Welcome to Erik David .com - the home page of Erik David Carlson

Erik is pleased and honored to accept the call to serve the Unitarian Universalist Church of Stockton, IL.

Following an intense week of interviews, meeting with committees and leading two services, the congregation voted unanimously to call Erik as their next settled minister.

Erik plans on appearing in the pulpet a couple times over the summer before assuming full-time ministerial duties on September 1st, 2010.

Erik would like to thank the Stockton Search Committee, Mark, Rich, Melody, Beth and Leslie for their unwavering support of Erik's candidacy.

As always, Erik would like to thank Kimberlee for helping during the interview and all throughout candidating week, including her brilliant assistance with the Thursday evening vespers service.

Map of Stockton, IL >>>

Erik officially became The Reverend Erik David Carlson on April 10, 2010!

Ordained by Community Church UU of New Orleans, the ceremony was hosted by First Unitarian Universalist Church of New Orleans in a joint ceremony that honored Erik's involvement in all three GNOUU congregations.

The service highlighted music by jazz singer Cindy Scott, a sermon by Rev. Dr. Michael Tino, a prayer by Rev. Dr. Marie DeYoung and a beautiful charge to ministry by Rev. Jim VanderWeele, Erik's internship supervisor.

Erik would like to thank everyone who traveled from near and far to join in the celebration, and especially those who helped perform the ceremony:

Rev. Dr. Steve J. Crump, Rev. Dr. Marie DeYoung, Rev. Jane Dwinell, Ms. Mary An Godshall, Ms. Jane Jensen, Ms. Helen Malin, Rev. Dr. Jane Mauldin, Rev. Melanie Morel-Ensminger, Ms. Cindy Scott, Dr. Cheryl Stevens, Rev. Dr. Michael J. Tino, Rev. Jim VanderWeele, Ms. Kimberlee Carlson, Ms. Justine Urbikas

Erik has just been appointed the official Young Adult Observer to the UUA Board of Trustees. Erik's first assignment will be to attend the October meeting of the UUA Board and report back to the Continental UU Young Adult Network regarding specific young adult issues.

Much thanks to Kimberlee and to the C*UUYAN Steering Committee for thinking of Erik to fill this position.

On May 17, 2009 - after four years, Erik David Carlson graduated with a Masters of Divinity from the Meadville Lombard Theological School!

Erik was also honored to receive the Meadville Lombard Faculty Leadership Prize, presented during commencement by Dr. Mike Hogue:

For demonstrated academic accomplishment and leadership within the MLTS community, and in the larger UU movement—and with the expectation that his ministry will continue to have creative impact in the broader world for years to come.

Erik would like to thank everyone who has supported him throughout these last four years and made them so memorable, exciting, and educational.

View Erik's graduation photo gallery here >>>

Meadville Lombard Theological School has featured a story about Erik's internship in New Orleans in its latest promotional video.

The section on New Orleans starts half-way through the video and features interviews from Mary Fontenot, Executive Director of All Congregations Together and Erik's internship supervisor Rev. Jim VanderWeele from Community Church Unitarian Universalist of New Orleans as well as comments from Erik himself.

Click the "Read More" link or the Video picture to watch "Forming Ministries through Community Partnerships."

Erik is featured as a contributing author to the new Jenkin Lloyd Jones Press publication Reverend X: How Generation X Ministers Are Shaping Unitarian Universalism.

Erik joins current and former CYF members Rev. Dr. Michael Tino, Rev. Tamara Lebak, Joseph Santos-Lyons, and fellow Meadville Lombard students/alums David Pyle and Rev. John Cullinan.

Click here for the Reverend X website (http://rev-x.us) >>>
Click here to order your own copy of Reverend X >>>