enorman@2ndpres.org
Welcome, Ethan Norman
On June 1st, Ethan Norman joined our staff and he already feels at home. “I love it here—I already feel more at home with this congregation than I’ve felt for a long time,” says this humble, charming young man who will divide his time between Contemporary Worship Leader and College Director.
Ethan was born June 13, 1980 in Ocala, Florida. His parents, Bill and Sandy Norman, raised him and his sisters and brother in a “wonderful Christian home and a “very strong church,” Grace Presbyterian. Ethan, who compares his story to Jonah’s, felt God’s call to the ministry in middle school but like Jonah, he tried to escape that call by taking another direction. “Preparing to go into ministry is not exactly a positive thing to a middle-schooler,” he explains. Like so many young people, he tried to find his own joy. A talented actor, Ethan went with the University of Florida theater group straight out of high school to perform Shakespearean plays in Greece and also acted in the Flat Rock Playhouse productions in Flat Rock, North Carolina. But the faith and love of his parents prevailed. “Like the father in the prodigal son story, they exemplified Christ.” He went to the university, first as a theater major then switching to Psychology. But most important of all, he realized he could only find joy by following Christ, by serving.
Before joining our staff, Ethan worked with The Cross for 5 years. His eyes light up when he talks of college ministry, of reaching the lost. “College students hear thousands of voices all competing for attention. My mission is to help them discover, recognize and follow the voice of the True Shepherd.” He will also serve our own college students and other students raised in Christian homes. “Christian students recognize the Shepherd’s voice but they’ve never had to follow it on their own, with so many other voices calling them away.” He refers to college ministry as “The Field”, based on Matthew 13:44. “The Kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” His goal is to reach the lost, raise up leaders, and send them out into other fields with the good news of the gospel. He will reach out to students by serving them. “Christ is calling us. We reach out in service and mission because we take the invitation seriously.”
Ethan lives next door to Rick and Bev Kuhlman with his Australian Shepherd, Clancy. His brother and sister-in-law live in Knoxville. His father died five years ago and his mother now lives in Roane County, near his sisters. Ethan loves it here at Second Pres. “This congregation has already been a huge blessing to me,” he says. But we are the ones who are blessed to have this talented and dedicated young man in our church family, leading our worship and discipling our college students. Welcome, Ethan!