Joliet bishop 'had a heart as big as Texas'

Andre Johnson of Crete remembers the first time he heard Bishop Robert R. Sanders speak.

At the time, Andrew wasn’t the district superintendent for the Louis Henry Ford District of the Church of God in Christ, the role he holds now.

Sanders, a bishop with the church's Third Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Illinois when he died on July 1 at the age of 79, was once the administrative assistant for Ford (deceased).

In addition, Sanders was instrumental in naming the Bishop Ford Freeway (1996) in Chicago as Ford “had strong ties to the local community,” Andre said.

But in 1986, when Andre first heard Robert speak, Robert was preaching at a revival at a church called Corinthian Temple, Andre said. As Andre listened, he became more and more impressed with Robert.

“He was full of life, full of energy,” Andre said.

When Andre himself became a church pastor, he pastored under Robert and experienced firsthand Robert’s “spiritual strength” and his ability to build up church leaders, he said.

Andre only wishes he’d had more time with Robert.

“When you meet someone who is just so enlightening to your life, you just want to pull of them and suck that life out of them,” Andre said. “He had so much wisdom, so much spiritual knowledge…I felt like I’d lost a father, not just a spiritual father but a natural father.”

The visionary

Robert was also pastor of All Nations, which is now pastored by Dwayne Barefield, as well as New First Church of God in Christ in Chicago Heights, which is now pastored by Robert’s son Roland Sanders.

“He pastored two churches and most ministers can’t do that. It’s physically too much,” Andre said. “And All Nations – that name spoke exactly who he was in life: All Nations. All people. He had a true, non-binary love for everyone and everybody. He cared about who you were and where you came from He met you where you were and loved you right there.”

Cathy Wells, who served as Robert’s administrative assistant for 32 years, said Robert came to All Nations in 1986, a church that had been established in 1939.

As a longtime member of All Nations, Cathy said she appreciated Robert’s approach to leadership in her church, even though the assignment was originally supposed to be temporary.

“He was regarded as a problem-solver,” Cathy said. “So he was placed here to move things forward. But he didn’t come in changing things right away. He used wisdom in how he came in, to win the hearts of the people and put people on board with him. He didn't come in like the new sheriff in town and change everything. If I’ve learned anything from him, it’s how to work with people.”

Armed with what Robert called “Vision 2000,” Robert expanded the church on land behind the existing building. He made that decision for two reasons.

“We debated moving out of this neighborhood, but he wanted to stay at the southeast end [of Joliet] and make a difference in the neighborhood,” Cathy said. “[And] he never wanted to tear down the old church because it still had some seniors who had worked hard to build it. He did not want to destroy that image. For them, he would not ear it down as long as those who built it were in place.”

Robert also began a number of programs at the church, such as a food pantry and clothing closet, to benefit the community, Cathy said. In 1998, also under Robert’s leadership, All Nations began the Harvey Brooks Motivation & Development Foundation to expand those programs.

Harvey Brooks was All Nations’ first pastor, Cathy said.

“He [Robert] wanted to make a difference in people’s lives,” Cathy said. “He had a heart for the people.”

According to its website, the Harvey Brooks Motivation & Development Foundation provides "motivation and enrichment through education, family development, financial literacy, community and economic development, crime prevention and rehabilitation."

To help further foundation, the Bishop Robert R. Sanders Endowment Fund was established and then formally announced to the community on Dec. 16, Cathy said.

Cathy said the foundation has already received monetary pledges for the endowment, which will help carry Robert's vision forward into the future. The foundation also plans to fundraise as a way to build up the endowment, which will be used for the foundation's programs.

It’s a perfect legacy for a pastor who personally helped where he could, from finding jobs for people to helping churches acquire funds to remain open.

“He was an extremely compassionate person,” Andre said. “He has saved more churches than any bishop I know across the denomination.”

The father

Roland Sanders, Robert's son and the current pastor of the New First Church of God in Christ in Chicago Heights, said his father "had a heart as big as Texas."

In fact, Robert insisted his grandchildren call him "Big Daddy instead of "Granddaddy."

"My father never met a stranger," Roland said. "He was willing to help everyone. That's how my father was. He gave his life to the church – we shared him with the world – but he always made time for his family."

Roland feels his father, as well as the other men in his family who answered God's call to ministry, helped shape and inspire him.

But Roland said he did not choose ministry because of his father. God's call was one he could not ignore, he said.

"My father leaves behind a legacy of servanthood a legacy of faithfulness and dedication to his community," Roland said. "He not only served the people of God, he served the community where God had wanted him to serve.

"My father does have really big shoes to fill. I'm not trying to fill his shoes, but I am walking in some of the steps he's walked in."

• To feature someone in “An Extraordinary Life,” contact Denise M. Baran-Unland at 815-280-4122 or dunland@shawmedia.com.

KNOW MORE

According to information from All Nations, Sanders:

• Accepted the call to the ministry at age 13, and ordained at age 18.

• Attended Moody Bible Institute and International Seminary in Orlando, Florida.

• He pastored for over 50 years: 1986 appointed pastor of All Nations Church of God in Christ in Joliet; served the faith-based community in many district, state and jurisdictional capacities: served as district superintendent; state evangelist president; state Sunday school superintendent, state expeditor, and administrative assistant to Bishop Ford; He was chairman of the election committee for the board of bishops of the Church of God in Christ, Inc.

• Faculty member of the C. H. Mason-Williams Roberts Institute.

• In 2012 he received a Doctorate of Divinity Degree from St. Thomas University in Jacksonville, Florida.

• Has received several awards for his leadership and community development efforts: Received the Pastor of the Year Award in 1975; Elevated in 1995 to Jurisdictional Prelate (bishop) of the Third Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Illinois Church of God in Christ; The Jurisdiction has grown to more than 65 churches. Named a Purpose Prize fellow for his social innovations, an honor bestowed upon social entrepreneurs over age 60 who have used their experience/passion to take on society’s challenges.

• Served as Senior Pastor of both New First Church in Chicago Heights, IL and the
All Nations Church of God in Christ in Joliet. Both churches, through his leadership, established community-based organizations and expanded their outreach ministries through the Robinson Youth Foundation (Chicago Heights) and the Harvey Brooks Motivation and Development Foundation (Joliet) to provide programs in: Education; Community and Economic Development; Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation; Family Development; and Financial Literacy.

• Sanders was married for 50 years to the Late Earlean (Cross) Sanders (five children from this union). After the death of his first wife, he married Carolyn Terrell, and added to his family her son, Cameron Jones. As a father and mentor for many, he has dedicated his life to advancing the Kingdom of God.

Employment and other work experiences include:

• Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Bus Driver for two years.

• Peoples Gas, Chicago, IL for 12 years: Retired as the No.1 street mechanic.

• Cook County (Chicago, Illinois) Sheriff for 10 years.

• Served as Chaplain for the Chicago Height, IL and Dolton, IL Police Departments.

Chronological summary of Sanders’ accomplishments is as follows:

• 1951 to 1963 – President of Young People Willing Workers, North Shore District. Received the Pastoral Tribute Award from the Religious Workers Guild.

• 1964 – State youth chairman for the COGIC.

• 1964 to 1967 - Assistant pastor at Cross Temple COGIC, Chicago

• 1968 to 1973 – Pastor of McClellan Temple COGIC

• 1971 to 1975 – State evangelist president.

• 1974 – Appointed pastor of New First COGIC, in Chicago Height, Illinois and immediately
started to renovate the facility: Improved landscaping and blacktopped parking lot.

• 1975 – Built and equipped an addition to New First COGIC. Purchased new church buses. The mortgage was paid off four years later, and additional property was purchased in Chicago Heights, burned New First Church mortgage in 1979.

• 1986 – Appointed administrative assistant to Bishop L. H. Ford; appointed superintendent of William Roberts Power House District; Civic Ventures in the Joliet, Will County area began: Sanders was appointed pastor of the All Nations Church of God in Christ (COGIC). All Nations COGIC had suffered some setbacks, and Sanders was appointed to help the church overcome struggles and move forward.

• 1987 – Organized Women & Men Fellowship to reflect the needs of the entire church: In-reach; Outreach; Enrich.

• 1989 – Established outreach ministry.

• 1990 – Established a telecommunications ministry.

• 1994 – Paid off All Nations COGIC existing mortgage.

• 1995 - Appointed chaplain of the Chicago Heights Police Department

• 1997 – Received “Outstanding Achievement Award” from Religious Workers Guild; Began construction of a new facility for the All Nations COGIC.

• 1998 – Established the Harvey Brooks Motivation and Development Foundation as not-for- profit community outreach for the All Nations Church in Joliet, Illinois; appointed to board of directors of Bank Calumet in Chicago Heights.

• 2000 – Completed construction of All Nations’ new facility: sanctuary, seven classroom, and gymnasium/Family Life Center; established the after-school program.

• 2001 – Co-founded (with the Will County, Illinois, States Attorney) the Will County Faith Based Community Outreach Council; member of the Juvenile Justice Council; established “Project Impact” which provided mentoring, counseling and community service hours for first- time youth offenders; purchased 45-passenger coach bus for New First Church.

• 2002 – Established the “House of Bethesda” program in Joliet, Illinois, which provides re-entry support for ex-offenders and support for those recovering from substance abuse. The “House of Bethesda” has evolved to include a Prisoner Re-Entry Advocacy Center, a one-stop referral service for ex-offenders.

• 2004 – Purchased a closed school building (located in the church’s community) in Joliet, Illinois and established the Harvey Brooks Cultural and Fine Arts Academy; established HBF Nutrition and Food Service and Summer Lunch programs; established the Life Line Food Pantry and Clothing Closet.

• 2005 – Organized a successful relief program to the victims of hurricane Katrina: Products delivered to Louisiana and Mississippi, along with a $6,000 donation.

• 2006 - Purchased a coach bus for All Nations COGIC; sponsored a leadership conference for the officials of Third Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Illinois; completely remodeled the ladies lounge and dining room at New First Church; established the TLC Senior Services Program; established COGIC Social Services.

• 2008 - Secured a grant and acquired a 14-passenger, handicapped accessible para-transit vehicle to provide additional transportation services for the Harvey Brooks Foundation and other organizations and community partners as needed.

• 2009 – Revitalized the Women’s Ministry / Women’s Conference/Convention.

• 2010 – Open the “Bright Star” Pre-School and the Early Learning Program; Organized relief program to earthquake victims in Haiti.

• 2012 – Received Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from St. Thomas Christian University.