Rev. Brian Downs, Vacancy Pastor

The pastoral ministry is Pastor Brian’s third career. His previous included 12 years in the building supply trade where he last worked as a millwork/window buyer and large bid estimator. After the housing crash in the early 90’s, he moved into the Fraternal Insurance and financial markets working with the old AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) until he could no longer ignore the call of God to serve in the church as a pastor. Brian entered the seminary in 1998 and graduated with a Master of Divinity (MDiv) in 2003. His first call into the ministry was at Zion and Trinity Lutheran Churches in Presho and Reliance, South Dakota. He served there also as a Tri-Parish vacancy pastor for 10 months. He left in 2006 to serve as an Associate Pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Belleville and then as Senior Pastor in 2014 until he took an early retirement due to health reasons in 2022. Pastor Brian loves to be a student of the Bible and share what he has learned with others. He loves person to person ministry, Lutheran worship, and can be found on the street…telling as many as possible about the love of God. Not in your face, but quietly, gently, and with patience. And when appropriate with humor.

God has blessed him with a lovely partner in the ministry as he married up when Jean said yes in 1986. They have enjoyed almost 38 years of marriage and have known each other for over 56 years as they grew up as next-door neighbors. They are blessed with three adult daughters, Meaghan, Kelly and Erin, and their awesome husbands and their 1st granddaughter. When not doing ministry, Brian may be found working on DIY projects and such as health permits, cutting grass, and fixing equipment broken in the DIY venture. His new favorite Bible verse is from John 11:43, “….Lazarus, come out”! Ask him why, and grab a snickers bar, and he will tell you 😊.

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, and in August 2023, to Kunqi’s sister, Xinwen. All three have been great blessings 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 Rodney and other 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 retired from his full-time career of 40 years recently. 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.

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.” 

Andrea Davis, Preschool Teacher’s Aide

Ms. Andrea went away to college and played volleyball on a full ride scholarship but always knew she wanted to start her family here in Waterloo. She married her husband, Jared, in 2019 and soon after started a family, and built their dream home right here in Waterloo. Ms. Andrea is the mom to 3 girls. Her oldest daughter graduated from Immanuel Lutheran Preschool in May but her twins will be attending together again. She is a devoted Christian and loves watching children learn new things every day. In her free time, you can find her out and about with her kids or driving around in the jeep with Joy FM on the radio. Her favorite Bible verse is 1 Peter 5:7, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.”