![]() Charles became estranged from his son, Andy Stanley, who left First Baptist Atlanta in 1995 to found North Point Community Church, a seeker-sensitive congregation in the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta. The fallout continued for several years-a period Stanley described as the hardest and loneliest of his life. However, no accusations of infidelity or immorality ever surfaced, and the church eventually voted to retain Dr. ![]() ![]() A divorced pastor had never been allowed to hold the senior pastorate at FBA, and the Southern Baptist denomination had long held that divorce disqualified a person from serving in leadership. The church called for Stanley to step down, at least temporarily, and seek reconciliation. The public scandal that threatened Charles Stanley’s ministry and rocked his personal life began in 1993 when his wife Anna filed for divorce. He was a founding member of the Moral Majority (1979) and the Christian Coalition (1987), and in 1988 was inducted into the National Religious Broadcasters’ Hall of Fame. Stanley served two consecutive terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention. By 1982, In Touch Ministries was incorporated, and In Touch radio began syndication.įrom 1984 to 1986, during a contentious time between conservative and moderate Baptists, Dr. According to In Touch Ministries, “that broadcast grew from 16,000 local Atlanta viewers to a nationwide audience in one week” (ibid., accessed 6/8/23). Charles Stanley” in 1978 when the Christian Broadcasting Network persuaded Stanley to join the network to offer his practical Bible teaching program. In the early 1970s, Stanley launched a radio and television program called “The Chapel Hour.” It was renamed “In Touch with Dr. Stanley remained in the pulpit as senior pastor until 2020, when church membership had grown to more than 15,000. Charles Stanley was elected senior pastor, and, according to the FBA website, the church exploded with growth under his leadership. In 1969, Stanley accepted an associate position at First Baptist Atlanta, then a church of about 5,000 members. ![]() He also founded the George Mueller Christian School in Miami, Florida, in 1966. From 1959 to 1969, he pastored three separate Baptist churches, one in Ohio and two in Florida. During this time, he also served as a professor at the Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute, teaching homiletics, preaching, and evangelism. Stanley began his pastoral ministry at Fruitland Baptist Church in North Carolina in 1957. Later, he completed his master’s and doctorate degrees in theology from Luther Rice Seminary.ĭr. Stanley was ordained in 1956 and then pursued his Bachelor of Divinity degree at Southwestern Theological Seminary in Texas. Together they raised two children, Andy and Becky. While studying at the University of Richmond and earning his Bachelor of Arts, Stanley met and married Anna (“Annie”) Margaret Johnson in August 1955. Before long, he began following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, pursuing a call “to preach the gospel to whomever would listen” (, accessed 6/7/23). At age 12, Charles received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. His hardworking single mother, Rebecca (“Becca”), raised him to read the Bible, pray, and attend a Pentecostal church. Stanley credits his stubborn faith in large part to his grandfather, who taught him to “obey God and leave the consequences to Him” (, accessed 6/7/23).īorn in the small town of Dry Fork, Virginia, amid the Great Depression, Charles lost his father (“Charley”) when he was less than a year old. He was uniquely gifted at unpacking challenging theological concepts into straightforward, Bible-based principles for daily living. Stanley’s ministry was his Christ-centered, practical teaching style. On April 18, 2023, Charles Stanley passed away at age 90. He served as senior pastor of the Southern Baptist megachurch First Baptist Atlanta (FBA) for nearly 50 years. Charles Frazier Stanley (1932-2023) was an American pastor, Bible teacher, best-selling author, and founder of In Touch Ministries, a television and radio broadcast ministry with the mission “to lead people worldwide into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and to strengthen the local church” (, accessed 6/8/23).
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