Biography

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Erik is a UU minister serving the Unitarian Universalist Church of Stockton, IL.  A life-long Unitarian Universalist, he has served in leadership positions in UU congregations and organizations since he was 13.

Erik entered the Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago in 2005 where he began his journey towards professional ministry.

Erik served his ministerial parish internship in the 2007-08 academic year assisting all Greater New Orleans UU churches. During his internship, Erik lead the marketing side of the joint capital campaign of the Greater New Orleans Unitarian Universalists which has to date raised over $1.2 M from donors all over the world.

Upon return to Chicago and graduation from Meadville Lombard in 2009, Erik was awarded Meadville’s highest honor, the “Faculty Leadership Award” given annually to the most promising M.Div. graduate.

After graduation, Erik served as

• curriculum writer and staff teacher for the Midwest Leadership School for Youth, Beloit, WI
• youth and young adult conference Chaplain for the CMwD
• the official Young Adult Observer to the UUA Board of Trustees
• sabbatical pulpit supply for the Bradford UU Church in Kenosha, WI
• Chaplain Intern at Meriter Health Services in Madison, WI

Erik was ordained by Community Church UU of New Orleans on April 10th, 2010, and called to serve the UU Church of Stockton, IL the following May.

Since September 2010, Erik has served as the settled minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Stockton, Illinois and continues his work with CMwD Youth and Young Adults as event chaplain, and the UUA Board of Trustees as co-author of the Regionalization and Representation Task Force proposal to radically change the structure of UUA leadership to be more accountable to historically marginalized communities.

Recognized as one of the Association’s leading experts in online community-building and new media, Erik was a featured essayist on technology and ministry in the 2008 Jenkin Lloyd Jones publication Reverend X: How Generation X Ministers are Shaping Unitarian Universalism.

Erik and wife Kimberlee Tomczak Carlson are the first couple to be separate recipients of the Donna DiSciullo Award for Young Adult and Campus Ministry, Erik in 2005, Kimberlee in 2010.

Prior to ministry, Erik worked as a technical writer, music journalist, valet services manager and as a primary care provider in psychiatric group homes.

Erik is also a prolific songwriter with more than 60 copyrighted pieces which he performs regularly on guitar.