Larry Poyntz, a Louisville pastor and doctor of ministry student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, died April 24 of a heart attack. He was 59.
Over a 30-year pastoral ministry, Poyntz pastored only two churches—First Baptist Church of Nicholasville, Ky., from 1978 to 1985 and Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Louisville from 1985 to the present.
He likely would have graduated in December 2010 with a doctor of ministry degree in black church leadership from Southern’s Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism.
“On behalf of the Graham School and the entire Southern Seminary community, I offer my prayers to the Poyntz family,” Chuck Lawless, dean of the Graham School, said. “For over 30 years, Larry served as pastor of local Baptist churches. His faithfulness to the Lord’s work was an example to all of us.”
A native of Lexington, Ky., Poyntz earned his master of divinity from Southern in 1990.
He also held several degrees from other institutions, including a bachelor of arts from Kentucky State University, a bachelor of theology and bachelor of religious education from Lexington Baptist College, a master of arts from Lexington Theological Seminary and an honorary doctor of divinity from Simmons Bible College.
Poyntz is survived by his wife of 37 years, Georgetta; two sons, Larry Jr. and Marcus; and three grandchildren, Larry III, Tiondra and Mariah.
Funeral services were held April 30 at Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Louisville and May 1 at Shiloh Baptist Church in Lexington.