Outstanding Leadership in Queens
2006 Honoree of the Queens Federation of Churches

The Reverend Dr. Ernestine Sanders

The Rev. Dr. Ernestine Sanders is the Pastor of the Evangelical Christian Church located at 113-02 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., Jamaica, New York and she is the Founder of The Evangelical World-Wide Ministries, Inc. She is nationally known as a Christian Educator and is President of the Northeast Conference of Christian Education. She is the Executive Vice President/CEO of the Clergy United for Community Empowerment, Inc. (formerly Southeast Queens Clergy for Community Empowerment, Inc.) in Jamaica, Queens. Dr. Sanders is a veteran of three terms as a Graduate Fellow of the New York City Mission Society’s Urban Fellow Program. She also served as the Mission’s Coordinator for two terms.

She is a national and international speaker and seminar leader on Ministry to the Handicapped, Women In Ministry, The Woman Pastor, Discovering African Roots, and How to Know That You Are Called. She has authored Let’s talk about Angels, The Black Church as an Entrepreneur, and Spiritual Gifts of Administration. She earned a business degree from Lamson College in Phoenix, Arizona; a B.A. in Primitive and Comparative Religions from The College of New Rochelle in New Rochelle, New York; M.P.S./M. Div. Studies at New York Theological Seminary; an M.A. in Psychology and Religion Education from Commonwealth University; a Doctorate of Divinity from Eastern American Theological Seminary Consortium; a Certificate in Journalism from Howard University in Washington D.C.; Continuing Education credits from Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey, Andover Newton Theological Seminary, Mass., Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. and Fuller Theological Seminary. She has a Ph.D. from Santa Barbara University.

Dr. Sanders was the first woman clergy panel member of the District Attorney John J. Santucci Second Chance Program. This program gives people, in their first offense with the law, a second chance by doing public service instead of being incarcerated. She serves on many boards. She presides over a quarterly Breakfast Meeting on raising the self-esteem of women. She was one of the opening speakers for the National Leadership Conference for the Congressional Black Caucus in 2002. She has received numerous honors, awards and proclamations.