Gentry Stults (1923-2002)
One of the great preachers of the gospel in the state of Florida was Gentry Stults. Stults’ 40 years of preaching served congregations in Winter Haven, Lakeland, Orlando, and Daytona Beach. He was effective in the pulpit and in personal work.
Gentry Stults was a native of Alabama, born in Florence, February 1, 1923. He married his wife Jeanette in 1941. To this union, two children were born, a son Dennis, and a daughter Debbie.
Gentry served in the Army in the dark days of World War II. He was in the 88th Infantry division. He was the recipient of the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. He was wounded in Italy, caught by a burst from a German MG42. After a long convalescence he was discharged from the military and returned home.
After returning home Stults attended Larimore Business College, Freed-Hardeman College, and David Lipscomb College. He then began preaching first in Tennessee then in Florida. Gentry credited John D. Cox for having a lot of influence on his preaching career. Gentry preached in numerous gospel meetings in the U.S. and also in the islands of Puerto Rico, Barbados, Jamaica, and the Bahamas.
In addition to his preaching, Gentry was also a representative of the Gospel Advocate Company, enlisting subscriptions for the magazine and enrolling people in the GA book club. Gentry often reported on his work in the Advocate.
Gentry also served on the board of the Christian Home and Bible School in Mt. Dora, Florida. In addition to being on the advisory board, he often served as Emcee for fund raising dinners for the Mt. Dora home. Gentry was a polished after dinner speaker. Audiences delighted in his sharing humorous stories.
When I moved to serve with the Beville Road congregation in October 1990, Gentry was retired and holding meetings. He was a great encourager of a rookie preacher just returned from the mission field. I appreciated his insight into Scripture and his balance in application. He and Jeanette later moved to the Winter Haven area to be closer to their son. He passed away in October 2002.