Portrait of Jack Gentry. IMB Photo

Jack Leonard Gentry Sr., an International Mission Board missionary emeritus who shared the gospel in Taiwan, died Jan. 10, 2025. He was 93. 

Jack was born Sep. 14, 1931, in Boonville, North Carolina, to the late Harvey B. and Lorraine D. Gentry. He graduated from Boonville High School and received the Bachelor of Arts from Wake Forest College (now Wake Forest University), Winston-Salem, and the Doctor of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest. 

Jack came to saving faith in Christ the summer before his 12th birthday. Not long after, he was deeply stirred when he heard a missionary speak and felt God calling him to missions. In college, he first pursued medicine, intending to become a medical missionary. The classes proved difficult, and he came to doubt he belonged in medicine. In January 1951 he left college and entered the U.S. Navy as a hospital corpsman.  

While seeking missionary appointment he wrote of his years in the Navy, “Those four years did not fully resolve the question of medicine or not. But they did mean growth and invaluable experience in the effort toward being a good witness of Jesus Christ. They also meant that much of twenty-eight months of shipboard duty was spent in the Far East, the area to which I hope to return for missionary service.”  

He returned to college in January 1955 and realized “that I belonged in the pastoral phase of the Christian ministry.” On July 11, 1959, he married Ruby Hickman, who was also called to missions. In February 1962, they joined Ramseur Baptist Church, where he served as pastor while they finished seminary.  

While seeking missionary appointment Jack wrote, “Ruby and I were the first husband and wife to complete the work for the B.D. degree and graduate together from Southeastern Seminary. … We came to Ramseur with the understanding with the church that we would seek appointment to missionary service overseas in approximately three years. … Our hearts yearn to be obedient to the heavenly vision that has come to us. There are yet other sheep to be cared for. We would heed the call of the Great Shepherd to go and to care.” 

In 1964, the International Mission Board appointed Jack and Ruby missionaries to Taiwan where they served for 30 years. In 1977, he became the director of the Church Education Center in Taichung, Taiwan, where he led in developing Chinese language educational content used throughout the East Asia region.  

Jack is survived by his wife of 65 years, Ruby Hickman Gentry; his two children; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. 

A celebration of life service was held Jan. 18, 2025, at Ardmore Baptist Church, Winston-Salem.  

Read an obituary here.