Children and Youth Ministries

The Rev. Erin Pickersgill

Erin was ordained a priest in December 2022 at Christ Church Cathedral. She grew up in Webster Groves, but has spent the last twenty years living and serving in different parts of the UK. What was meant to be a simple gap year in Belfast turned into half of her life in Northern Ireland and many different places in England.

After she graduated from MSU in Springfield with a degree in Arts and Letters, she worked and lived in neighborhoods in Belfast alongside a mission organization, whose emphasis was on peace and reconciliation. She mentored young leaders and traveled to places of conflict in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, teaching a curriculum on forgiveness through the International Forgiveness Institute.

Her first introduction to the Anglican communion was her involvement with a church plant in East Belfast called Wells. She married David, who’s English, and they moved around England, with their two young daughters. While her husband trained for the priesthood, she had some fun jobs like bakery apprentice, swimming instructor, and cafe barista/cook.

At the end of a three year course to become an Ignatian Spiritual director, Erin started to feel the Spirit’s invitation to the priesthood for herself. After a few years of discernment in the Church of England, Erin trained and finished her Masters degree in Theology, Ministry and Mission through St. Mellitus College in the East Midlands.

The pandemic became a time for her and her family to evaluate and consider where they would like to live for the next part of their lives, and St. Louis became an obvious spot to be closer to family and friends.

Erin loves writing poetry (badly), skateboarding (badly), wild swimming, binging mediocre tv, and trying new things. She feels incredibly blessed to be able to work with the Diocese of Missouri and thankful for the opportunity to grow, learn and serve here back in her hometown.