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One of the most beloved televised preachers was also a dear friend and spiritual father to my family.
Charles F. Stanley had the unflinching zeal of Billy Sunday and the neighborly compassion of Mister Rogers.
A shy, small-town boy from Dry Fork, Virginia, who came to be known as “America’s Pastor” and one of the most prolific broadcast preachers around the world.
Stanley pastored First Baptist Church of Atlanta for over 50 years and founded the global broadcasting organization In Touch Ministries. On Tuesday at the age of 90, he entered Heaven—a place he often described as his final and permanent home.
His ministry spanned 65 years, growing from humble origins to a worldwide reach. He authored more than 70 books and his sermon messages have been heard in over 127 languages internationally through radio, shortwave, television, and solar-powered audio devices.
Stanley’s appeal to diverse audiences was reflected not only in his global footprint, but also—perhaps most so—in the diversity of his local congregation at First Baptist Atlanta. This thriving church community incorporates members from over 100 nations who experience a wide range of socio-economic realities.
My family was one of those immigrant families who found a home at his church, which means Stanley’s influence played an integral role in shaping our trajectory. I came to know him as a spiritual grandfather of sorts—he discipled my dad in the 1970s, led my mom to faith in Christ in 1980, and has personally encouraged me at critical points in my own journey for over three decades.
Stanley grew up in poverty during the Great Depression. His dad died when he was 9 months old, and his mother worked at textile mill to support them making $9.10 a week. At the age of 13 in 1945, Stanley became a newspaper delivery boy, working ...
from Christianity Today Magazine
Umn ministry
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