Pastor Norm Oberlin
Lead Pastor
Pastor Norm and Pastor Barb have been pastoring the Hope church in Gaylord for years. They both love working and playing in Northern Michigan. “We have some of the best people in the world,” Pastor Norm has said many times. Norm has been married to his beautiful wife Barb for 48 years (they married young) and continues to grow closer each day. They have raised four boys and now have ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
The strength of these two Pastors is found in their marriage. Pastor Barb said, “We would not be married today if not for Jesus and the move of the Holy Spirit in our lives and our family.” Their testimony is that before they met Jesus as their Lord, the two were destined for disaster and probably divorced. However, due to the miracle of salvation, they are nearing a half-century together. Their testimony shows how the Gospel message can transform any marriage, family, etc.
Norm and Barb are regular folks who are called to share the Gospel story. Their teaching (and sometimes preaching) connects Bible times to the present day, with a lot of humble pie dished out in the process. They live what they teach and love to share how God has helped them survive and thrive. Their hobbies are fishing, sewing (you can figure out which one does what), and all that Northern Michigan offers (like snow-blowing…okay, that is not as much a hobby as a necessity in Gaylord).