Rufus Sanders faces church investigation

A local minister appears to have stepped down while church leaders investigate allegations he sexually abused two teenagers for years beginning in the late 1970s.Roy and Victor Matthews contend Bishop Rufus Sanders of Emmanuel Temple Church on East Adams Street in Sandusky repeatedly molested and raped them when they were children. Achie and Odell Matthews, their parents, were founding members of the church, and Sanders was its founding minister.The Register was contacted Monday by a church leader from another state who said an investigation was being ordered. On Thursday the newspaper received an undated memo that appears to be from Bishop Theodore L. Brooks Sr., presiding bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World Inc., addressed to its board of bishops. "I have asked Bishops Sam Moore, Gregory Newman and Billy G. Newton to investigate and report back to me within the next 10 days," the memo that appears to be from Bishop Brooks states.Sanders has declined comment on the allegations, which were first reported in the Register last month. He and his attorney did not respond to questions earlier this week about whether he was asked to step aside, or what he's told church members about the allegations. Read more: Molesting the faithfulRoy and Victor Matthews, now ages 54 and 56, said together with their siblings and in-laws they confronted Rev. Sanders in March 2017. They also reported the abuse to police in 2016 but were told charges could not be filed due to the amount of time that has passed since the abuse ended.The statute of limitations for rape in Ohio is 25 years.In written statements, Roy Matthews alleged other boys who attended the church when he did, and later, were also abused by Rev. Sanders. Brooks' memo does not state what action would be taken after he gets the results of the investigation. In the memo, he cautioned his board members not to talk to the media about the investigation."Thank you for your help with this matter. Most importantly keep Bishop and Lady JoAnn Sanders in your prayers, as well as The Emmanuel Church family," Brooks wrote, in closing.Bishop Dr. Rufus G.W. Sanders PhD, of Emmanuel Temple Church in Sandusky, is a former weekly columnist with the Sandusky Register.