Home

Supt. Paul Erickson: 'I've Had a Wonderful Ride'

By Craig Pinley

ROSEMONT, IL (June 25, 2003) - Paul Erickson has focused his life on bettering his corner of the world and his work has taken him to as many diverse corners as one could find in North America.

Erickson is retiring as superintendent of the Northwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church after serving two terms - from 1995 to 2003. A fifth generation Covenanter, Erickson grew up near the cradle of the Covenant, Chicago's north side. His father, Albin, was dean of students at North Park Junior College and served as a catalyst for the school's evolution into a four-year college, later becoming its academic vice president. Although he comes from a traditional Covenant family, he says his ministry would not fit the traditional pattern that some would expect. And he wouldn't have it any other way.

Erickson has served in every conceivable pastoral position in the church, from rural to urban, with large congregations and small, during nearly four decades of ministry. He's also been through many of the ups and downs of ministry, which seems to have given him a humility that is rare in leadership.

"My friends say that I'm forthright and my non-friends would say I'm blunt," Erickson said tongue-in-cheek. "My pastors picked that up and many of them call me their bishop, but they've cared for me very much. I have attempted to focus my superintendency on thinking Kingdom and not institution. To think Kingdom is to think with the kind of boldness that one does not have within one's self."

Erickson began his ministerial career during his seminary years as a pastor in Courtland, Kansas. Although the town of 300 was a far cry from the hurried life of Chicago, Erickson put the lessons learned from summers at his uncle's farm to good use.

Following his internship, Erickson became youth pastor at North Park Covenant Church near where he grew up before accepting a call at Oakdale Covenant Church on Chicago's south side. He learned a lot there too, albeit far different lessons than in Kansas. Erickson was among those instrumental in helping the church evolve from an Anglo to a predominantly African American congregation during a particularly racially divisive period in the life of Chicago. Oakdale Covenant is now one of the largest congregations in the denomination with more than 900 in average worship attendance and has helped to transform its neighborhood assisted by an adjoining school and other community programs. Erickson is proud of the transformation of Oakdale, though he takes little credit for it.

"What I learned there was the power of the Holy Spirit," said Erickson of his work with Oakdale Covenant. "It went from 90 percent Anglo to 90 percent Afro and it was during the west side bombings - the heart of the racial riots in the mid 1960s. I felt called to go there, but it was scary - my wife Joan was the only Caucasian woman around for miles. It was dangerous because Oakdale was the ground between the Englewood Disciples and Blackstone Ranger gangs. But it was a wonderful experience. I had a feisty old-woman neighbor, Anna Groot, who was part of the church and she said she wasn't going to move from the neighborhood. She became my mentor in the civil rights movement."

Following his pastorate in Chicago, Erickson served in Fargo, North Dakota, and he learned more valuable ministry lessons. The church was struggling to stay afloat, although it seemed there was much potential. A quick survey helped him discern the problem quickly "We did a study and found that 18 of the 32 (members) had PhDs," he said. "I went and told them that I wasn't as educated as they were, but I was something they weren't - their pastor- and I asked them to follow me for six months."

At his next stop, as associate pastor at First Covenant Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, Erickson served under Norbert Johnson, a mentor in ministry, and learned much from Christian education expert Fran Anderson. "I was regarded as young and vulnerable and human," said Erickson. "But the Johnsons (Norbert and wife Elaine) had an extended vacation and during my first year there I preached more than the senior pastor. I learned about staff ministry during that time, however, and Norbert has been a mentor since 1970.

"I was quite impetuous at the time, but I had a lot of experience," Erickson continued. "I had served a rural congregation, a cathedral church, a ghetto church, a growing church and an established church. How could I have been more blessed in my education?" After his time in St. Paul, Erickson spent five years as senior pastor of First Covenant Church in Portland, Oregon. Erickson said the congregation doubled in size during his stay in the mid 1970s, but he concluded that leading a thriving church wasn't as satisfying as he thought it might be. He called it the most influential church for his future job as superintendent because he realized "I was trying to please man and not God."

Erickson's next move (1979-86) was to a smaller church, Faith Covenant Church in Colorado Springs, but the pastor says he had a renewed perspective that he credits with making the difference. "I was set free at Faith Covenant," said Erickson of his seven years in Colorado Springs. "It was a divided congregation and I was just going to serve God and God blessed it. I remember my superintendent calling me after six months and asking what I've accomplished. I told them we don't have a choir and a Sunday school, but the people are learning to love each other. And the people were excited about being in the family."

Brookdale Covenant Church in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, was Erickson's last church ministry stop - he served for eight years before taking the superintendent position - and he enjoyed helping revive the Twin Cities congregation while being part of a pair of wider denominational ministries, the Board of Ministry and the hymnal commission. Being a superintendent has given him more opportunities to serve the Covenant. He has been part of a baptismal paper rewrite commission, the constitution commission and has been a superintendent liaison for the Board of Pensions and the Board of Church Growth, among other things.

Erickson has tried to establish a solid network of interim and transitional pastors to help congregations trying to replace ministers, which be believes has strengthened many churches. He is also pleased that previous conference staff members like Carol Lawson, Jim Sundholm and Jerry Rice have moved on to help the denomination with their administrative gifts. Erickson has also received help from his wife, Joan, to bolster another area of ministry in the Northwest Conference. Joan, a registered nurse, helped spearhead a parish nurse program that now includes 30 churches. While Paul and Joan will continue to find ways to benefit the larger church, they are also excited about the possibility of spending more time with their three children (Cari, Scott and Lisa), nine grandchildren and families.

"I think the image of the Northwest Conference is as 'the cradle of the Covenant,' but we have a huge variety of diverse people," says Erickson in reflecting on his work as superintendent. "For instance, Dassel Covenant has a significant Hispanic ministry. The Laotian church at Brookdale Covenant Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, has the potential to help produce six other Laotian congregations. Redeemer Covenant in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, is hosting youth group activities with 100 African American students. But we have done a lot with our Town and Country Ministries, too. I think the rural churches have felt I've given them the attention that I've given the metro churches.

"I have always been very concerned about marginalized people," Erickson continued. "And I think one of the gifts that I've had is that I've always asked who were stronger in complimentary areas than I was. I feel that has been vital in both church and conference work. I am horrid in administration, but I've surrounded myself with people who are administrators and they pick up my pieces all of the time, so I've been able to do my thing. I've had a wonderful ride."

Editor's note: For a pictorial look, see A pictorial look

News Comments

Who We Are · Local Churches & Conferences · Denominational Ministries · Institutional Ministries · Support Ministries · Outreach Ministries · Inicio Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. 5101 N Francisco Ave., Chicago IL 60625. 773-784-3000. Privacy Policy & Terms of Use.