Our Team
Jerry B. Cain
Jerry B. Cain spent a career in higher education serving for 20 years as Collegiate Vice President for William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, USA, before retiring after 14 years as President of Judson University in Elgin, Illinois, USA. He holds degrees from Eastern New Mexico University, Portales, NM, and Baylor University, Waco, Texas and has been the recipient of 4 honorary doctorates from the U.S. and Nigeria. His academic interests revolve around historical ethics.
Don Ng
Don Ng is a retired American Baptist minister who served as Senior Pastor at First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco from 1998-2015. For 20 years, he was a Christian educator at ABC Educational Ministries in Valley Forge, PA. He also served as the President of ABCUSA, 2014-15.
Joseph D. Huse
Joseph was originally hired as the Development Director for the FNECU Board and then became a board member and is completing his 6th year on the Board. He is a Special Assistant to Ben Chan and assigned stewardship education responsibilities. He has made several trips to North East India and assisted with fundraising among the American Baptist family.
Mang Sonna
Mang Sonna was born and raised in Manipur, North East India. He became the executive director of Bethel Neighborhood Center (BNC) in May 2009. Bethel gives him the opportunity to work with refugees, immigrants, and the city’s poor in Kansas City, Kansas. He makes and executes plans, oversees the programs and services at BNC, travels to speak at churches and visit donors, advocates, and interprets for refugees. The lives that are transformed and the new hope people find because of the Bethel ministry excites him the most. Mang’s passion is in education, and he is thrilled to serve as a member of the Friends of NECU.
Ruth Gilson Fox
Ruth Gilson Fox spent her childhood in Burma and India with her parents, Clifford and Rosemary Gilson who were themselves ABFMS MKs (Fred and Hazel Gilson--northeast India; Marlin and Melva Farnum--Japan). After completing her studies at Eastern University in elementary education, she spent 2 years teaching English at Shokei Junior Women's College in Sendai, Japan. Upon her return to the USA, she attended Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (Palmer), receiving her MAR in 1984. Ruth met and married Charles E K Fox, II that summer. He graduated from EBTS in 1983 and was pastoring the Frankford Baptist Chuch in Philadelphia. Ruth worked in an administrative capacity for EBTS for 4 years before starting a family in 1988.
In 1991, and with two children, the Foxes moved to Cincinnati where Chuck pastored the Wyoming Baptist Church for the next 8 years. In 1999, with three children in tow, Ruth and Chuck responded to a call to go to serve with International Ministries in Chiang Rai, Thailand. After a year and a half in Bangkok learning the language, they moved north to work with the Akha Churches of Thailand. During their time there, Ruth was involved in creating a handicraft program to help bring support into the Akha villages, setting up an educational scholarship program, developing an emergency care center, and providing lay leadership training for the women. Because their three children needed an education, the Foxes joined 3 other families to form a homeschool co-op. Over time, Ruth became more deeply involved in helping to see this co-op develop into an international school in 2011, serving in a number of capacities including as a teacher, financial manager, principal and Director of Resource Development until 2017. It was that year that Ruth and Chuck returned to the USA to care for his parents. He took a pastorate and Ruth became a Regional Consultant for Education for International Ministries. In August of 2019, her role changed to Global Coordinator of Education and she continues in that role today.
Dr. Peter H. Armacost
Dr. Peter H. Armacost has retired after 43 years serving as president of three different colleges and universities –Ottawa University, Eckerd College and Forman Christian College. Forman Christian College is in Lahore, Pakistan where he served for ten years. Dr. Armacost has been an active leader in educational, religious and community organizations. He has been President of the American Baptist Churches USA, Chairman of the Pinellas County Chamber of Commerce, and of the Florida Young Presidents Organization, and a member of the Executive Committees of the Council of Independent Colleges and the National Association of Independent Colleges.
Mar Imsong
Rev. Dr. Mar Imsong is originally from Nagaland in northeast India, he holds a doctoral degree (Th.D.) in Social Ethics from Boston University School of Theology.
Prior to coming to the United States Rev. Imsong worked in the Student Christian Movement of India, sensitizing and advocating for justice and human rights for the poor and marginalized in India. He also taught Christian Theology in Oriental Theological Seminary and Bishop’s College Kolkata. Authored several journal articles including the book “God-Land-People: An Ethnic Naga Identity.” His scholarly interest intersects with contemporary issues of culture and theology.
Also an ordained American Baptist Minister he is an advocate for immigrant pastors and recognizes and celebrates the cultural and ethnic diversity. Rev. Imsong is a trainer, coach, mentor, public speaker and preacher. Rev. Imsong is an observant listener, preacher, activist, bridge-builder and he enjoys gardening and fishing. His wife, Bendangla, has served as a co-minister and is now a pre-school teacher. The Imsong's have three adult children.