Today we’d like to introduce you to Chandler Sanders.
Hi Chandler, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I tell people I didn’t grow up with a silver spoon; I grew up with a surviving Savior.
I grew up in a single-parent home. After my biological mother was murdered, my aunt, who I call my mother, took in my siblings and me. We didn’t have much, but we had a praying woman who made sure we were grounded in Christ and active in the church. That simple faith, the kind you find in a small storefront church on Sundays and Wednesdays, is what shaped me.
As a child, I chose to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, and from then on, I was fully involved. I joined the youth choir, went to Bible study, and took part in anything I could. By the time I was 12, I wasn’t just attending church—I was searching for Christ, His word, His will, and a true relationship with Him. The funny thing is, I never planned to be a preacher. I wanted to be a politician. I thought my future would be about campaigns and city halls, not pulpits and altars.
But the more I tried to make my own plans, the more God kept leading me back to ministry. No matter what I wanted to do, it always came back to serving God’s people. It wasn’t dramatic or like a scene from a movie. God simply called me, and it was a call I couldn’t ignore or turn down. The turning point came when a longtime friend looked me in the eyes and said, “Chandler, I need you in my life because you represent the most noticeable thing to God that I know.” That moment shook me and confirmed what God was already doing in my heart. I realized then that this wasn’t just about me; someone was truly depending on me to help them find God.
So I humbly accepted what I believe is a divine call to pastoral ministry, which means preaching and teaching the gospel with care. As I grew, I quickly learned that being a pastor is more than preaching. It’s about being a light for those who feel forgotten, outcast, or rejected. It’s about showing the same love and compassion Jesus did by sitting with the broken, reaching out to those others avoid, and reminding people they are seen and loved by God.
After that, I became intentional about my growth. I learned from experienced pastors and put myself in places where I could hear strong preaching, learn solid doctrine, receive training in pastoral care, and be held accountable. With the guidance of remarkable preachers and pastors, I have grown a lot in both faith and practice. Today, my story is simple: I am a boy from a single-parent home, covered by grace, called by God, and committed to leading people to Jesus. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ and His righteousness. That’s how I started, and that’s how I got to where I am today.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My journey has been anything but smooth. It felt more like traveling back roads full of potholes, detours, and roadblocks. Still, I always believed God was guiding me through it all.
I grew up in a tough neighborhood, but I never felt I truly belonged there. I wasn’t used to hearing sirens at night and seeing memorial T-shirts, candles, and teddy bears on street corners. I saw people with backgrounds like mine—coming from single-parent homes, dealing with grief and poverty—get caught up in their circumstances. Some were lost to the streets, others to addiction or hopelessness. I always knew that could have been my story, too.
When I lost my biological mother to violence, it left a deep wound that took a long time to heal. Growing up with my aunt in a single-parent home, I saw her work hard to provide for several children with just one paycheck. I learned what it meant to deal with both grief and not having enough. I struggled with anger, questions about who I was, and often wondered, “Why did God let this happen to us?”
When I felt called to ministry, that path was not easy either. I did not have a dramatic story of running from God and hitting rock bottom, so I often compared myself to others and wondered if my steady, quiet “yes” to God was enough. There was pressure to be the “church kid” everyone thought was always fine, even though I was still dealing with pain, questions, and expectations inside.
I also faced some practical struggles:gles:
Balancing work, school, and ministry.
Learning how to lead people who were older than me.
Taking on spiritual responsibility while I was still healing myself.
Feeling the pressure when friends told me, “You’re my connection to God,” and realizing my life needed to reflect what I was saying.
Being in pastoral ministry taught me that people sometimes leave, misunderstand you, or need your support even when you feel empty yourself. I had lonely nights, quiet doubts, and shed real tears.
Even while living in a tough neighborhood, dealing with grief and pressure, I felt God was always protecting me. Seeing others with my background get stuck in their environment made me even more determined to be a light and show that where you come from does not have to decide your future.
So, my journey has not been easy, but it has been meaningful. Every struggle with poverty, pain, pressure, and living close to the streets pushed me to rely even more on the one foundation that keeps me steady: Jesus Christ and His righteousness.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I tell people: I’m just a kid from Charlotte the Lord decided to trust with His people.
My name is Pastor D. (Da’Shawn) Chandler Sanders—most folks just call me “Pastor Chan.” I’m a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, and I serve as the fourteenth pastor of Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church in its 135-year history. That’s humbling to even say. I stand on the shoulders of saints and pastors who were faithful long before my name was ever in the conversation.
At Pleasant Grove, we’re serious about three things: the Bible, real worship, and a purpose-driven mission. Our heartbeat is: “Building a Community Through Christ and Caring Hearts.” I specialize in that intersection—strong biblical teaching, Spirit-led preaching, and practical ministry that equips individuals, strengthens families, and impacts communities for Christ. I’m known for saying, “He loves you real bad,” because I need people to feel the weight of God’s love, not just hear about it.
My primary goal is simple: to see lives transformed, restored, and developed by the Holy Spirit to live a life of greatness, just like Jeremiah 29:11 declares. My favorite scripture is Romans 8:28–31—that’s the anchor I hold while I’m walking with people through pain, promise, and everything in between.
Beyond the pulpit, God has allowed me to serve in the wider community. I sit on review boards, councils, and task forces in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. I’m a proud member of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP and hold the distinction of being the youngest Executive Board Member in the chapter’s history. I’ve served in leadership in the Southeast Region Young People’s Department of the Women’s Auxiliary of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., and I currently serve as Regional Advisor for the Southeast Region of the Youth and Young Adult Auxiliary.
I work specifically with young adults, ages 18–35, as Youth and Young Adult Auxiliary Chaplain and Mission Team Leader for Tri-M | Mission-Minded Men. I also serve on the executive board of the Sandy River Baptist Association Upper Division and as Vice President of the Joint Convention of York and Chester County in South Carolina. So my ministry isn’t just local—it’s regional, generational, and missional.
Academically, I earned my B.A. in Bible and Theology with a concentration in Pastoral Ministry from American Baptist College, and my Master of Divinity from Hood Theological Seminary. That training has shaped me not only as a preacher, but as a pastor, organizational leader, and developer of people. I’ve gained practical skills in pastoral care, leadership development, organizational planning, interpersonal communication, and event coordination—because ministry is more than a microphone; it’s management, mentorship, and mission.
What sets me apart is my philosophy of ministry:
– I believe the church exists to *embody* Christ, not just talk about Him.
– I believe we are called to challenge oppressive systems and dismantle injustice, just as Jesus did.
– I believe Matthew 28:19–20 is not a slogan—it’s our assignment. Evangelism, discipleship, and community transformation are non-negotiables.
– I believe in building a multicultural, multigenerational congregation because the Kingdom of God is bigger than one race, one age, or one style.
Theologically, I’m unapologetically Christian and unapologetically biblical: I believe in God the Father who sovereignly rules; in Jesus the Son—crucified, buried, resurrected, and ascended—who offers eternal life to those who repent and obey; and in the active, present power of the Holy Spirit working in the lives of believers. I hold the Bible as the infallible, inspired Word of God—sufficient for our growth in holiness, righteousness, and daily living.
What I’m most proud of is not a title or a position—it’s seeing people come alive in Christ. It’s watching a young adult find purpose, a broken family find healing, an overlooked member discover their gift and use it. It’s seeing a church live out love so tangibly that our community feels it.
At the end of the day, I’m a servant. A capable leader, yes—but a servant first. I strive to be personable, self-motivated, visionary, and deeply committed to the work. My life’s work is to help people see that God loves them “real bad,” and to build a community where that love is visible, practical, and transformative.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I was the kid teachers called “a lot,” but I was also the one other kids naturally followed.
I had ADHD/ADD before most people around me even knew what to call it. I wasn’t a bad kid; I was just busy. My mind raced, my legs bounced, and I talked when I should have been quiet. I often stared out the window, thinking about the future instead of focusing on the math problems in front of me. Math was my biggest challenge. Numbers would blur and dance, and no matter how hard I tried, I always felt behind. Still, I didn’t graduate late. I kept going and made it through.
On top of that, an assistant principal once told me to my face that I “wasn’t college material.” For a kid already struggling with focus and frustration, that could have been crushing. It hurt, but it also woke up the leader in me. That natural, assertive, “I’ll show you” attitude kicked in. I used those words as fuel, not as a finish line.
Looking back, I was a classic young leader and didn’t even realize it. I was strong-willed, strategic, opinionated, and naturally drawn to lead. I organized games at recess, assigned roles in group projects even when the teacher didn’t ask, and turned random conversations into full debates. I could talk to anyone—teachers, elders, or strangers at church. Adults would pull me aside and say, “You’ve got an old soul,” because I always thought about the bigger picture and spoke like I had somewhere important to be.
Home life was heavy. After my biological mother was murdered, my aunt, who I call my mother, took my siblings and me in. We were kids carrying adult-sized grief. But my mother anchored us in Christ and in church. That became the place where all my energy, drive, and leadership began to be shaped, and I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior at an early age. From then on, I was very active in church, joining the youth choir, ushering, attending Sunday School, and Bible study. At 12, while some kids dreamed about sports or video games, I was focused on learning about Christ through His word and building a personal relationship with Him. I didn’t want to be a preacher back then; I wanted to be a politician. That made sense for me because I loved people, loved to talk, loved to advocate, and naturally stepped into leadership roles without being asked.
So, growing up, I was a high-energy kid with ADHD. I was grieving but driven, struggled in math but had a strong vision, and was underestimated by some adults but recognized by God. I was loud, curious, organized, and always ready to lead. Now I can see that even in that restless little boy, God was already shaping a pastor, a leader, and a voice for His people.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://blinq.me/m8IjAKV3NjxefCWJcLsW
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dchandlersanders/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DChandlerSanders01/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PleasantGroveClover
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@dchandlersanders
