Larry Lawrence, Jr. is a native of Chicago, Illinois. After graduating from the Medical Program at John Marshall Metropolitan High School in Chicago, Illinois, he attended and graduated from Florida Memorial University in Miami, Florida in 1991 where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Community/Clinical Psychology. He has worked in the area of Social Services for over 27 years (Counselor, Case Manager, Recruiter, Youth Program Director and Group Home Director), as a Teacher – Substitute, Special Education, and Detention (Alternative School). Larry Lawrence Jr. is currently working in the Juvenile Justice System.

Larry Lawrence, Jr. has been in Administration for over 25 years. His administrative experience includes Consulting, Church Facilitator, and Fiscal Management. Upon returning to Chicago in 1994, he was appointed Assistant Church Administrator of Praise Temple of Restoration (formerly Praise Temple Church Baptist), and in 1995 advanced to Church Administrator for three years. In the year of 1997, Larry Lawrence Jr. was ordained an Elder in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ by Bishop Victor D. Agee.

In 1998, he was appointed as Assistant Pastor. In addition to handling day-to-day church business, Rev. Lawrence was instrumental in the acquisition of real property for Praise Temple. He also served for many years as State Administrator for the Illinois Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship and was also a faithful trustee who enjoys serving his Pastor and Church for the building of the Kingdom of God.

In October of 2017, Rev. Larry Lawrence, Jr. was installed as Senior Pastor of Praise Temple of Restoration. He has taken the spiritual and natural experiences and linked them together to form an empowering ministry to serve the world one person at a time!