October 2, 2026
The announcement of the passing of Dr. Charles F. Stanley ushered in a season of mourning across the width and breadth of the Southern Baptist Convention and among countless other Christians around the world. Few men have made a greater contribution to the cause of Christ in the last century than this humble servant of God who served as pastor of First Baptist Church Atlanta for nearly fifty years and launched In Touch, a worldwide Christian ministry that has significantly impacted millions of people in the occident and the orient.
No utterance is more suitable to express my feelings than the language of David, king of Israel, who wept over the death of Abner, his general and a mighty man of valor, by saying, “Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel” (II Samuel 3:38).
Dr. Stanley was born on September 25, 1932, the only child of Charley and Rebecca Stanley, in the small town of Dry Fork, Virginia. At age 14, he received a clear call to the Gospel ministry, but few could have envisioned the extent of his influence and the impact of his ministry in the years ahead.
I did not have the privilege of meeting Dr. Stanley until the early 1980s, but I had become acquainted with him through his In Touch broadcast from almost the beginning.
My first encounter with the famed preacher was when he hosted a meeting at his church for Baptists interested in advancing the cause of the Conservative Resurgence in the Southern Baptist Convention.
I flew from my church in Jackson, Mississippi to Atlanta for the meeting, but now 40 plus years later I do not remember much about it, except for the prayer time. Near the end of the meeting the large group of people divided up into prayer groups of 5 or 6 people. I happened to be in the group led by Dr. Stanley. I felt like I was in the presence of Baptist royalty.
I will never forget the passion and power of his prayer late that afternoon as he boldly petitioned God to keep his promises to those who hold to the infallibility of God’s Word.
Never have I personally known a man who had a greater faith than Dr. Stanley. He demonstrated great faith in leading Atlanta’s First Baptist Church, but his faith in fashioning In Touch Ministries is nothing short of miraculous.
In 2017, I had the privilege of spending the afternoon with Dr. Stanley and wrote a story explaining that his sermons were heard around the world on more than 2,800 radio and television stations. At that time, through the means of modern technology and communications, his messages could be heard on every continent in 150 countries; and they had been translated into 114 different languages with more to come.
On one occasion he told me that he wanted his messages to be timeless and as appropriate for the future as for the present. Therefore, he did not date his sermons with contemporary illustrations or current events, but majored on the Word of God that is changeless and contemporary for every generation.
Because of his uncompromising allegiance to the Word of God, his insistence that his congregations respond positively to his admonition, “Now listen to me,” he has won the hearts of people who want to hear a Bible-based message for decades.
Charles Stanley’s life has not always been easy. He was born in the depths of the Great Depression. He was only nine months old when his father died. When jobs were almost nonexistent his mother was forced to look for employment. That was just the beginning of a challenging childhood.
The Dry Fork native’s call to First Baptist Church Atlanta was also fraught with conflict. He was president of the Southern Baptist Convention when the clash between the conservatives and moderates reached a fevered pitch nationally with a historic showdown in Dallas that reached epic proportions in attendance, strategy, and perhaps even collateral damage.
I was told that during Tuesday’s lunch break Dr. Stanley took off his suit coat, used it for a pillow, and took a nap on the floor in the green room. While that may only be a fabricated story to heighten the drama of the Baptist conflict, it would not be uncharacteristic of the way the Atlanta pastor would portray peace in the midst of a storm.
Dr. Stanley once offered me a job to work on his staff at In Touch. I don’t know if he was serious or not, but even the casual mention of such an opportunity continues to make me smile.
When I was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year, I spoke with Dr. Stanley on the phone and he stated, “I want to recommend that you go see my doctor, because he is the most knowledgeable and competent doctor in Atlanta.” I appreciated his obvious concern and suggestion.
For many years, Charles Stanley was known as “America’s Pastor." He has touched the world for good and for God. He will be greatly missed. I personally feel very much like I felt when Billy Graham died. There is a gaping hole in the landscape of evangelical Christianity. There is a hole in the Southern Baptist Convention, because men like Charles Stanley do not come along often. There is a hole in my heart because I appreciate his contribution to my life.
However, I rejoice that Dr. Stanley is at home in heaven, and as Adrian Rogers would say, “kicking up gold dust on the streets of glory.” I am also glad that First Baptist Atlanta has a godly pastor in Dr. Anthony George, who was Dr. Stanley’s choice to succeed him. I am also hopeful that his timeless messages will continue to be broadcast through In Touch Ministries for years to come. Even though he is in heaven, he will continue to speak to us and bless us even though he is no longer with us.
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