(Contributed Photo)

DALLAS – New St. Paul Baptist Church announced the death of Reverend M.L. Curry, East Texas native and longtime pastor of New Saint Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Dallas.

Born in Big Sandy in 1938, Rev. Curry moved to Dallas in the 1960s and joined New Saint Paul Missionary Baptist Church in 1968. In 1974, he was called to serve as pastor, leading the church to significant growth. By 1985, New Saint Paul had grown to more than 2,500 members, becoming one of Dallas’ first mega-churches.

Rev. Curry was known as a beloved leader, mentor, and pillar of the community. He hosted revivals throughout Tyler, Hawkins, Winona and Big Sandy for over four decades and was well loved in the East Texas region.

Rev. Curry’s leadership extended beyond the pulpit. As one of Dallas’ first Black bus drivers for Dallas Transit, now known as DART, and as president of the Dallas West Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, he was a prominent community activist. He was deeply committed to addressing crime, drugs, and unfair housing conditions in the West Dallas community. He fought to close drug houses and pool halls, combat gun violence, and improve housing conditions in the West Dallas housing projects.

His dedication to fair housing was influenced by the efforts of Rev. Ralph Abernathy and Rev. Jesse Jackson. Alongside other local leaders, such as the late Rev. R.T. Conley, Rev. Dulin, and city councilmember Mattie Nash, Rev. Curry championed the fight for fair housing under the Reagan administration and continued this pursuit under the Bush administration, meeting with then U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Jack Kemp. Their advocacy efforts led to the passage of one of the largest public housing bills, resulting in billions of dollars for the reconstruction of public housing in West Dallas and the broader DFW metroplex.

Rev. Curry once stated in a Dallas Morning News article: “I think that instead of demolishing West Dallas, we should make West Dallas a beautiful place to live. If we make West Dallas a model city, not only Black people would want to live there.”

Throughout his life, Rev. Curry received numerous awards and nominations, including Minister of the Year and the prestigious Dallas Morning News Linz Award, for which he was nominated twice.

Rev. Curry’s legacy of service, leadership, and community activism will continue to inspire those who follow in his footsteps.

Visitation will be held Feb. 14 from 2 to 6 p.m. at Paradise Funeral Home, 3910 S. Lancaster Road, Dallas. A wake service will follow from 6 to 7 p.m. Funeral services are scheduled for Feb. 15 at 11 a.m. at New Zion Baptist Church, 702 Church Drive, Winona.

Rev. Curry will be laid to rest at Elam Springs Cemetery in Big Sandy.