Our Team

Senior Pastor
clayton.chan@redeemerlife.com

Having spent his childhood in the suburbs of Massachusetts, Pastor Clayton is now a lonely Patriots fan among a sea of Bears fans. Clayton received his undergrad degree in Economics and Religion from the University of Massachusetts and his M. Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary. 

Clayton has a passion for seeing people love Jesus and love like Jesus. His favorite part of Redeemer Life is being a part of a diverse community that sees itself as a family. 

Clayton loves spending time with his amazing wife, Esther, and their two sons, Weston and Wyatt. You can also find Clayton cheering on his favorite sports teams or playing basketball, as well as curling up on the couch to watch his favorite rom coms. 

Children's Ministry Pastor & Education Director
children@redeemerlife.com

Pastor Younbi, who was born and raised in South Korea, heeded God’s call towards children's spiritual education and moved to the US. She completed both a BA in Children's and Family Ministry and a M. Div. at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. 

Since 2014, Younbi has led the children's ministry at Redeemer Life with an incredible team. They are dedicated to fostering an environment where children, families, and educators can grow in faith together. 

Younbi is thankful for the opportunity to serve in this ministry alongside her supportive husband, Mike, and their two wonderful children, Josiah and Aileen. She loves family movie nights, enjoying meals or coffee with friends, reading, traveling, playing badminton, and indulging in delicious authentic food!

Richard grew up in Libertyville and attended the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana majoring in Biology and History. What was initially a way to make new friends soon became a lifelong journey to follow Jesus when he accepted Christ during his second semester of freshman year. Richard found that taking part in small groups in college to be an incredibly formative experience, and has since been passionate about bringing others to Christ through Life Groups and other community opportunities. Richard's hobbies and interests include board games, movies, cooking, running, ice skating, ballroom dance, classical music and teaching Korean. Richard has been a key part of Redeemer Life Church since its start in 2012.

Deb is thankful for the legacy of faith her parents left her. Growing up in a pastor's home, she came to a personal faith in Christ in her early teens and has always loved serving in church. Deb finished her Bachelor's degree in Mathematics at Rockford University and then went on to receive a Master's degree in Actuarial Science at the University of Iowa. She spent her career as an actuary and in executive positions at various insurance companies until retiring from MetLife. Since then, Deb has enjoyed volunteering in the community, including coaching a girl's running program and tutoring English literacy to adult learners from other countries. Deb enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, and golfing in her free time. She loves the welcoming and diverse community at Redeemer Life and has been involved in various ministries since joining the church in 2020.