Rev. Eric Erickson is the new pastor at Community Evangelical Free Church in Platteville.

Erickson formerly was associate pastor at Lakeview Church in Stoughton, and before that Monroe Bible Church. He took over at Community Evangelical May 12.

Erickson, a Darlington native, graduated from UW–La Crosse with a secondary education degree. He taught for two years in northern Illinois and six years at Monroe High School, from which he graduated.

He was a member of the UW–La Crosse track team and Campus Crusade for Christ.

Erickson lived in Manila, the Philippines, for three years, serving at the world’s largest missions school.

Erickson and his wife, Deb, who met at UW–La Crosse, have three children ages 8 to 24. Erickson’s mother graduated from UW–Platteville in 1950.