Dr. Charles Stanley, senior pastor of First Baptist Church Atlanta and creator of In Touch Ministries, died at home on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. He celebrated his 90th birthday earlier this year. First Baptist Church Atlanta issued a statement confirming his death, saying:
“Dr. Charles F. Stanley, Pastor Emeritus of First Baptist Atlanta, died peacefully at home this morning.” We are thankful for his over 50-year record of dedicated leadership and spiritual counseling as Senior Pastor of FBA.”
First Baptist Atlanta also issued an obituary, stating that Charles Stanley had headed the church for 50 years. The well-known preacher was born on September 25, 1932, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He became a member of the First Baptist Church in 1969. He formerly worked as a pastor at Fruitland Baptist Church in Hendersonville, North Carolina, as well as First Baptist Church of Fairborn in Ohio, Miami, and Bartow, Florida.
“There are people waiting for him in heaven,” say social media users as they grieve the death of pastor Dr. Charles Stanley.
Dr. Charles Stanley was a well-known clergyman. As a result, as word of his death spread, numerous social media users flocked to different platforms to express their sadness and condolences to his loved ones.
Dr. Charles Stanley died today at the age of 90.
He was the long time pastor of the First Baptist Church, Atlanta.“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”
Psalm 116:15He lived by this motto “Obey God and leave all the consequences to him.” pic.twitter.com/iULVHC1oYY
— 🏝️🇺🇸🏖️Dixie ♥️s America & Trump🏖️🇺🇸🏝️ (@DixiDarlen) April 18, 2023
Dr. Charles Stanley has been a hero of the faith to our family and myself. His steadfast character, solid biblical teaching, and godly example to pastors and spiritual leaders is incalculable. His legacy will continue through his family and all of us who have been impacted by his… https://t.co/B45CQ6JvQH
— Joel Osteen (@JoelOsteen) April 18, 2023
Everything you need to know about pastor Dr. Charles Stanley
Charles Stanley was born in Virginia in 1932 and raised there. His mother raised him when his father died when he was just 29 years old. He was called to the ministry at Moffett Memorial Baptist Church in Danville, Virginia, after earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Richmond University. Stanley subsequently attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary for his Divinity Degree, and afterward Luther Rice Seminary for his master’s and doctoral degrees in Theology.
He started his pastoral career in 1957 at Fruitland Baptist Church in North Carolina, where he also taught students at the Fruitland Bible Institute about homiletics, preaching, and evangelism. He served as pastor of the First Baptist Church of Fairborn, Ohio, in 1959, the First Baptist Church of Miami, Florida, in 1962, where he founded the George Mueller Christian School in 1966, and the First Baptist Church of Bartow, Florida, in 1968. In 1955, he married Anna Margaret Johnson and had two children, Andy and Becky. Their marriage, however, dissolved in 2000. Anna died in the year 2014. The family has not yet talked about the pastor’s funeral or memorial service.
