ELDERS

Rob Love

Elder of Preaching & Vision

Pastor Rob Love serves the church as the Elder for Preaching and Vision. The Loves started ministry at Immanuel in March, 2016 after sixteen years of Pastoral ministry in Jefferson, WI and Greenwood, WI. Rob Graduated from Maranatha Baptist University with an undergraduate in Bible and Church Ministries and Liberty Theological Seminary with a Masters in Theology. Rob’s greatest passion in church life is declaring, with conviction, the relevant truth of God’s Holy Word so that the faith family can grow to imitate our glorious redeemer, Jesus Christ. Rob is joyfully joined in life and ministry with his wife, Lynelle. As former college athletes, Rob and Lynelle both enjoy playing and coaching sports and anything that includes spending time with their four children.

Will Zalizniak

Elder of Family Life

Pastor Will Zalizniak serves as the Elder of Family Life. After graduating with a degree in youth ministry from Maranatha Baptist University in Watertown, WI, he became the Pastor of Family and Worship at Missionary Baptist Church in Greenwood, WI, where he served from 2014 until his transition to Immanuel in July of 2017. He is presently studying Church Ministry online at Liberty University. Will is passionate for God’s glory in His good designs of church and family, especially as God’s Word equips parents for raising their children in the Lord and helps transform believers of every age into the image of Christ. Will enjoys many sporting and outdoor activities, and is grateful for God’s providence of life and ministry with his wife, Rachel, and four children.

Chris Menard

Elder of Stewardship

Chris Menard serves the church as the Elder of Student Ministries. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire with a degree in Accounting and has worked in the Wausau area in various financial and accounting roles since graduating. Chris and his wife, Theresa, have attended Immanuel since moving to Wausau shortly after college and have served in a variety of children’s ministry roles through the years, which include serving as Awana Ministry Directors since 2004. Chris served on a Shepherding team in 2015 and was appointed as a lay elder in 2016. His passion is to encourage children, teens and parents to know, love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Chris and Theresa have six grown children and five grandchildren.

Josh Sturm

Elder of Generational Discipleship

Josh is a native of Wausau who spent the past decade in Spokane, WA training at Moody Bible Institute and The Master’s Seminary. He returned to Wausau to join Immanuel as a staff elder in November of 2021. Josh loves to help God’s people lovingly speak the truth of Christ to one-another and the world. He enjoys endurance sports, time with his wife (Nicole) and two kids at the local library or coffee shop, and lingering in good conversation.

Elder of Creative Access Communities

Our Elder of Creative Access Communities graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and continued graduate studies at Moody Bible Institute where he received a diploma in Biblical Studies. He spent 30 years in various roles overseas in Africa. He has a passion for reaching people in the 10-40 window. Immanuel was a supporting church, and when he returned to Wisconsin in 2016, he was appointed as a lay elder. He and his wife have been married for over 40 years and have 2 adult daughters, who have given them 5 treasured grandchildren.

Jay Sparks

Elder of Spiritual Life

Jay Sparks serves the church as the Elder of Spiritual Life. After completing his Doctorate of Physical Therapy at Carroll University in 2015, Jay moved to Wausau and began attending Immanuel. Jay grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, but has deep family roots at IBC between his grandfather’s family and his wife Kerry’s family. He is passionate about ministry to teenagers and young adults, strongly due to the mentors he had during those seasons of his own life while he was navigating his commitment to his own personal faith. Jay was appointed as a lay elder in 2022 and is excited to join the elder team to assist in shepherding and leading the local church body at Immanuel. His passion is for discipleship within the local church, ecclesiology and biblical theology. Jay and Kerry are blessed with three beautiful daughters.