Services for Rev. Roosevelt James Sanders, Pastor of the Mt. Vernon Community Missionary Baptist Church, who died Sunday, August 1, 2010, at age 63 following a long illness have been announced.
Visitation will be on Friday, August 6, from 12-8 p.m. at Mount Vernon Community Missionary Baptist Church, 709 N. Belmont Avenue and on Saturday, August 7, 2010 from 9-10 a.m. at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church with a Celebration of Life Service on Saturday, August 7 at 10:00 a.m. at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, 1301 Goodlet Avenue and interment at Crown Hill Cemetery.
The son of Josephine James and his father, the prominent Rev. Dr. Mozel Sanders, who both preceded him in death returned to Indianapolis after his father’s death in 1988.
Rev. Roosevelt Sanders returned to Indianapolis in 1988 to pastor the church his father pastored for many years, Mt. Vernon Community Missionary Baptist, in Haughville on Indianapolis’ Westside
He continued his father’s signature effort every Thanksgiving of feeding tens of thousands of needy individuals and family in the annual Mozel Sanders Thanksgiving Dinner. He founded the Mozel Sanders Foundation which carries on his father’s ministry of helping the needy and less fortunate in Indianapolis.
Working with the motto of “Don’t Look Down On A Man Unless You’re Trying To Pick Him Up.”, Rev. Roosevelt Sanders expanded the foundation’s work to include distributing thousands of pounds of groceries, personal hygiene and household cleaning products, each and every month.
Besides the Foundation, Rev. Roosevelt Sanders was one of the founders of Westside Community Ministries, a collaboration of Westside Indianapolis churches that operate programs and activities for Westside residents.
Rev. Sanders was the recipient of numerous honors, awards and tribute for his work in ministry, humanitarianism and dedication in working with people and the community.
Those left t cherish the memory of this unique, community servant and minister of the Gospel are his wife, Stephanie Watts Sanders; sons, Alan Robinson Sanders, Roosevelt James Sanders, Jr. and Stephen Mozel Sanders; grandson, Alan Robinson Sanders, III; brothers, Bishop Richard D. Sanders and Jeffrey James; sister, Patricia James Holloway (Lucher) and Shaunte’ Sanders and The Mount Vernon Community Missionary Baptist Church Family.
The family asks that memorial contributions be directed to: The Mozel Sanders Foundation, 709 N. Belmont Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana 46222. www.mozelsanders.org.
Final arrangements are entrusted to Stuart Mortuary, Inc; www.stuartmortuary.com
