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Regular Session, 2012 ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 59
BY SENATOR LONG
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To express the sincere condolences of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the death of
Reverend Perry Sanders.
WHEREAS, it was with deep regret and profound sorrow that the members of the
Legislature of Louisiana learned of the death of the Reverend Perry Sanders, on Monday,
March 26, 2012, at the age of eighty-four, in Colorado Springs, Colorado; and
WHEREAS, he was surrounded by his only child, Perry Ray Sanders Jr., his
daughter-in-law, Lorn Lee Sanders, and his grandchildren, Perry Ray Sanders III, John
Michael Sanders, Noah Paul Sanders, and Sunny Lee Sanders; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Sanders was a native of South Carolina who came to
Louisiana to attend the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary; and
WHEREAS, he served tenures at the pulpits of Baptist churches in Baton Rouge and
Jennings before settling in Lafayette; and
WHEREAS, he served First Baptist Church in Lafayette for forty-seven years, and
under his pastorate, he shepherded a congregation that grew from one thousand two hundred
nine members to nearly five thousand members at the time of his retirement in 2006; and
WHEREAS, under the leadership of Reverend Sanders, First Baptist Church in
Lafayette began televising its broadcasts and implementing innovative music programs; and
WHEREAS, he was a frequent speaker at Baptist conventions and Evangelistic
conferences nationwide; and
WHEREAS, he brought the closing message to the annual meeting of the Southern
Baptist Convention in 1981; and
WHEREAS, a fan of University of Louisiana at Lafayette sports, Reverend Sanders
often brought the invocation at Ragin Cajun basketball games; and SCR NO. 59 ENROLLED
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WHEREAS, he was an avid outdoor sportsman who enjoyed such hobbies as golf,
hunting and fishing; and
WHEREAS, he was an active member of the Lafayette civic community, serving as
a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Kiwanis Club, the Greater Lafayette
Chamber of Commerce, and the United Givers Fund and was a founding member of the
Acadiana Arts Council, now known as the Acadiana Center for the Arts; and
WHEREAS, the death of Reverend Sanders has left a tremendous void in the
Lafayette community and has created a genuine sense of sorrow in many individuals who
mourn the loss of this wonderful man whose memory shall forever remain alive in their
minds and hearts.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
express sincere and heartfelt condolences upon the death of the Reverend Perry Sanders, and
does hereby extend posthumous honor and recognition to Reverend Sanders for his
incomparable legacy which is marked by the deep pride and honor that he will forever bring
to his family, friends, community, churches, state, and nation.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
family of Reverend Perry Sanders.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES