Ermon Benjamin Bain
1915-1999
The Life of Ermon Bain
Ermon Benjamin Bain was born the 16th of December, 1914 in Lawrence County, Alabama. He was the son of Tiller Benjamin Bain (1880-1968) and Alberta Bertie Odom (1880-1953). He was married on January 1, 1939, to Nancy “Alsie” Jaye Dillingham (1916-1974) of South Carolina, the daughter of Arthur Green Dillingham (1858-1921) and Lola Dorinda McSwain (1882-1957). They had four daughters, Sally Ann Cunningham, Brenda Jane Petty, Donna Marie, and Nancy Loweeda.
Initially, Ermon’s field of expertise was radio repair that took him to work in the state of North Carolina where he met and married. While there he obeyed the gospel of Christ and determined to preach the gospel of Christ. Returning to the west, he received his Bible training initially at Freed Hardeman College (now University), in Henderson, Tennessee and later at Harding School Of Bible And Religion (Harding School of Theology) in Memphis, Tennessee.
He began preaching in 1947 and worked with several congregations in Alabama like Littleville from 1948-1949; Valdosta church in Tuscumbia from 1949-1952; Phil Campbell from 1952-1955; Oakland from 1955-1956, and Main Street, in Moulton from 1956-1961.
While living in Moulton, Alabama he became part owner and general manager of radio station WLCB. All the time he continued his preaching activity. During the summer he joined Jack Fogerty in tent evangelism, conducting campaigns all over the United States and Canada. In the winter he “took the tent” to the Caribbean. Ultimately, the tent, that could seat up to 5000 people, stayed in the Caribbean. Once they recorded a meeting of above 10,000 people in attendance. He successfully preached in Aruba, Netherlands Antilles, Balboa and Gatun, Canal Zone, Cilibre, Almirante, Changuinola, Republic of Panama, Puerto Cortes, San Jose, Costa Rico, Santo Domingo. Dominican Republic, Maracaibo, Venezuela and Kingston, Jamaica.
Without doubt, it was in the Caribbean where Bain and Fogerty did their greatest work. They began a school of preaching in 1967 called Caribbean Christian College in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Preachers were trained here that allowed most congregations in the islands have their own preachers.
In 1979, Ermon began publishing the Caribbean Evangelist and continued its publication for over ten years.
During the last years of his life, Herman suffered with Huntington’s Disease which led to his death, March 1, 1995. Burial followed in the Moulton Memory Gardens Cemetery.
-Scott Harp, 09.08.2020
Sources: Preachers of Today, Vol. 3, ed. 1964, Gospel Advocate Company, page 17.
Gospel Advocate Obituary
Ermon B. Bain was born Dec. 16, 1915, in Town Creek, Ala., and died in Huntsville, Ala., March 1, at age 79.
Bain became a Christian while working as a radio repairman in North Carolina.
He married Nancy Dillingham while in the Carolinas.
Bain received Bible training at Freed-Hardeman University and Harding Graduate School.
He began preaching in 1947 and worked in several congregations in Alabama.
While serving the church in Moulton, Ala., Bain became part owner and general manager of radio station WLCB.
Following his work in Moulton, he joined Jack Fogarty in tent evangelism, conducting evangelistic campaigns in the United States and Canada during the summer and in the Caribbean during the winter.
With the help of brethren in Texas, they used a tent that was equipped with a baptistry and that could seat 5,000. Their largest estimated audience was 10,000. Eventually they took the tent to the Caribbean, where it has remained.
It was in the Caribbean that Bain did his greatest work for the Lord. In 1967, he and Fogarty began Caribbean Christian College in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Although the school closed, there is hardly an island in the Caribbean with a congregation that doesn't have a preacher who was trained there.
Bain began publishing the Caribbean Evangelist in 1979 and continued it for more than 10 years.
Bain suffered with Huntington's Disease during the final years of his life.
Source: Gospel Advocate, June, 1995, page 49.
Note: This is a timed piece. Some of those enlisted as living may be now deceased.
Directions To Grave
Ermon Benjamin and Nancy D. Bain are buried in the Moulton, Alabama Municipal Cemetery. The Cemetery is located just off Hwy. 157 in Moulton. Head southeast on Main St. and the cemetery will be on your right. Go into the second entrance and begin looking to your left. The BAIN monument is about the third from the end of the first section.
GPS Location
34.495387, -87.284734
BAIN
Ermon B. - December 16, 1915 - March 1, 1995
Nancy D. - February 12, 1916 - September 28, 1974
The Does All Things Well
Photos Taken 02.05.2015
Webpage produced 06.06.2016
Courtesy Of Scott Harp
www.TheRestorationMovement.com
Special Recognition: Thanks to C. Wayne Kilpatrick for helping in the location of the Bain family plot.
