Meet President Jerry B. Cain
When Dr. Jerry B. Cain came to Judson and became its president in 1998, along with academic achievements and a history of spiritual service, he brought a warm, steady smile and a firm faith, which is a lot like electricity. Although you can’t see it, you can certainly see the light.
Cain, who was raised in New Mexico, was given the opportunity to preach at his local church when he was age 13. It was during the absence of the pastor.
“My father owned a grocery store,” Cain says, the memory unwinding like the reel of a home movie. “I learned a great many things there.”
Those were lifelong lessons—remembering people by name, greeting them when they stepped into the store and paying attention to their stories, especially when those stories involved hurt and hardship. The idea of being a neighbor in a Christian community, Cain said, is not to see through one another, but to see one another through. Today, he lives and works in Elgin, wanting to stay close to the university he leads.
President Cain has a master’s degree from Baylor University, and has done post-graduate work at four different schools, including Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Cain arrived in Elgin after 20 years at William Jewell College, where he was chaplain and collegiate vice president. He has received three honorary doctorates from schools in Missouri, Kansas, and Nigeria.
He met his wife, Linda, in a freshman year English class at Eastern New Mexico University. The gift of her love has been an education in itself, Cain says, adding that “it is an amazing thing to be loved.” They have two adult sons, Michael and Jeffrey, and two granddaughters.
President Cain's Speaking Schedule
If you would like President Cain to speak at your church or if you have questions regarding his speaking schedule, please contact Tena Robotham at 847-628-2002 or email trobotham@judsonu.edu.