Biography of

The Reverend Norman Marion Erb-White

Newly ordained deacon, The Reverend Norman M. Erb-White, was born on January 9, 1971 to Norman and Jean Erb in College Station, Texas but spent his adolescent years in Illinois and Indiana. He attended Millikin University in Decatur, IL where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History in 1993. In 1995, Norman earned a Master of Arts degree in History from Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.  Having discerned a call to the ordained ministry, he entered Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry, Ambridge, PA in 2002, graduating three years later with a Master of Divinity degree.

Deacon Norm has been blessed to serve in various ministries in a number of Christian denominations. He was the assistant pastor for Scruggs United Methodist Church in St. Louis, MO. During that time, he also worked with the Hispanic Medical Ministry Accion Social Communitaria. He served as a Lay Eucharistic Minister and a Lay Reader at St. George’s Episcopal Church, Belleville, IL. During his senior year of seminary, he was a supply preacher for Raccoon United Presbyterian in Aliqippa, PA. During the past year, he has been a chaplain resident at the VA Pittsburgh earning four units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE).

Ministry for Deacon Erb-White begins with the incarnation of Jesus. He remarks that Jesus “met human beings as one of us. In doing so, he began to redeem all flesh and make it holy.” As a member of the Body of Christ, Erb-White tries to incarnate Jesus in those to whom he is called to minister. He states, “As I have been loved and redeemed, I hope my love for other humans can serve His redemption. That love comes through my serving others in their needs.”