Rev. Lawrence Gentry, 1932 - 2017, was born in Denison, Texas, son of Ennis and Shenova Harris Gentry.  He graduated from Terrell High School and later served in the U.S. Navy.  He became a Deacon in 1972, a licensed minister in 1975 and was ordained as pastor in 1976.  He pastored White Rock Missionary Baptist  Church and Victory Baptist Church and assisted pastors at  Mt. Olive in Denison, Pilgrim Rest in Trenton, and Hopewell Baptist Church in Denison.

The Denison Press
Friday, July 17, 1959
pg.1

ZONING BOARD GETS USUAL BIT FROM PETITIONERS
About the only action taken by the Denison Zoning Board Tuesday at their regular 10 a.m. meeting was to give an okay to petitioners that two churches be allowed to erect churches.  One, the Victory Missionary Baptist Church in the 1500 block of West Washington and another Primitive Baptist church in the 700 block of West Washington.
The 1959 Denison Press report of the Zoning Board places Victory Baptist Church in the 1500 block of West Washington and the Primitive Baptist in the 700 block. It appears that Victory Baptist Church was never built at the proposed 1500 block of West Washington but instead was located at 727 West Washington and Pilgrim Rest Primitive Baptist Church at 729.  Both churches were built between 1957 and 1962.


Editor's Note: Prior to the death of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Victory Baptist Church was located at 721 W. Washington Street.  After his assasination in 1968 cities across the country renamed a street in his honor.  The renaming of the west end of Washington Street, which was the main east/west thoroughfare through what was historically the city's largest African-American neighborhood, to Martin Luther King Street probably occurred after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King in the spring of 1968.  The city's principal school for "colored" students, Terrell School, was on W. Washington St. prior to on W. Washington St.
E. Washington St. was not renamed as it had no particular association with the African Americans, as well as the part of W. Washington St. that lies west of Maurice Ave.  The new officiat name is Martin Luther King Street; however, the street signs say "ML King" because the name is too long to fit the street signs.  Victory Baptist Church's address became 727 W. ML King St.  - - - Jim Sears