Vice President, Ministry Innovation
The Reverend Dr. Jerry L. Cannon joined the Board of Pensions as Vice President, Ministry Innovation in 2022. His service began as the agency entered a season of rebuilding, and he is responsible for strengthening connections to ministries that represent the growing diversity of the denomination and PC(USA) communities that have historically felt locked out and left behind.
Jerry leads and directs the Board’s dues incentive programs, exploring solutions that will break new ground in the support of small church and nontraditional ministries. He also manages the Board's relationship with limited-resource churches and caucus groups, including the National Black Presbyterian Caucus, National Caucus of Korean Presbyterian Churches, and Hispanic/Latinx National Presbyterian Caucus.
A lifelong Presbyterian who has long been active in the national Church, Jerry is ideally suited for his role. Before arriving at the Board, he served more than 30 years as pastor of C.N. Jenkins Memorial Presbyterian Church, a thriving congregation in Charlotte, North Carolina, and one of the largest Black congregations in the PC(USA). The congregation nearly tripled in size during his service and engaged in extensive community-based ministry and bridge-building.
Jerry has held several high-profile roles within the denomination, including leadership within the African American Intercultural Congregational Support Office. He also served as President of the National Black Presbyterian Caucus and as a Minister of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with the Presbyterian Foundation. He is a former member of the Board of Pensions Board of Directors, serving on the Assistance and Pension committees, and currently serves as one of two Board representatives to the Diverse Voices Table of the PC(USA).
Jerry holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Virginia State University, a Master of Divinity from the Interdenominational Theological Center (Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary), and a Doctor of Ministry from the United Theological Seminary.
Contact information
Call Jerry at 267-432-8929 or email him.