Sid Anderson, a formerly incarcerated individual, journeyed from prison to redemption by overcoming obstacles and finding comfort in serving others.
While incarcerated he said he could not get away from doing God’s work. Upon release he said he etablished churches, the leadership within congregations, and strengthened the faith within the communities he resided in.
“God trained me in spiritual combat while being of service to my fellow man,” Anderson said.
He said he believed he is an example of what God’s grace and mercy looks like. Anderson said once he re-aligned himself with God’s destiny for him, his motivation for building and pasturing churches changed.
“It’s no longer a case of motivation for me; sometimes it just comes down to life and death,” Anderson said.
Anderson was born in Fontana, California where he grew up in a two-parent home with seven siblings — six-boys, and one-girl. He said growing up in a God fearing family meant going to church was a daily routine.
After graduating high school at the age 18, he joined the United States Marine Corps, where he was stationed to camp Lejune in North Carolina.
Unlike his father, Anderson’s challenge in leading others to the Lord occurred in the midst of an active war zone.
While serving in ‘Desert Storm’ he started his first church congregation. This path of stewardship was similar to his fathers, who pastured while Anderson was growing up.
He said after his first sermon in Samolia every person in attendance accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior that day. He said he was able to accomplish this feat in a room full of Samolians while standing on top of a cot. “Just like in the movie Black Hawk Down.”
He said there were distractions which became second nature, and he said before he knew it, he was leading a double life.
“Some people tell me they did not have a mom or dad in the home, (and) that’s why they failed in life,” Anderson said. “I had both parents and I still fell.”Anderson said
Anderson said he found himself falling away from God’s mission and in 2011 he committed a felony offense, which placed him in the back seat of a police car for the first time. While, sitting in the car he reflected on a Bible scripture to lift his spirits, “God will not be mocked.”
Anderson said his fall came when he stopped listening to the voice of God. He said it was when he listened to his own voice instead of God’s, those distractions such as abusing money, and living a life of infidelity took over.
Over the next 9 years, Anderson was housed in California Rehabilitation Center in Norco, CA. He said this time behind the walls reignited his fight to minister to God’s people and build churches.
Rather than giving up and be, defeated Anderson said he understood that adversity was going to come.
He said he understood some of the skepticism and negativity that could come directly from people in the church. The gossip and backbiting about his failures as a man of “The cloth,” were going to be difficult, but Anderson said while people can forgive they will never forget.
“I still can overcome and not give up on what I love,” Anderson told himself. “The will power to not allow failure to have the last word,” is simiisfdis similar to the teachings of his parents.
He said something profound was in his spirit before he was released in 2013.
“I told the devil that he thought he would bury me, but he did not realize I was a seed,” said Anderson
