About the Author God's Purpose for Man

Pastor Joyce Erickson

Pastor Joyce A. Erickson has been teaching Bible for over 45 years in various Bible schools in Minnesota and Texas, churches, mission fields in Europe, Iceland, Thailand and Mexico, various organizations, as well as the college where she was the founder, president and Bible professor for ten years before she retired. Joyce has the gift of teaching the uncompromised truths of God’s Word to men and women of various denominations in a simply-to-understand format that helps people understand the Word of God in a deeper way.  While the milk of the Word is most definitely included in this book, Joyce's primary focus is to give out the meat of the Word in a deeper way to teach believers how to live the purposed-filled life of God as we prepare for a much larger eternal assignment for all eternity.  Knowing that each believer has been created by God with a plan and purpose, it is the intention of Believers Bible School to teach believers how to live a life pleasing to God in all aspects while purposing to fulfill that call upon their lives. 

In studying God’s Word, Joyce loves to inductively dig into the culture of the people of the Bible, researching the sociological, geological, and political environment of the times of the Old and New Testament to acquire the most accurate meaning of Scripture.  She often goes back to the original Hebrew or Greek text to find the most accurate meaning of words and phrases to again glean what God is trying to say to His people.  She does not teach allegorically, but take the Scriptures literally in all sense unless it is obvious that it cannot be literal.  In that, she stands firm against allegorical interpretations of Scripture to glean the most accurate meanings of what God is saying to His people - then and even today! 

Joyce has been married for 62 years to her husband Paul. They live in Coon Rapids, MN in the summer months and McAllen, TX during the cold winter months.  She and her husband have raised three children, now having ten grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

In 2006, Joyce retired as founder, president and Bible professor of Maranatha College in Brooklyn Park, MN. Her retirement years are spent in compiling 40 plus years of research and teachings, placing its vast amount of information on her website – www.believersbibleschool.com, as well as those she continues to teach at various churches, ministries and home studies.    

Since the time of the publishing of God's Purpose for Man twenty-eight years ago, Joyce has receiving her Diploma in Bible at Living Word Bible Institute in Brooklyn Park, MN.  From there she went on to earn her Bachelor's degree in Christian Ministries at North Central University in Minneapolis, MN, followed by earning her Masters degree in Education, with an emphasis in Christian Post Secondary Administration at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK.  In 1996 she became ordained into the ministry and has been an associate pastor at two different churches throughout the past several years.  In her retirement, Joyce developed a Bible school for a church in McAllen, Texas, as well as taught in that Bible school for many years.  She also is a chaplain for a large senior park in McAllen, Texas where she regularly teaches Bible to its residents.

This book, God's Purpose for Man - 2nd edition - is the online version that came out of the 1st edition hard copy under the same title, published in 1994 under White Dove Publishing Company in Minneapolis, MN.

All material from God's Purpose for Man, 2nd edition is copywritten© and permission to copy any information is granted only if proper acknowledgement is given to its author, Pastor Joyce A. Erickson, using the title, God’s Purpose for Man - 2nd edition 2022 under www.believersbibleschool.com

Click here for "Dedication"