SLS 22RS-1507 ORIGINAL
2022 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 51
BY SENATOR BOUIE
COMMENDATIONS. Commends Dr. Torin T. Sanders for twenty five years of pastoral
service.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To commend Dr. Torin T. Sanders upon twenty-five years of pastoral care and to
3 congratulate him for his exemplary service to the body of Christ.
4 WHEREAS, Torin T. Sanders was born in New York City and attended public
5 schools in the Bronx; and
6 WHEREAS, always the scholar, Dr. Sanders attended the prestigious historically
7 black college of Howard University on a four-year academic scholarship, was admitted to
8 Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, and graduated magna cum laude; and
9 WHEREAS, developing an appreciation and desire to be engaged in an academic
10 program that integrates both clinical and community-based practice that is purposed to help
11 individuals build upon personal, cultural, and community strengths to heal and grow,
12 Dr. Sanders went on to earn both a master's degree and doctor of philosophy from Tulane
13 University in the field of social work; and
14 WHEREAS, it is with his practice of both social work and the social sciences that
15 distinguished Dr. Sanders as a phenomenal practitioner based in the city of New Orleans and
16 as a result he was selected to serve as supervisor at the parent-child center at Kingsley House
17 and also as coordinator of the Louis Armstrong Manhood Development program at Milne
18 Boys Home; and
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1 WHEREAS, living and serving in New Orleans during a time when the city was
2 plagued with violent crime, Dr. Sanders became aware of the many children who suffered
3 from post traumatic stress disorder and the need for resources to assist these children with
4 their emotional healing; because of his capacity for leadership and knowledge of the field,
5 he was tapped to be the first director of Project LAST, also known as Project Loss and
6 Survival Team, a program created to provide therapeutic services to children and families
7 impacted by a traumatic event, as well as those children and families who have lost a loved
8 one, witnessed violence, or have been a victim of violence; and
9 WHEREAS, through his innate love for people and his keen insight for guiding
10 others to healing and wholeness, Dr. Sanders accepted his call to ministry, and in 1997, he
11 was elected as only the eighth pastor of Sixth Baptist Church which is known as a household
12 of faith, dating back to the mid-nineteenth century; and
13 WHEREAS, in the nineteenth century both free and enslaved Africans attended
14 Coliseum Square Baptist Church along with white parishioners, however, the enslaved and
15 free Africans were not treated as equal parishioners; not wishing to endure such indignity,
16 the Africans founded the Sixth Baptist Church in 1858; and
17 WHEREAS, under the leadership of Dr. Torin T. Sanders, Sixth Baptist Church has
18 a proven record of the move of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit, and the history of
19 Sixth Baptist Church shares the story of the struggle of Africans in America who overcame
20 adversity and trials and their choice to walk by faith; and
21 WHEREAS, over twenty-five years as lead pastor, Dr. Sanders has ensured that the
22 church "reaches the lost and teaches the saved to serve" and he demonstrates this sentiment
23 by serving red beans and rice on Mondays to the homeless population, distributing college
24 scholarships annually to students, and participating in Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit,
25 Christian-based housing ministry that works in partnership with deserving, low-income
26 families and the community to eliminate poverty housing through building simple, decent
27 homes; and
28 WHEREAS, before Hurricane Katrina devastated south Louisiana, Sixth Baptist
29 Church sponsored "God's Vineyard", a community garden managed by local youth and the
30 fruit of that project was not only young people learning about and growing produce, but also
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1 the creation of the well-known St. Thomas Seven Pepper Sauce that was sold at local
2 farmer's markets in and around New Orleans; and
3 WHEREAS, the members of the church that Dr. Sanders shepherds meet regularly
4 to encourage and edify each other in various auxiliaries; domestic and international mission
5 work has also been a priority for Sixth Baptist Church during Dr. Sanders' tenure; and the
6 church has raised and donated resources to survivors of the historic Baton Rouge flood of
7 2016, as well as to a school in Haiti and the Lott Carey Foreign Mission; and
8 WHEREAS, throughout his pastoral career, Dr. Sanders has earned the respect and
9 admiration of his community and has become a well-known and respected civic leader; and
10 WHEREAS, in 2004, he was elected to the Orleans Parish School Board where he
11 twice served as president and has served as vice president of Volunteers of America; and
12 WHEREAS, Pastor Sanders wears many hats in his service to the city of New
13 Orleans and the state of Louisiana, including: chair to the New Orleans Council on Aging
14 and the New Orleans Children and Youth Planning Board; co-chair of the Childhood Trauma
15 Task Force; appointed member of the board of St. Thomas Community Health Clinic, and
16 as Vice Chair of the New Orleans Ethics Review Board; has been a leader in the Jeremiah
17 Group, and currently with Together New Orleans, and now serves as Executive Secretary
18 of the Cornerstone Missionary Baptist General Association; and
19 WHEREAS, Dr. Sanders is currently an Associate Professor at the Millie M. Charles
20 School of Social Work at Southern University at New Orleans; he has received numerous
21 awards for his administrative, educational, and teaching skills from organizations including
22 the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Victims and Citizens against Crime, the National
23 Association of Black Social Workers, Gambit 40 under 40, Rainbow PUSH, and Alpha Phi
24 Alpha Fraternity, of which he is a proud member; and
25 WHEREAS, Dr. Sanders is blessed to be married to the former Dana Williams and
26 the couple have two wonderful adult sons, Malik and Myles who are their pride and joy; and
27 WHEREAS, Dr. Torin T. Sanders exudes godliness, humility, dedication, and
28 tenacity as is evident in his life of service and many inspirational accomplishments.
29 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
30 does hereby commend Dr. Torin T. Sanders for twenty-five years of spiritual leadership and
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1 to congratulate him on this milestone achievement that is exemplified through his service
2 to mankind in fulfillment of his God-given purpose.
3 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
4 Dr. Torin T. Sanders and the Sixth Baptist Church of New Orleans, Louisiana.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Kenyatta M. Honeycutt.
DIGEST
SR 51 Original 2022 Regular Session Bouie
Commends Dr. Torin T. Sanders for twenty-five years of pastoral service.
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