immanuel since May 2004.  She is responsible for the overall management of the office and provides administrative support to not only the church staff but also to our preschool and other ministry boards and groups as well as our community groups who utilize our facilities.  Part of her role also involves the media and social media aspects of our ministry. She and her husband, Rodney, have been active members of Immanuel for many years.  They became host parents in 2018 to two young men, Kunqi & Minseok, who have been great blesings in their lives. They even got to experience a wonderful trip to South Korea in July 2023 to visit Minseok & his family and take in his culture. She enjoys playing games & spending time with family and friends, as well as walking & being outdoors. One of her favorite Bible verses is Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Ann Frank, Music Director

Ann has been serving as Immanuel’s Music Director since November 2008.  She and her husband, Warren, live in Red Bud and our parents to Holly Josephine, their Beagle.  Ann is extremely dedicated to her job, and it shows! Visit the Music page for more details about our music programs. Ann’s favorite Bible verse is Psalm 69:30. “I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.”

Debbie Olsson, Part-time Office Assistant

Debbie started this role in January 2024 and has fit in well and is a great blessing. She is a retired mother of 4 grown children and is blessed with 7 grandchildren. She resides in Waterloo. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her grandkids. Her favorite Bible verse currently is Philippians 4:13. “I can do all this through him [Christ] who gives me strength.”

Don Birrittier, Groundskeeper/Maintenance

Don began working in June 2025 to get acclimated to Immanuel’s properties and buildings before Ed retired. Don recently retired from his full-time career of 40 years. He and his wife Gina have been members of Immanuel for over 10 years. They have two grown children, and 2 grandchildren. He serves in several worship helper roles including server, lector, usher & part of the media team. Don’s lively personality makes every day a fun one! He is excited to work and be a part of Immanuel’s staff.

Karin Kendrick, Janitor

Karin began working at Immanuel in 2025 during our renovations with cleaning our education building only. Following the renovations, she has taken on her full role with cleaning both of our buildings. She, and her husband Steve, are a tag team of sorts. He helps her and each have their respective duties. 🙂 They live in Waterloo and have several children and 2 grandchildren.

Delana Whelan, Preschool Director/Teacher

Delana has worked within the early childhood field for 20+ years in different settings.  She was fortunate to attend a Lutheran grade school (St. Peter’s Evansville, IL) and high school (Metro East Lutheran High School Edwardsville, IL) where she was able to grow in my faith.  She has an Associate of Arts and a BA in Early childhood with business being her minor.  Prior to coming to Immanuel, she was a member of the St. Mark’s (Steeleville, IL) Lutheran School family for 8 years, bringing her experiences and ideas to create an inviting, engaging classroom where students will grow in their faith and academics.

Visit our Preschool page for more details about our preschool!

Kathy Voelker, Assistant Director/Teacher

Donna Sandersfeld, Pre-K Teacher

Ms. Donna is not new to this role. She previously served as Immanuel’s Preschool Aide about 15 years ago. She and her husband, Kyle, live in Waterloo. They have three grown children, Becky, Andrew, and Aaron, and three grandchildren. Donna served at various other daycare and preschool centers over the years but is happy to be back serving the kiddos at Immanuel. Her current favorite Bible verse is Romans 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Jenna Hoeffken, Preschool Teacher

Ms. Jenna is currently attending SWIC in pursuit of her Associate degree. When she is not at school or doing homework, she enjoys reading, quilting, and going hiking. She has lived in Waterloo her whole life and attended Immanuel Lutheran Preschool when she was young. Her current favorite Bible verse is Hebrews 13:5-6, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So, we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'”

Autumn Whelan, Preschool Teacher

Ms. Autumn is currently attending SWIC to study Early Childhood Education (ECE). In her free time, she enjoys hiking, hanging out with friends, and listening to music. She is a part of Immanuel’s bell choir, and she leads the music at Sunday school and during VBS. Some fun facts about her are that she was in color guard all four years of high school and studied German all four years as well. Her favorite Bible verse is Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”