Background
He was born on December. 2, 1789 in Columbia County, Georgia, United States. He was the eldest son of Ephraim and Nancy Sanders. Early left an orphan, he was reared in a friendly and pious home.
He was born on December. 2, 1789 in Columbia County, Georgia, United States. He was the eldest son of Ephraim and Nancy Sanders. Early left an orphan, he was reared in a friendly and pious home.
He prepared for college in Kiokee, or McNeil's, Seminary, and entered Franklin College, Athens, Ga. , about 1806, but in 1808 transferred to South Carolina College, Columbia, S. C. , where he graduated in 1809.
After teaching for two years in Columbia County Academy, Ga. , he was a succesful farmer for about twenty years.
In 1817 he served in the lower House of the state legislature, but declined to be a candidate for reelection.
He joined Kiokee Baptist Church in January 1810, being baptized by Abraham Marshall. Some years later, feeling called to preach, he was licensed by Union Church, Warren County, Ga. , and on Jan. 5, 1825, was ordained. He continued to farm, but now devoted much time to itinerant preaching and pastoral work. At different times he was pastor of Williams Creek, Pine Grove, Union, Powelton, Shiloh, Greensboro, Penfield, Sugar Creek, Griffin, and other Georgia Baptist churches.
He continued as head of the Mercer institution in Penfield until 1839 when it was made Mercer University. During this formative period he was financial agent, teacher, and general administrative head of the institution.
After his resignation he was for several years secretary and treasurer of the board of trustees, and remained a member of that body until his death.
He was neither a great scholar nor a very eloquent preacher, but his practical, pungent sermons were so effective that he was much sought after by the churches of Georgia. However, he was one of the most important of the Baptist preachers and educators of Georgia during the first half of the nineteenth century. He became the first principal of Mercer Institute on its establishment at Penfield, afterwards the Mercer University, justly called its real founder. Perhaps his chief title to fame is his service to Mercer University, but he occupied other important positions in the Baptist denomination in Georgia and in the public life of his state. He was for several years clerk of the Georgia Association, and for nine years its moderator. For six years he was president of the Georgia Baptist Convention, edited the Christian Index.
He was an ardent supporter of temperance, foreign and domestic missions, Bible societies, and all kindred forms of Christian beneficence.
Tall and slender, with a tendency to tuberculosis, he was energetic and punctual, with a strong, clear, practical mind, sound judgment, and great moral earnestness.
On Mar. 17, 1812, he married Martha Lamar, by whom he had nine children. After her death in 1822 he married, Feb. 25, 1824, Cynthia Holliday, by whom he had thirteen children. Two children of the first marriage and eight of the second survived their father.
