Bishop Robert Sanders was born October 3, 1939 to Mr. & Mrs. Wheeler Sanders in Elkhart, Indiana, the eighth of ten children.

Bishop Sanders received his early training in the Indiana school system.   He was saved at the age of 13 years old at Emmanuel Temple COGIC in Gary, Indiana under the pastorate of the late Elder John Mannings.

As a child he served as Sunday School Superintendent and Y.P.W.W. President.    After the death of his mother, Bishop Sanders moved to Chicago where he continued his high school years at Tilton Tech and Dunbar High Schools.   He later attended Moody Bible Institute and International Seminary in Orlando, Florida.

Accepting the call to the ministry in 1952, Bishop Sanders faithfully served the men of God and the church.   In 1957 he was ordained by the late Bishop Louis Henry Ford.   Under Bishop Ford's leadership, Bishop Sanders was appointed as pastor of McClelland Temple COGIC and served from 1968 to December 1973.    In January of 1974 he was appointed pastor of New First COGIC in Chicago Heights, IL.    Bishop Ford saw great potential in this servant and in 1986 appointed him pastor of All Nations COGIC in Joliet, IL.

While in First Jurisdiction of Illinois, Bishop Sanders was honored as the 1975 Pastor of the Year, served as District Superintendent, State Evangelist President, State Sunday School Superintendent, State Expeditor, faculty member of the C. H. Mason-Williams Roberts Institute and as Administrative Assistant.

After the demise of Bishop Louis Henry Ford, Bishop Robert R. Sanders was made the Jurisdictional Prelate of Third Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Illinois on January 26, 1996.   He was consecrated on May 4, 1996.

On August 26, 2000 Bishop Sanders received an honorary Doctorate Degree in Theology from the Charles Harrison Mason System of Bible Colleges Church of God in Christ Inc.

Bishop Sanders is supported by his wife, Mrs. Earlean Cross Sanders and their five children.

Our Bishop's Wife

Mother Earlean Sanders