Biography
Charles Frazier Stanley was born on September 25, 1932, in Dry Fork, Virginia. His father died when he was nine months old, and his mother, Rebecca, had to raise him alone in poverty. She worked hard to provide for the family, and Charles never forgot the strain. He was a thoughtful boy and a good student. As a teenager he was troubled by questions about God. In 1944, at the age of twelve, he put his faith in Christ. He also felt a call to preach in his teens.
He studied at the University of Richmond and then at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Texas, where he earned a doctorate. He served in several churches and in 1971 was called to be pastor of the First Baptist Church of Atlanta, Georgia. It was a historic church in the center of the city. Under his leadership, it grew from a few thousand members to over fifteen thousand, and it became one of the largest churches in the Southern Baptist Convention. He served as pastor for nearly fifty years until his retirement in 2020.
In 1972 he began a radio ministry called In Touch, which eventually reached millions of people around the world by radio, television and later the internet. His sermons were marked by a calm voice and plain speech, and he preached on the practical side of the Christian life. His books included How to Listen to God, The Wonderful Spirit-Filled Life and Walking Wisely. He held that believers could know God personally and listen to His voice through the Scriptures, and that they could rest in the security of their salvation.
He was a leader in the Southern Baptist Convention and served as its president from 1984 to 1986. During those years, the convention was in conflict over the authority of the Bible, and he stood on the conservative side. He was also known for his teaching on the believer's eternal security, a doctrine that holds that those who have trusted in Christ cannot lose their salvation. This was a central theme in his preaching.
His life had trials. In 1993, after many years of marriage, his wife Anna filed for divorce. The two had been separated for some years, and the divorce was finalized in 2000. For a man in his position, this was a heavy cost. He offered to resign from his church, but the congregation voted to keep him. He spoke openly of the pain and said that he had sought God's guidance. The matter drew public attention and caused many to question whether a divorced man could lead a church. He remained at his post and continued to preach.
He also dealt with the loss of his mother, whom he honored in many sermons, and he had a son, Andy Stanley, who became a prominent pastor in Atlanta. His relationship with his son went through some strain and was repaired over the years.
He died on April 18, 2023, at the age of ninety. His life shows how a boy who grew up without a father can be led to be a spiritual father to millions, and it reminds the church that even faithful leaders must carry heavy personal sorrows.