Rev. Melvin “Mel” G. Gentry

Posted on January 28, 2026

Rev. Melvin “Mel” G. Gentry May 9, 1937 – January 23, 2026

Rev. Melvin “Mel” G. Gentry, 88, of Perry, Florida, went to be with his Lord and Savior on January 23, 2026, after battling Alzheimer’s disease.

Born on May 9, 1937, to Carlton and Margaret Gentry, Mel was raised in Pensacola, Florida. Mel became a Christian as a teenager and answered God’s call to ministry early in life. He attended Stetson University, where he met his beloved wife and ministry partner, Mary Lou Godwin. They were married in 1958 and shared nearly 68 years of faithful marriage.

Mel earned his Master of Divinity degree from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary and began a lifelong ministry of preaching, missions and service. Together, Mel and Mary Lou raised two children, Marlon and Margie, while serving churches and communities wherever God led.

Appointed by the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, Mel and Mary Lou served as missionaries in Indonesia and participated in volunteer short term mission projects across numerous countries. Their hearts for those in need led them to found Hands of Compassion, a nonprofit organization in India that provides care for abandoned children and the elderly.

In the United States, Mel faithfully pastored small Baptist churches that were unable to support a full-time pastor, while also serving in public service roles. He was honored by Stetson University as Florida’s Bi-Vocational Pastor of the Year. Later in life, Mel and Mary Lou returned to Indonesia, where Mel pastored the Jakarta International Baptist Church, before retiring to Florida to be closer to family.

Mel was a faithful servant of the Lord and had a desire to share the love of Jesus to those at home and around the world. He always practiced patience, kindness and generosity during his lifetime of missionary and pastoral work, leaving a legacy of obedience, compassion and steadfast trust in Christ. Mel is survived by his loving wife, Mary Lou Gentry; his son Marlon Gentry (Shanna); his daughter Margie Addison (Billy); five granddaughters – Britiney (Gentry) Turasz, Skyler Gentry, Briana (Addison) Ferguson, Laura (Addison) Jones, Cara Addison, a grandson by marriage Kevin Addison; and seven great-grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held at 12:00 on Friday, January 30, 2026 at Calvary Baptist Church, Perry, Florida. Interment will follow in Pineview Memorial Cemetery. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Hands of Compassion, or to the mission program at Calvary Baptist Church.

Friends may send condolences to the family at www.joepburnsfuneralhomes.com “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Matthew 24:23