Staff at Williston-Immanuel United Church
Rev. Reba Delzell
Pastor
Reba graduated from University of Oregon in 1992 with a BA in Sociology and the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley in 1998 with her MDiv. She is an Ordained Minister with full standing in the United Church of Christ and was ordained in 2001. She has served churches in Vermont, Arizona, and Oregon and hospitals and hospice organizations in California, Arizona and Oregon. She is married with two adult children and three grand-cats. Rebecca writes, “I am passionate about grace-filled transformations: those life-altering ah-ha moments that leave us forever changed for the better; or the arduous sojourns that finally lead us with God's grace and guidance to sanctuaries of peace and serenity. I seek in my life and my work to create fertile ground that enables individuals to draw closer to the Holy and experience their own life transformations and spiritual awakenings."
Matt Emkey
Director of Music and Organist
Originally from Philadelphia, Matt studied Music Theory, Organ Performance and Sacred Music at Wake Forest University in North Carolina on a Presidential Scholarship with Composer-in-Residence, Dr. Dan Locklair. Prior to moving to Portland, he lived in South Florida, where he served as the Director of Music Ministries and Cathedral Organist at the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola. Emkey has had the opportunity to perform at Merrill Auditorium on the Kotzschmar Organ and at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
Denise Calkins
Assistant Music Director
Early in her life Denise spent winters in Miami, Florida and summers in Camp Ellis, Maine. She now lives in South Portland with her husband, Mark and son Max. She earned her degree in music from the University of Southern Maine. Denise has a full studio of piano students as well as a teaching position at Waynflete School in Portland. Also, she accompanies several choirs in the area and is a music director at local community theaters. In her spare time she enjoys working out and spending time with friends and family.
Kate McDade
Office Manager, Communications & Events
Kate has a MA in English and a BS in Political Science. She manages the office, runs church communications, and coordinates weddings & other events at Williston-Immanuel. Kate is also part of the building management team and provides administrative support to the Pastor. Kate lives in the greater Portland area with her child, partner, and step-dog, "Pugsy."
Ben Watczak
Maintenance
Ben Watczak works part-time at WIUC managing the building and overseeing building maintenance. He and his wife moved to Maine in June of 2022 from Minnesota. They are happy to be living in such a beautiful state and are amazed how similar it is to Minnesota. Ben's background is in property management and he currently owns a small property/estate management business that he operates in addition to working at WIUC.