Dr. Valerie Chillis Sanders was born of the rich soil of Miami, Florida and strives to walk in the legacy of three generations of faithful women who modeled their Christian faith in both their lives and legacy. Ecumenism is in the substance of her roots. She holds respect of the Baptist traditions of her elders along with the rich Afro-Caribbean flavor of the Episcopal church that nurtured the spirituality of her youth. Her early spiritual formation cultivated her deep appreciation the Christian traditions that are held sacred in our faith.

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Possessing an appreciation of the rich cultural experience HBCUs provide, Dr. Sanders had the opportunity to earn degrees from both Florida A&M University and Howard University, School of Divinity. She later pursued a Doctor of Ministry degree in Pastoral Care and Counseling from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia and became a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in 2008.  Dr. Sanders is an itinerate elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and has served congregations in both the Second Episcopal District and the Sixth Episcopal District. While pursuing her Doctor of Ministry degree, she served the congregation of Turner Chapel AME Church in Marietta, Georgia for 10 years as the Congregational Care Pastor.  During her tenure at Turner Chapel, she worked diligently to establish the Care and Counseling Center of Turner Chapel, a ministry that provided counseling services to members of the congregation as well as members of the greater Marietta community.  

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Dr. Sanders is a Board-Certified Chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains. She currently serves as a Clinical Chaplain with the Atlanta VA Healthcare System.  In her role, she provides spiritual care to veterans who are living with PTSD and struggle with Moral Injury.  Since 2020, Dr. Sanders has served as a Chaplain Coach/Instructor with the Mental Health Integration for Chaplain Service Certification Program, a component of Vanderbilt Divinity School’s Integrative Mental Health, Doctor of Ministry Program.  Dr. Sanders is inspired by the witness of Harriet Tubman and understands that her call is to companion God’s people from a place of bondage and oppression to a place of freedom.