Termites in the Church

By Dale Sanders

There is no hurt like church hurt. In "Termites In The Church," Dale Jay Sanders tells the story of his father, the Rev. Leroy Sanders, Sr., who experienced the carnal instruments of Church Folks' warfare firsthand. After being falsely accused of stealing from the church he'd pastored for more than forty years, illegally arrested by the St. John The Baptist Parish Sheriff's Department, and dragged through a two-year court battle, at age seventy-eight, Rev. Sanders, Sr., emerged as a living example of how to bounce back after a setback. As a twenty-six-year veteran of pastoring, Dale Sanders insisted on standing by his father's side every step of the way: the arrest, the court dates, the Sunday morning worship services, the defaming letters, and libelous talk. In the end, none of it stood up to scrutiny. When all was said and done, what these Church Folks really wanted was control of what this old preacher had amassed, and a District Judge saw that they would get it, lock, stock, and barrel! Termites in the Church has all the making of a juicy fiction drama, complete with lies, theft, lawyer tricks, and courtroom melee. The only difference is, it's all true.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dale Sanders
• Release date: Jun 2, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311649454

Dale Sanders

Dale Jay Sanders, Sr., is the pastor-teacher at the Fifth African Baptist Church of New Orleans, Louisiana, and the Second New Guide Missionary Baptist Church of Metairie, Louisiana. Dale has been a pastor for twenty-six years and has preached throughout the nation since he was twelve years of age. He graduated with a degree in Psychology from Southern University at New Orleans. He is the author of God Talk For Teenagers and has written and recorded many songs. He and his wife, Kimberly, reside in the suburbs of New Orleans and have four children: Gerae’; Destiny; Dale, II; and Jericho Elisha.

Book preview

Termites in the Church

What you meant for evil, God meant it for good

Dale Jay Sanders, Sr.

Foreword by Dr. Jasper W. Williams, Jr.

Copyright 2016 by Dale Jay Sanders, Sr. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, without the written permission of the copyright owner, except for brief excerpts quoted in reviews. Reach Dale at 504.427.6735 or [e-mail]

Printed in the United States of America.

Scriptures marked (NIV) are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION , NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Smashwords Edition

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Contents

Dedication

Foreword

Introduction

Section One: A Word To Leaders

Chapter One: Live On Purpose And Walk Into Your Destiny

Section Two: The Early Years, Not All Bad

Chapter Two: I Didn’t Ask For This

Chapter Three: Church Folks 101

Chapter Four: Rev. Joseph White Road

Chapter Five: The Funeral

Chapter Six: Times With My Father

Section Three: Living With Termites

Chapter Seven: Where It All Started

Chapter Eight: The Beginning of the Infestation

Chapter Nine: The Day the State Took Over the Church

Chapter Ten: The Lure Of Power

Chapter Eleven: Struggles With Myself

Chapter Twelve: Ichabod: The Glory Has Left

Chapter Thirteen: Let’s Talk, Leader To Leader

Chapter Fourteen: Read The Charter; Believe The Charter

Chapter Fifteen: What Does It Mean To Be A Deacon?

Chapter Sixteen: Love Your Enemies

About the Author

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my father, Rev. Leroy Sanders, Sr., for never quitting even when his back was against the wall. Because of his unwavering faith in the unseen God, our family had hope for a brighter day. To my one and only mother, Girlia White-Sanders, for standing by my father’s side for almost sixty years and for not allowing the termites to eat her alive, I honor them both.

Love,

Dale Jay

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We serve at the command of God. What may befall us we do not know. Upon His grace we must depend, even when our reality is compromised by the unexpected.

- Dale Jay Sanders, Sr.

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For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

- Jude 4 (NIV)

Foreword

I have only been a permanent resident of two states my entire life: Tennessee and Georgia. Both of these states have one thing in common that any homeowner is very familiar with - termites. While scientists will readily confess that ecologically speaking, termites provide a valuable function as decomposers in the forest, their eating away at the wood in your home or other dwelling is not so good. Let me share with you some characteristics of the nature of termites you may not know.

First, termites work in the dark and undisclosed spaces. They build their colonies in mounds and in the walls and wooden parts of a house or building structure. Also, the overwhelming majority of termite workers and soldiers are blind. Since these extraordinary creatures work and spend their lives in the dark, they have no need to develop functional eyes. So as these industrious insects work and live together, they represent a vivid picture of the blind leading the blind.

Second, termites feed off each other’s waste. Unlike humans, termites have no congenital bacteria in their stomachs to process the trees they eat. So they engage in eating each other’s waste. Moreover, as termites shed their old skeletons to make way for new growth, eating each other’s waste is the primary means whereby they replenish themselves, which is vital to the life of the colony as they survive and thrive in the mound.

A final attribute of termites is they are very well-groomed creatures. You would not normally think an insect that spends most of its time in the dark, eating dung, would be so meticulous about grooming. Termites in fact spend an extraordinary part of their existence grooming each other in an effort to stay clean. Their exceptional hygiene is important to their survival and sustainability because it keeps bad bacteria and parasites from destroying the colony. Termites have survived in this fashion since the beginning of time.

Now Dale Jay Sanders comes and writes about a different type of termite - a termite whose sole focus is to terminate the progress and viability of church pastors who give unselfishly for the sake of the people of God in the local church. Like the termites I’ve just described, these termites in the church work in darkness and feed off dung while they look good. Sanders tells the story of how his father, Reverend Leroy Sanders, Sr., a devoted and anointed pastor, was dismissed from his position by church members who performed as termites. His story is one that is lived out weekly in the lives of many pastors and congregations, but Sanders’ story is a narrative of vindication and redemption from the destructive forces that undermine pastoral ministry.

As you read Termites in the Church, know that it tells the truth, which at times can be disturbing, but the truth can set the pastor and congregation free. This book will facilitate a conversation between pastors and church leaders on how to exterminate church termites without tearing up the church. When you’ve finished reading this book, you will want to share it with your pastor colleagues. You will want to share it with your own church leadership. This story is the Sanders’ story. This story is my story. And if you pastor long enough, it will become your story and the story of your church. Learn its lessons then and let’s terminate the termites in the church.

Reverend Jasper W. Williams, Jr.

Salem Bible Church

Atlanta, Georgia

Introduction

One of my favorite gospel songs of all time was written by one of gospel music’s icons, Walter Hawkins. He wrote many great songs that are still making an impact on lives today, such as Be Grateful, Goin’ up Yonder, When The Battle Is Over, and the list goes on. But my favorite is Thank You. The opening verse reads, Tragedies are commonplace; how true that is. The term commonplace implies something that is not unusual, but ordinary and repetitious in nature. Whenever I read or sing those words, I Peter 4:12-13 comes to mind:

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

In conclusion, tragedy is bearable when triumph is foreseeable.

It would be easy to have a pity party, harbor feelings of rejection, or even isolate ourselves while life’s hardships assail, but ministry comes with baggage and at times it’s more than we can bear alone. For many ministers, tears are tantamount to the growth of our ministries, like it or not. Psalm 126:5 says, They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. Like Jeremiah, we've become weeping prophets. Whatever you do, my brothers and sisters, don't stop weeping. People need a prophet who has been pruned by problems, not one who’s full of pride. All of our hurt, pain, and tragedy work together, helping us build something extraordinarily beautiful and lasting. As Christians, we are called to hold on and keep the faith in the midst of, not despite, life's challenges. This is no time for retreat or surrender. I Corinthians 10:13 says, There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

I wish I could tell you this book was written to express how easy and carefree ministry is, but the ministry both bruises and blesses; it has both pain and pleasure. Any joy ministers may experience is quite often tempered with some sadness. So, if you are searching for instant gratification, pats on the back, and people constantly singing your praises, ministry may not be for you. This is a day when ministers are maligned in the media, condemned in books, and are quite often the topic of scandalous satire. In 1926 the famed writer, Sinclair Lewis, wrote a satire about Reverend Dr. Elmer Gantry. He was an alcoholic who liked quick money and easy women. Gantry soon became a successful Methodist minister, despite all his ruthless dealings. And although the novel was received with major public outcry, the book became the number one bestselling fiction of 1927.

Certainly, I am aware there are questionable preachers among us; however, most of the time, it is the preacher’s message that gives rise to his enemies, not his mess-ups. Through the life of the Prophet Jeremiah, we learn that ministry is not for the faint of heart. Look closely and you will see that the tapestry of Jeremiah's ministry was tailored with trouble. He endured the jealousy of a comrade (Pashur), the rejection of the very people he ministered to, and even dealt with his own resentment for believing God deserted him at a crucial time in his ministry. Shepherds are often wounded on the battlefield of the Lord, left wondering where God is. Who tends to the injuries of a wounded shepherd? Who administers comfort or care when he needs it the most? God does, if we give him time.

Pastors, don't lose hope when God appears to be silent because in the has not of God is always a be patient with me. God may not have dealt with your detractors yet, but be patient with him. God may not have increased your membership yet, but be patient with him. I know you've been laboring in the word and standing on the promises of God and things have not yet turned in your favor, but just be patient with him. I'd like to believe that God demands we operate in silence when he knows that sound will no doubt cause