Ondrea Sanders – Minister to the Abused

Hello, my name is Ondrea Sanders. I live in the United States, and am an ordained Pastor. It is very difficult pastoring in the United States. I say that because in this country, everything is acceptable, and when you as a man or woman of God attempt to stand against something you are labeled as judgmental or anti-this, and anti-that.

My relationship with the Lord began when I was 7 years old, that is when I gave my life to Christ. Although I was very young, I knew that I needed the Lord in my life. By the age of 7 I had already endured so much abuse that I was contemplating suicide. So when I was presented with the gospel I was hooked. When I learned that there was a man named Jesus who loved me, and would accept me as I was, and take away all of my pain I was sold.

My ministry dream is to minister to broken women all over the world. As a young child I endured a great deal of emotional, sexual, and physical abuse. I was homeless as a child, and went without food on occasion. These are the children, young ladies and women that the Lord has called me to. They need to know that their present situation is not the end of the road for them. God has an excellent plan for their lives. He has plans to prosper them, give them hope and an expected end. They need to know that there is no predicament that they can get it that the love of God can’t find them in.

The foundation of my ministry comes from:

Psalm 139:
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

I used this scripture because I found it very comforting to know that everything I had gone through was a part of God’s ultimate plan. My being abused was not happenstance, my having to sell drugs as a teenager was not a surprise to my heavenly Father.

I have known from a very young age that I was called into the ministry. However, what pushed me to answer this call was a series of prophetic dreams that I began to have. Those dreams caused me to really pursue my calling, and purpose in the Kingdom of God. I have since found that I am called to the forgotten members of society, those most people would not want to minister to. I am called to the drug dealers, the prostitutes, the poor, the abused, and the gang members. I am called to women who like me were broken and battered and as a result had become bitter, angry, and violent.

My Spiritual Parents are very supportive of my ministry. It’s very rare that my Apostle is not in attendance when I am ministering. I serve her in many capacities. I am her Armor Bearer; I serve on her leadership board and am soon to be installed as her Assistant Pastor. My family has supported my ministry endeavors, and is one of the main reasons why I push so hard. The Lord has called me to be a change agent in my family. I am determined to see my parents and sibling saved, and filled with the Holy Spirit.

Receiving the scholarship here at CLI is very important to me. I have enjoyed taking the course so far. I do not want to be one of those preachers who have zeal and no knowledge.. I needed a place to do an in depth study of the Word of God. I feel I have found that here at CLI.

My prayer request would be that God would open doors for me to continue to fund my ministry. I work full time at a secular institution, and also have small children at home. I pray that the Lord will give me witty ideas on how to organize my time so that nothing goes lack. Thank you