Reverend Francis Preston Sanders, son of Abraham and Mary Cox Sanders, was born in Campbell County, Tennessee, on April 24th, 1874. He was married to Miss Sallie Mae Parrott on January 14th, 1897. To this union was born nine children, namely, Charles H., Knoxville, Tennessee; Mrs. Earl Reed, Maryville, Tennessee; Mrs. Will King, Robert, John, Harold, Paul, Mrs. Leonard Moore, and Mrs. Ernest Brown of Friendsville, Tennessee.
Brother Sanders received his education at Murphey College, Powell’s Valley Seminary, University of Chattanooga, where he graduated in 1903. In the same year he was admitted to the Central Tennessee Conference; Huntingdon, Tennessee. In 1904, he transferred to the South Illinois Conference. Returning in 1905 to The Central Tennessee Conference, and to Huntingdon for two years, then he transferred to the Holston and served the church at Pikeville Little River, Oakwood, Knoxville, Maryville Circuit, Friendsville, Conference Evangelist, Union Grove Circuit. He retired in 1933.
Brother Sanders was converted at the age of eleven, and that early experience of the love and grace of God awakened in his young heart the true knowledge of the high privilege of being a child of the king, and thus began a religious revival within his own soul, so dynamic, so irresistible that it never ceased to burn, the noble cadence of God’s love swept through his soul like glorious music, and his life was like the poet’s song.
“How sweet is the love of my Saviour!
“Tis boundless and deep as the sea:
And best of it all, it is daily,
Growing sweeter and sweeter to me”.
The country-side, rolling hills, the circuit with its plain folk, the fields, the quiet fields, the green fields, the open fields, the smell of the soul, the sparkle of dew, the cattle, the song of the lark, all had a particular charm for Brother Sanders, he never cared for a city church, and in his faithful calling as a good minister of Jesus Christ, he adhered to the counsel of Saint Paul, “Therefore be very careful how you live and act. Let it not be as unwise men, but as wise. Buy up your opportunities, for these are evil times.” (Eph. 5:15, 16-Weymouth. In the home of the folk he served or in the pulpit preaching the gospel or it may be he was singing “Jesus Lover of My Soul” or pleading with the lost and weary to accept Christ as Savior, his life was full of romance.
“Every day is a fresh beginning,
Every day is the world made new;
You who are weary of sorrows and sinning,
Here is a beautiful hope for you—
A hope for me and a hope for YOU”.
The little diary Brother Sanders kept reveals a very interesting item, more than three thousand souls lead to a saving knowledge of Christ the Lord, only eternity will tell the full story of his ministry.
On December 8th, 1939, Francis Preston Sanders finished the race, his work was over and he went home to be with the Lord forever and forever. The funeral was in charge of Dr. E.H. Ogle, and Pastor O.B. White, the body was laid to rest in the Cemetery, Union Grove, Tennessee. — O.B. White
