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 the fall of 2016, the sister church of Praise Temple, New Vision Full Gospel Baptist Church of East Orange, New Jersey suffered a tremendous loss in the passing of their Founder and Senior Pastor, Bishop Andre L. Jackson. Praise Temple and New Vision had fellowshipped together over the course of 20 years. Bishop Agee was asked to be their Interim Pastor during this trying time. In 2017, it was offered and accepted that Bishop Agee would be the Senior Pastor of New Vision Full Gospel Baptist Church. Bishop Agee was installed as the Senior Pastor of New Vision Baptist Church at the Cathedral in March of 2018.

With Bishop Agee becoming the Senior Pastor of New Vision Baptist Church at the Cathedral in New Jersey, in October of 2017, Rev. Larry Lawrence, Jr. was elevated to the position of Senior Pastor of Praise Temple of Restoration.

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!

 He is currently serving in his 6th Pastoral Year of Praise Temple of Restoration.