William Maurice Erickson, known as Pastor Bill, went home to be with the Lord on December 7, 2023 at The French Manor in Traverse City, Michigan. He was 93 years old.
Born in 1930 in Manistique, Michigan, Erickson pastored Free Methodist churches with hearing congregations in Michigan and Oregon from 1955-1970. During this time deaf people sometimes came to his church. His wife, Genevra Erickson (1931-2008) interpreted worship services and taught adult Sunday School classes for the Deaf. Pastor Bill told the Lord, "Somebody needs to do more to reach the Deaf with the message of God's love for them and disciple their growth in faith." God told him, "Yes. I want you to do that."
In 1971 Bill Erickson became a Middle School Language Arts teacher at the Oregon State School for the Deaf (OSSD) in Salem. Pastor Bill had one year of being mentored by the Campus Chaplain at OSSD. Then he began pastoring Salem Deaf Fellowship in a small chapel at the Salem Free Methodist Church. Families with Deaf members could worship together in the signed morning services. Deaf adults had their own Sunday School classes. Deaf children went to hearing classes with an interpreter. Evening services in the Free Methodist Church were interpreted, as well as Sunday night Youth Group meetings.
Bill founded Gospel Ministries for the Deaf (GMD) as a 501c.3 non-profit for Salem Deaf Fellowship and the Northwest Christian Camp for the Deaf (NWCCD). God used his servant Bill to bring together other Deaf pastors and believers from a variety of church backgrounds to work together and start NWCCD in 1974. NWCCD continues for its 50th year in 2024 at the Friend's Twin Rocks Campground on the Oregon Coast. GMD also sponsored native teacher training for teachers of the deaf in mission schools in Jamaica and in the Philippines.
During the '80s Erickson became an adjunct professor at Western Evangelical Seminary in Portland, Oregon and pursued his dream to train more pastors for the Deaf by mentoring his first Deaf pastor. Later he worked with other Pastors for the Deaf across the US to develop an online college training program for Pastors to the Deaf.
Bill and Genvera Erickson retired and moved to Vancouver, WA in 2002. Genevra died in 2008. In 2012 Bill remarried an old friend from Spring Arbor College in Michigan. Bill sang in the choir with Marvin Penwell at Spring Arbor and met Marv's girl friend, Gloria, at the time. Bill and Gloria lived in Warm Beach, WA in the Winter & Spring, then back to Sutton's Bay, MI in the Summer & Fall at Gloria's home. The Erickson family all love Grandma Gloria. As health issues began to limit their travel, they moved back to Michigan full time in the Winter of 2019.
William Erickson is survived by his second wife, Gloria (Penwell) Erickson; son Steve & Alisha Erickson in Ridgefield, WA; 3 daughters: Sheryl & John Emra in Rockwall, TX; Shirley & Dave Fackler in Renton, WA; and Sharla & Corey Gottschalk in Prosper, TX; 10 grandchildren, and 5 great grandchildren.