Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley
Charles Frazier Stanley (September 25, 1932 – April 18, 2023) was an American Southern Baptist pastor and writer. He was senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta for 49 years and took on emeritus status in 2020. He founded and was president of In Touch Ministries, which widely broadcasts his sermons through television and radio. He also served two one-year terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, from 1984 to 1986.
Early life and education
On , Stanley was born in Dry Fork, an unincorporated community of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, United States, North America. His father, also named Charles, died nine months later. Stanley's mother, Rebecca, and the rest of the family moved frequently throughout his childhood.
At the age of 12, around 1944, Stanley became a born-again Christian, and at age 14 he began his life's work in Christian ministry.
Stanley graduated in 1956, at the age of 23, from the University of Richmond with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He then studied at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, earning a Master of Divinity. He also earned a Master of Theology and a Doctorate of Theology degree from Luther Rice Seminary (then located in Jacksonville, Florida).
Ministry
Stanley joined the staff of First Baptist Church of Atlanta in 1969 and became senior pastor in 1971.
In 1972, Stanley launched a half-hour religious television program called The Chapel Hour. In 1977, Stanley founded In Touch Ministries with the mission to lead people worldwide into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and to strengthen the local church. The Christian Broadcasting Network began televising In Touch in 1978. The show has since been translated in 50 languages. In the United States, In Touch is broadcast on approximately 500 radio stations, 300 television stations, and several satellite networks including The Inspiration Network (INSP) and Trinity Broadcasting Network. Stanley's sermons, along with other audio and video programming, are available on the In Touch website. The ministry also publishes In Touch magazine. In Touch uses tools like radio, television, magazines and digital media in its effort to advance the Gospel as quickly as possible. Stanley took the ministry name In Touch from a Living Bible he owned.
Stanley's writings and broadcasts address issues such as finances, parenting, personal crises, emotional matters, relationships, and Protestantism. According to the In Touch website, "Dr. Stanley fervently believes the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God, a belief strongly reflected in his teaching."
In 1985, Charles Stanley was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention.
In 2017, Stanley named Anthony George to succeed him as senior pastor of First Baptist Church at some point in the future. On September 13, 2020, Stanley announced his retirement as senior pastor and transition to pastor emeritus, but noted that he would continue to work at In Touch Ministries.
Influences and theology
With regard to theology, Stanley was a conservative evangelical, and his eschatology was dispensationalist. Over the course of his ministry, Stanley developed "30 Life Principles". He credited his pentecostal grandfather, George Washington Stanley, with inspiring one of his most referenced principles: “Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him." In his book Courageous Faith: My Story from a Life of Obedience, Stanley said: "Granddad told me, 'Charles, if God tells you to run your head through a brick wall, you head for the wall, and when you get there, God will make a hole for it.'"
Stanley also addressed his influences and philosophy when he wrote in 2009 that he "began to apply the principles of Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich to my endeavors as a pastor, and I discovered they worked! ... For years, I read [it] every year to remind myself that the truth of God is not just for one career field. It is for all manner of work and ministry."
Personal life
Stanley had a daughter named Becky. Stanley's son, Andy, is the pastor of North Point Community Church in nearby Alpharetta.
In addition to his work in Christian ministry, Stanley was an avid photographer. Much of his photographic work is featured in the In Touch magazine, as well as in other materials printed by the ministry, such as the In Touch wall and desk calendars.
Stanley's wife of more than 40 years, Anna J. Stanley, filed for divorce on June 22, 1993, following their separation in spring of 1992. The two of them agreed that Anna would amend the lawsuit to seek a legal separation instead ("separate maintenance"), while seeking reconciliation. She again filed for divorce on March 20, 1995. The Moody Radio Network station in Atlanta (then-WAFS) took Stanley's daily broadcast off the air during that time, as managers concluded that there was no sign of reconciliation. The Stanleys were legally separated at the time that divorce papers were filed for the last time on February 16, 2000. A judge signed the final divorce decree on May 11, 2000.
Their divorce caused a minor controversy in the Southern Baptist Convention. The matter was complicated by reports that Stanley had said he would resign as pastor if he got divorced. At the time of their separation, he said that he did not believe that it would result in divorce; however after he was divorced, the members of his church overwhelmingly voted to keep him on as pastor. According to First Baptist Atlanta's bylaws, Stanley was allowed to remain as pastor as long as he did not remarry. Anna Stanley died on November 10, 2014.
Stanley served on the board of the Moral Majority political organization, and he was a close friend of that entity's founder, Jerry Falwell.
Death
Charles F. Stanley died at his home in Atlanta on April 18, 2023, at age 90. No cause of death was released.
Bibliography
1980: Making The Bible Clear with Fred L. Lowery
1982: Handle With Prayer
1985: How to Listen to God
1985: Confronting Casual Christianity
1986: How to Keep Your Kids on Your Team
1989: How to Handle Adversity
1990: Eternal Security: Can You Be Sure?
1991: The Gift of Forgiveness
1992: The Wonderful Spirit-Filled Life
1995: The Love of God
1995: The Source of My Strength
1999: A Touch of His Power: Meditations on God's Awesome Power
2000: Success God's Way
2000: Into His Presence: An In Touch Devotional
2001: The Gift of Love
2001: Our Unmet Needs
2002: Walking Wisely
2002: Winning the War Within
2003: Finding Peace
2003: God Is in Control
2004: When the Enemy Strikes
2005: Charles Stanley's Life Principles Bible
2005: Living in the Power of the Holy Spirit
2005: Living the Extraordinary Life: 9 Principles to Discover It
2006: Discover Your Destiny
2006: Pathways to His Presence: A Daily Devotional
2007: Landmines in the Path of the Believer: Avoiding the Hidden Dangers
2008: In Step with God
2008: Stuck in Reverse
2008: The Power of God's Love: A 31 Day Devotional to Encounter the Father's Greatest Gift
2008: When Your Children Hurt
2010: How to Reach Your Full Potential for God
2011: Turning the Tide: Real Hope Real Change
2012: Prayer: The Ultimate Conversation
2013: Man of God: Leading Your Family by Allowing God to Lead You
2013: Emotions: Confront the Lies. Conquer with Truth.
2013: Walking with God: Thoughts on His Indwelling Spirit, Volume 2
2014: Walking with God: Knowing God Through Prayer, Volume 3
2015: Waiting on God: Strength for Today and Hope for Tomorrow
2015: Christmas: The Gift for Every Heart
2016: Courageous Faith: My Story from a Life of Obedience
2017: Finding God's Blessings in Brokenness: How Pain Reveals His Deepest Love
2017: Standing Strong: How to Storm-Proof Your Life with God's Timeless Truths
Television
Awards and honors
1988: National Religious Broadcaster's Hall of Fame
1989: Named Clergyman of the Year by Religious Heritage of America
1993: NRB named In Touch with Television Producer of the Year
1999: In Touch named Radio Program of the Year
2017: Thomas Nelson Publishing recognizes Stanley for selling more than 3.5 million copies of his books
See also
List of Southern Baptist Convention affiliated people
References
External links
In Touch Ministries – Charles Stanley's Biography
Beliefnet – Interview with Charles Stanley
First Baptist Atlanta
The 30 "Life Principles" developed by Charles F. Stanley to help people live life at its best.
Charles Stanley sermons
1932 births
2023 deaths
20th-century American male writers
20th-century American non-fiction writers
20th-century Baptist ministers from the United States
21st-century American male writers
21st-century American non-fiction writers
21st-century Baptist ministers from the United States
American Christian writers
American evangelicals
American male non-fiction writers
American radio personalities
American television evangelists
Baptist writers
Baptists from Georgia (U.S. state)
Baptists from Virginia
Dispensationalism
Luther Rice University alumni
Clergy from Atlanta
People from Danville, Virginia
People from Pittsylvania County, Virginia
Southern Baptist Convention presidents
Southern Baptist ministers
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary alumni
University of Richmond alumni