Born in Henryville, Indiana, USA in 1890, the young ‘Colonel’ Harland Sanders was an innovative entrepreneur and a very hard worker. But despite his talents and efforts, success eluded him for decades. 

The Great Depression

When the time of the Great Depression arrived in 1930, Sanders began a new venture selling fried chicken from a roadside cart. Despite the hard times, his business grew and he was eventually able to buy up a disused service station. This became his roadside restaurant in North Corbin, Kentucky. It was here that Colonel Sanders developed his famous “secret recipe” and his patented method of cooking chicken in a pressure fryer. Sanders recognised the potential of the restaurant franchising concept, and the first KFC franchise was opened in South Salt Lake, Utah, in 1952. 

A devout Christian mother

Sanders’ mother was a devout Christian who taught him about Jesus and the teachings of the Bible, including the importance of generosity. In the early years of his fried chicken business, Colonel Sanders prayed to God and promised that if his business became a success he would give generously to Christian charities. Soon after his prayer, the business began to grow faster and Sanders kept his word. By the 1960s the business was flourishing and the Colonel was able to devote himself full-time to franchising KFC throughout the country.

Never too old

It was also during the mid 1960s that Colonel Sanders became a fully committed Christian at the age of 75 in an Assemblies of God pentecostal church in Louisville, Kentucky. Up until that time the Colonel had often attended church and had given generously as he had promised, but he had not totally given his life over to Jesus Christ. His adult life had been defined by secular business struggles and a notorious fiery temper. But when he ‘surrendered’ to Christ, his anger began to subside. Following his Christian conversion, he spent his last 15 years of his life actively sharing his faith in Christ round the globe. 

the richest man in the cemetery

Sanders spiritual journey was a gradual process and the real turning point came after he had amassed great wealth. He realised that financial success and church membership were not enough, there was something else that he was still lacking. Colonel Sanders later said, 

“There’s no use being the richest man in the cemetery when you can’t do any business in there!”

Along with his sharp temper, he was also known for his foul mouth. Sanders eventually decided to pray and ask God to help him. It was five years later that he realised his prayer had been answered. He said, ”I lost half of my vocabulary!”

In his later years, Sanders travelled extensively for both business and faith purposes. He actively chose to integrate his Christian testimony with his business meetings. He also visited Israel and was baptised in the Jordan River. 

Final rest

Colonel Sanders became an active member of the First Christian Church in Shelbyville, Kentucky. Becoming a Christian in his mid 70s did not hinder him from working in his new capacity as an evangelist. The Colonel was so grateful to Jesus that did all he could to share the Christian message with as many people as he possible. He died in 1980 at the age of 90. During his last 15 years he had shared the Christian gospel with tens of thousands of people. The story of his personal faith and generosity continues to be passed on and has reached many millions in the decades since his death. 

 

story by Ralph Burden

Photo: screen shot of Col Sanders on tv in 1979 aged 89

 

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