Lang's father, John Marshall Lang, was a Church of Scotland minister and some-time Moderator; among Norman's brothers were Cosmo, Archbishop of York[3] and then of Canterbury;[4] and Marshall, minister and some-time Moderator.
He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford,[5] and after a period of study at Ripon College Cuddesdon,[6] he was made deacon on Trinity Sunday 1900 (10 June)[7] and ordained priest on St Thomas' Day 1902 (21 December) — both times by Randall Davidson, Bishop of Winchester, at Winchester Cathedral.
[9] Returning to England he was Vicar of St Martin's, Leicester[10] before his appointment to the episcopate.
He was consecrated a bishop on Ascension Day (1 May) by Randall Davidson, by then Archbishop of Canterbury, at Southwark Cathedral.
He continued as an Assistant Bishop of Peterborough — effectively in the same role, without a title — until his retirement in 1945.