Charles Danny (Dan) Anders Papers

Charles Danny (Dan) Anders was born on October 3, 1936 in Dallas, Texas and adopted by Christian parents, Charles H. Anders and Verna Lou Mathis. He was brought up in Dallas and Seagoville, Texas and attended Abilene Christian College (ACU). There he excelled in the study of Bible and Greek. Dan was recognized for his preaching ability early in life and made a 6-month missionary journey around the world with E.W. McMillan in 1958. He married Judy Snow of Dallas in 1963. Dan and Judy had two daughters, Leigh Ann and Lara. Dan’s full-time preaching ministry took him to the following churches: Graham Street Church of Christ in Stephenville, Texas, 1961-1965; Hoyt Avenue Church of Christ in El Monte, California, 1965-1969; the Central Church of Christ in Houston, Texas, 1969-1983; and after a merger, Southwest Central Church of Christ in Houston, Texas, 1983-1985. In 1985, Dan and Judy moved to Malibu, California where Dan preached for the Malibu Church of Christ (later known as the University Church of Christ) on the campus of Pepperdine University until 1998. Dan Anders was the first full-time preacher of the Malibu Church of Christ. Dan worked briefly with the Glenwood Church of Christ in Tyler, Texas following his retirement from full-time ministry. Noted as an effective preacher and teacher, Dan conducted hundreds of evangelistic meetings, workshops, and retreats, and was a speaker at many university Bible Lectures nationwide at a time when there was much study and discussion about the role of women in the church. He wrote for journals including 21st Century Christian, Restoration Quarterly, UpReach, Image, and Power for Today. Dan held a M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Abilene Christian University. ACU President Royce Money recognized Dan posthumously as one of ACU’s Distinguished Alumni during Dan’s memorial service at the Glenwood Church in Tyler. During his time in Malibu, Dan was a contributor to the local newspaper, Malibu Times, engaging the local citizenry on religious topics. He worked to build community among area clergy for prayer and Bible study and was involved with establishing a disaster relief fund for local emergencies. After a ten-year battle with lymphatic cancer, Dan died on February 8, 1999 at the age of 62.

Biographical information sourced from:

Ancestry.com. Texas, U.S., Birth Index, 1903-1997 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. Original data: Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997. Texas: Texas Department of State Health Services. Microfiche.

Durham, K. (1999). Remembering my brother Dan Anders. Pacific Church News, 26(3), 3. Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1017&context=pcn