After 32 years at Maranatha Baptist Church in Independence Township, assistant pastor Steve Sanders is leaving the area but not the church.
Sanders, along with his family, is set to relocate to Tanzania to participate in missionary work.
‘We are very excited to be going, but it is very difficult to leave,? Sanders said. ‘We have a lot of deep roots in the church and in the community.?
The Sanders family will still be part of the church while they are away, and through the missionary are directly accountable to Maranatha Baptist Church.
The missionary in Tanzania is classified as personal evangelical.
‘We will be teaching that Christ is our personal savior and be giving the gospel to folks. We will help individuals establish their own church and train them on how to run it. But they will be running their own show. The purpose is not be build an American church in Tanzania,? Sanders said.
Steve will be joined in Tanzania by his wife Robin, sons Ben and Brett, and daughters Katie and Kara. The children vary in ages from 17 to 8.
The children were already being home-schooled, so that will continue in Africa.
‘The kids responded positively. All four are excited in their own way,? Sanders said.
While Sanders was not planning to participate in a missionary, the first seed was planted in March of 2003 when Maranatha had a missionary conference. The Howell family, whose missionary the church had helped support during the past four years, stated they had a specific need for a family to come and help.
The Howells are from a sister church in Howell.
‘I decided right there that I myself was going to go help or that I was going to find some family who would go,? Sanders said.
After talking it over with his wife and children, the Sanders family decided this was indeed for them.
The family will begin their journey on March 9. While some may think participating in a missionary in Africa would be dangerous, Sanders says Tanzania is a stable place to go.
‘I spent two weeks there in July and got a very good reception. It was very positive,? Sanders said. ‘There is no civil unrest and they are open to our influence. The Howell family has told us the people are very open and love to talk.?
The Sandersfamily plans to immerse themselves in the culture in order to learn the language instead of attending a language school.
There is not a scheduled amount of time they will spend in Tanzania. Sanders says it could be two years or 20 years.
Steve says the family always planned on doing a missionary but was not planning on doing one so soon. He said the biggest concern was taking his children away from everything they know and to a strange place.
‘That was my wife’s biggest concern also,? Sanders said. ‘But we know that the children our not our personal possessions but the Lord’s. Robin had to learn to give her motherhood to the Lord.?
Maranatha Baptist Church is having a special farewell service for the Sanders family on Sunday, March 7. The public is invited to the 10:30 a.m. farewell service.