Changes

Anderson was born in [[Shreveport]], Louisiana, to Alvin, Sr., and Edith Anderson. His mother died of [[tuberculosis]] when he was eleven months old, and he and his three brothers were reared by a godly paternal grandmother. When he was seventeen in 1951, Anderson joined his [[football]] team at the former Fair Park High School in Shreveport to hear [[Billy Graham]], then a fledgling young [[Evangelsm|evangelist]]. At the Graham crusade in Shreveport,  Anderson surrendered  his life to [[Jesus Christ]], whom he described as "very real to me." Soon he answered the divine call to the ministry. His team won the state championship in 1952. On April 10, 1955, he wed his high school sweetheart, the former Rochelle Reeves, the daughter of Russell and Jewell Reeve. The couple had three children, Robert, Jr.,  Susan, and Janet. Through his preaching in numerous churches across Louisiana and [[Texas]], Anderson won thousands of converts to Jesus. People particularly noticed his humility and humor.<ref name=obit/>.

Anderson was born in [[Shreveport]], Louisiana, to Alvin, Sr., and Edith Anderson. His mother died of [[tuberculosis]] when he was eleven months old, and he and his three brothers were reared by a godly paternal grandmother. When he was seventeen in 1951, Anderson joined his [[football]] team at the former Fair Park High School in Shreveport to hear [[Billy Graham]], then a fledgling young [[Evangelsm|evangelist]]. At the Graham crusade in Shreveport,  Anderson surrendered  his life to [[Jesus Christ]], whom he described as "very real to me." Soon he answered the divine call to the ministry. His team won the state championship in 1952. On April 10, 1955, he wed his high school sweetheart, the former Rochelle Reeves, the daughter of Russell and Jewell Reeve. The couple had three children, Robert, Jr.,  Susan, and Janet. Through his preaching in numerous churches across Louisiana and [[Texas]], Anderson won thousands of converts to Jesus. People particularly noticed his humility and humor.<ref name=obit/>.

Anderson was mentored by Dr. T. C. Pennell, his pastor at Ingleside Baptist Church in Shreveport. He graduated from East Texas Baptist University and subsequenty earned his Masters of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in [[Fort Worth]]. He took post-graduate studies in [[psychology]] at [[ Louisiana State University]] in Baton Rouge. He was honored in 1987 by the International Bible Institute and Seminary in [[Florida]] wth a Doctor of Divinity degree. His first pastorate was at Lone Oak Baptist Church in Harleton in Harrison County in east Texas. From there, he went to Parkhurst Baptist in Shreveport, then was associate pastor at  his home church, Ingleside, In the 1960s, he was also the pastor of Dixie Heights Baptist Church in Fort Worth and Ford Park Baptist in Shreveport. From 1969 to 1973,he was the associate executive director of the Louisiana Moral and Civic Foundation in Baton Rouge, at which he was charged with youth evangelism.<ref name=obit/>

Anderson was mentored by Dr. T. C. Pennell, his pastor at Ingleside Baptist Church in Shreveport. He graduated from East Texas Baptist University and subsequenty earned his Masters of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in [[Fort Worth]]. He took post-graduate studies in [[psychology]] at [[ Louisiana State University]] in Baton Rouge. He was honored in 1987 by the International Bible Institute and Seminary in Orlando, [[Florida]] wth a Doctor of Divinity degree. His first pastorate was at Lone Oak Baptist Church in Harleton in Harrison County in east Texas. From there, he went to Parkhurst Baptist in Shreveport, then was associate pastor at  his home church, Ingleside, In the 1960s, he was also the pastor of Dixie Heights Baptist Church in Fort Worth and Ford Park Baptist in Shreveport. From 1969 to 1973,he was the associate executive director of the Louisiana Moral and Civic Foundation in Baton Rouge, at which he was charged with youth evangelism.<ref name=obit/>

Anderson delivered his first sermon as pastor of Parkview Church on October 15, 1974. For the preceding three decades, Parkview had been a quiet church in south Baton Rouge, but it exploded over the following twenty-two years of Anderson's tenure there. With a rapid influx of believers came a burgeoning Sunday school which created the need for classrooms. Anderson thought that classrooms should be used daily, not just on Sundays .He managed to convince a reluctant church governing board to establish a full-time school. Parkview Baptist School today is one of only three hundred fully accredited private schools in eleven states.<ref name=obit/>  

Anderson delivered his first sermon as pastor of Parkview Church on October 15, 1974. For the preceding three decades, Parkview had been a quiet church in south Baton Rouge, but it exploded over the following twenty-two years of Anderson's tenure there. With a rapid influx of believers came a burgeoning Sunday school which created the need for classrooms. Anderson thought that classrooms should be used daily, not just on Sundays .He managed to convince a reluctant church governing board to establish a full-time school. Parkview Baptist School today is one of only three hundred fully accredited private schools in eleven states.<ref name=obit/>