By Loretta Fulton

Craig Sanders didn’t grow up in the Lutheran Church, and it wasn’t until he met his future wife, Kathy, that he was introduced to the church.

But once he started taking a class on the teachings of the Missouri Synod of the Lutheran Church, he realized he agreed with them. It was while serving as an Elder at Zion Lutheran Church that he began feeling a pull toward ordination as a pastor.

“It was during that time that the idea of me attending seminary first came up,” he said “It was several years before I finally decided to go to seminary.”

As of Jan. 1, he became the senior pastor at Zion Lutheran Church, which is affiliated with the Missouri Synod. Longtime pastor Clyde Kieschnick retired Dec. 31, 2025, after serving since 2002. 

Sanders was born in San Marcos and moved with his family to Abilene when he was 10. He is a graduate of Cooper High School and Hardin-Simmons University. After living in San Antonio with his wife and children, the family decided to move back to Abilene in 1999 and joined Zion Lutheran Church. 

Since then, Sanders has served as an Elder and Vicar before being ordained as a minister on Feb. 18, 2024. But “Pastor K,” as Kieschnick is known, will always be welcomed as part of the clergy team.

“I’ll gladly work along side him as long as he wants,” Sanders said.

Craig Sanders

BIO
Birthplace: San Marcos
Where you grew up: Mainly Abilene, moved here when I was 10
Family: Wife: Kathy; children: Nicole, Amy, Matthew & Kelsey (twins); sons-in-law: CJ Harrold, Noah Pruitt, and (soon to be) Joshua Richie; granddaughter,Stella
Education: Hardin-Simmons University BBA 1989; Concordia Seminary St. Louis (SMP) 2021-2025; Concordia Seminary St. Louis (SMP-GPC) 2025-present.
Previous positions: Most recently, I owned an insurance agency for approximately 13 years. Prior to that I was a civilian contract computer programmer for the 28^th Bomb Squadron at Dyess.
Community involvement: The majority of my involvement since moving back to Abilene in 1999 has been at Zion. I served in a variety of volunteer positions prior to going to Concordia Seminary in the Fall of 2021.

Q You have been at Zion Lutheran a long time. How have you been involved over the years?
A – We joined Zion in August of 1999 after relocating here from San Antonio. I was soon asked to serve as an Elder due to a military relocation. I served in that position or as Chairman of the Board of Elders, almost continually until going to Seminary.

Q What was the date of your ordination as pastor at Zion Lutheran Church? 
A Feb. 18, 2024

Q Was someone from your regional office here for the ceremony?
A Yes, there were several from the Texas District present at my ordination. The service was led by then-Texas District President, Rev. Michael Newman.

Q Did you grow up in the Lutheran Church?
A I did not. I grew up attending the Church of Christ (Southern Hills) and went to a Baptist University. I did not go to a Lutheran Church until I started dating my wife Kathy. I took a class (at the church – Concordia San Antonio) and learned about the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS). During that class, I realized I agreed with the teachings of the LCMS and decided to join. It is important to note that there are several denominations in the U.S. that use the word “Lutheran” in the name and there are often significant differences between them. Zion is a congregation in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS).

Q At what age did you first feel the pull toward ordained ministry?
A When serving as Elder, I would often fill in for Pastor Kieschnick when he needed to be out of town. It was during that time that the idea of me attending seminary first came up. It was several years before I finally decided to go to seminary.

Q What are some of the milestones in your spiritual journey?
A There aren’t a lot of “milestones.” My journey was really kind of a slow burn. As I said, I was always involved. Even in San Antonio. As Elder at Zion, I began filling in for Pastor K in about 2015. That was hit-and-miss only when he needed to be out of town. I taught a variety of Bible classes over the years as well. It wasn’t really until I decided to go to seminary in 2021 where there was any kind of milestone. Once I became a seminary student, I was installed as a part-time Vicar at Zion. 

Q You majored in business at Hardin-Simmons. What kind of business career did you want to pursue? (Start your own business? Be in management of an existing business? Go into finance?)
A Having a degree in finance, I worked for several credit unions in a variety of positions. I also worked in IT for quite some time. Later, I got the opportunity to work for an insurance agency here in town, ultimately owning an agency that I ran that for about 13 years before leaving to work at Zion full time. 

Q Why did you move back to Abilene after living in San Antonio?
A San Antonio was a lot of fun, but when you have kids it is different. An hour to work each day and an hour home for both Kathy and me left us with little family time. That ultimately drove our decision to move to Abilene.

Q Do you plan any changes in programming or scheduling as pastor?
A  No, and certainly not initially. I will likely leave things largely unchanged for the next year or so. I will be asking a lot of questions of members and trying to get information. Depending on what I learn, changes could be made in the future, but it would depend upon a lot of things.

Q Will Pastor Kieschnick still be a part of the clergy team?
A As much and as long as he likes. He and I have served in ministry at Zion since he got here. Over that time, we have developed a close friendship and he’s like a brother to me. I’ll gladly work along side him as long as he wants.

Loretta Fulton is creator and editor of Spirit of Abilene