Beloved pastor Dr. Charles Stanley from earth to heaven
Precious in the sight of the Lord called from earth to heaven beloved pastor-Dr. Charles Stanley
Dr. Charles Stanley, a prominent televangelist and former leader of the Southern Baptist Convention, passed away at the age of 90 at his home in Atlanta on Tuesday 18 April 2023 , as announced by In Touch Ministries. While the cause of death was not disclosed, his enduring legacy of faithful leadership and spiritual guidance was acknowledged by the First on Baptist Church of Atlanta, where he served as senior pastor for 50 years. Under his leadership, the church grew significantly and eventually moved to a suburban campus in 1997. However, Stanley was most widely known for hosting “In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley,” a Christian teaching program that started in 1978 and was broadcaster across the globe via radio and television through his nonprofit organization, In Touch Ministries. Moreover, he wrote over 40 books during his lifetime. Despite stepping down as senior pastor in 2020, Stanley had no intention of stopping his preaching and had shifted his focus towards In Touch Ministries.
Charles Stanley was a pioneer in religious broadcasting and founded In Touch Ministries in 1977 with the goal of sharing the Gospel with as many people as possible. His sermons, podcasts, and devotionals have been broadcaster in over 126 countries around the world, reaching more than 115 million homes per week. Dr. Stanley’s teachings could be heard on radio, shortwave, and television broadcasts in every nation on Earth.
In the United States, his television program was available on 204 stations and seven satellite networks, while his radio program was broadcasted on 458 stations and via shortwave radio.
In 1988, he was inducted into the National Religious Broadcasters Hall of Fame. As an author, he wrote over 60 books, including several New York Times bestsellers.
“I’ll continue to preach the gospel as long as God allows, and my goal remains the same: to get the truth of the gospel to as many people as possible as quickly as possible in the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God,” Stanley said in a video message to the church when he took on the title of pastor emeritus.
Stanley also served two terms as the president of the Southern Baptist Convention in the 1980’s. Despite stepping down from his role as senior pastor of First Baptist in 2020, he continued preaching and directing his energies towards In Touch Ministries.
Charles Stanley loved taking pictures of nature. He had many pictures on the walls of his studio. He even gave a picture as a present to his friend Reverend Billy Graham, and it was hanging on Graham’s bedroom wall when he died.
“My election infuriated the opposition and ultimately revealed many of the underlying problems that had existed in the convention for a long time but had either been ignored or denied,” Stanley wrote in a 2016 autobiography.
Charles Stanley was an important religious leader, but some people didn’t agree with him. They thought he was wrong about women being able to do certain jobs in the church. Also, he got a divorce from his wife, which made some people upset. Even though the church said divorced men couldn’t be ministers, they still wanted Charles to be their leader.
Some people didn’t like this decision, even Charles’ own son, Andy. He thought his father should have offered to quit so the church could decide. But instead, Andy left and started his own group of churches called North-point Ministries.
In the end, Charles Stanley’s family still loved him, and he continued to lead his church. His pictures of nature still bring joy to many people.