The Church’s History: How it All Begin

Established in 1970 by Pastor Eugene Sanders, Jesus Name Tabernacle (now known as Faith Chapel) was the realization of a vision he had in the middle of the 1960’s while holding a revival in Biloxi, Mississippi. God had showed him a little brown sided country church by a river, but did not reveal the location. In the meantime, Brother Gene (as he preferred to be called) pastored several churches in the area. When he wasn’t pastoring, he and his wife, Edna and daughter, Jeannie were evangelizing (taking the gospel to the people), attending camp meetings, and holding revivals from Indiana to Tennessee and as far as Arizona. Then in February of 1971, as the family was driving from Christopher, Illinois to Carbondale, Illinois they crossed the Big Muddy Bridge at Blairsville, Illinois. There on the hill on the left side of the road was the little brown sided country church by the river he had seen in the vision over 10 years before! He told his wife, Edna, “That’s the church!” Within a few days, he had tracked down the owner of the building and asked to rent it for a few months to see if God would bless the mission. She agreed to rent the building. As he walked away, God spoke to him and said, “If you build the church, I will be with you!” God has kept His word.

On June 6, 2016, Brother Gene went to be with the Lord. He had preached the gospel of Christ for over 60 years. He baptized hundreds of people – some in farm ponds, lakes, rivers, horse troughs, and baptisteries. He never wavered from the Gospel and stood firm upon the foundations laid by the apostles. Brother Gene and his family ministered with music and preaching in many different areas of the United States.  He was once offered the position as a lead pastor of a large church in Evansville, Indiana, but he did not feel led to follow that path. Instead God led him to a small country church in the small “town” of Blairsville to establish a work that has seen hundreds saved and many more touched by the Grace and Love of God.  That work is still alive today at Faith Chapel. The Mission continues through the leadership of Brother Gene’s daughter, Jeannie and her husband Dennis. And Sister Edna is still attending every service and singing as she has for over 65 years! Although Brother Gene’s presence is still felt in the work that continues, on June 6, 2016, God called His faithful servant home, and Pastor Gene just gently and quietly slipped from this world to the eternal world. “You have fought the fight, you have ran the race, you have kept the faith. Well done, My good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy that awaits you!”