Helping at Home and Beyond: Indian Hill Church’s Reverend Dr. Stephen Caine

By Mary Casey-Sturk

Reverend Dr. Stephen Caine is the Presbyterian Teaching Elder of the Indian Hill Church. 

He was raised in Signal Mountain, Tennessee, and worked and studied in the Southeast before coming to Indian Hill in 2013 with his wife Margaret Adams Caine (Monnie), and their three children.

Although he grew up in Tennessee, Caine noted that he was “born at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.” In Tennessee, he shared his youth with his parents and three brothers. “My faith journey began in my childhood; my mother was very involved in the Presbyterian Church in Signal Mountain. If the doors were open, we were there. Whether it was Vacation Bible School or children’s choir, we were there.” Caine continued, “In high school, I became involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I played sports, so it was a natural connection there.”  

Football, Frustration, and a Conversation

“I grew to understand what I considered faith to be; not so much the rules, but how you treat other people. Be supportive and kind. That’s been my driving force,” shared Caine, adding, “I never thought I would do this (ministry), as a profession. It was years later, post-college, that this crept into the discussion.” 

Sharing more of his journey, Caine said “I love American history, civil war… I did take some religion classes but didn’t have an initial interest in making religion a career.” 

“I went to college at Middle Tennessee State to play football, and after that, I went to Burlington Southern College. It was a liberal arts school, and I always thought I’d be a teacher and a coach. I love history and I love sports, so it made sense. But I never took education classes, so I couldn’t get a teaching role in public schools. I went back to night school to work on that and was getting frustrated. My parents suggested I talk to our pastor about it, and it was my pastor who asked if I’d be interested in joining a ministry. I said ‘no,’ and he said, ‘I think you should consider joining the ministry.’ I didn’t think I was cut out for it; my image of ministers was of “brow beaters.” I wanted to be anything but that—I wanted to be approachable.”  

Indian Hill Church

“We are a dual denomination, so it’s a unique church. The people are wonderful, the church is lively, and a lot is going on. Lots of young families and children. Lots of programming.” Caine added, “This church, in the 1960s and 1970s, was much more social justice oriented. I hope to get the church out more into the community. We’re in a good place to do that. I have a strong calling to care for other people. Homelessness, food insecurity, inequities: how can I (and the church) help?”

Working With the Indian Hill Rangers

How did Caine come to work with the Rangers? “It’s a confluence of things. There is a retired policeman in our congregation who asked if I’d like to do a ride-along. Larry Bennett. He encouraged me to do it.” After six months of training with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department, Caine became a Volunteer Chaplain and was assigned to the Indian Hill Rangers. 

“My role includes going on ride-a-longs. If I am needed, they will call. I am also on call with the county if there is a large situation requiring multiple chaplains. That could be for families having a tragedy, or whatever is needed. What I’ve come to realize is that the stress of being a police person—in some ways you bring everything from your home life to work—you have to compartmentalize it.”

“You (police) must be on guard, walking into stressful and tense situations. You have to remain cool. How do they process this? I hope to be their sounding board and a source of support. I had no concept of the stress that first responders, police, firefighters, and EMS workers have.”

“People reach breaking points. We all hear things, see things, that could break us.” 

“In our training to be support chaplains, we were taught all the things an officer has to go through. Not just the laws and communication skills—now, they are being taught a lot of social work things. Law enforcement has become the front line for mental health.” From his work with the Rangers, Caine knows that people from all walks of life can find themselves in crisis and this is an example of how he, and the church, can help be active in the community and beyond.

Re-Member Trip

In June, Rev. Dr. Caine led a group of church youth and adults to South Dakota on a service-learning trip. 

“(We went to) Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota for a week of service-learning. We toured Pine Ridge Reservation, the home of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Nation. We listened to presentations from Tribal leadership, cultural programs, and historical events, and we even went to a Powwow.” shared Caine. 

The Re-Member Trip is a powerful experience, allowing everyone to step outside of their comfort zones and grow. This is a partnership with the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Nation and more information can be found at www.re-member.org.

Caine and the other volunteers completed and worked on several projects. “We built bunk beds for families and children who do not have one. We dug 6-to-8-foot holes for outhouses and then installed the outhouses for those without functional plumbing. We built a wheelchair ramp for a U.S. Military Veterans Center. I was blown away by how many Lakota proudly served in the U.S. armed forces. We installed “skirting” around the bottom of mobile home trailers. The majority of housing on the reservation is mobile home trailers. When the wind is heavy and strong, it can easily overturn them when it gets underneath them. Skirts also provide insulation from the elements. We worked on greenhouses to offer sustainable farming options for the Lakota Nation on land that is otherwise not plantable.” 

The group also did a bit of sightseeing and visited Badlands National Park, Mount Rushmore National Park, and the Wounded Knee Massacre site.

Reverend Dr. Stephen Caine is committed to helping his church, Indian Hill, and broader communities through positive words and actions. For more about Indian Hill Church’s outreach programs, visit http://www.indianhillchurch.org/outreach.