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Dr. Charles Stanley, the senior pastor at the First Baptist Church Atlanta and the founder of In Touch Ministries, passed away on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, at his home. He turned 90 earlier this year. Confirming the news of his demise, First Baptist Church Atlanta released a statement, saying:
"Dr. Charles F. Stanley, Pastor Emeritus of First Baptist Atlanta, passed away this morning at home. We are grateful for his enduring legacy of faithful leadership and spiritual guidance as Senior Pastor of FBA for over 50 years."
An obituary was also released by First Baptist Atlanta, which stated that Charles Stanley had led the church for 50 years. The prominent pastor was born on September 25, 1932, and earned a degree in Bachelor of Arts.
In 1969, he became a member of the First Baptist Church. Prior to this, he held positions as part of the pastoral staff at Fruitland Baptist Church in Hendersonville, North Carolina, as well as at First Baptist Church of Fairborn in Ohio, Miami, and Bartow, Florida.
“There are people waiting for him in heaven”: Social media users mourn the loss of pastor Dr. Charles Stanley
Dr. Charles Stanley was an influential pastor. Therefore, once news of his demise became public, many social media users took to various platforms to express their grief and offer condolences to his loved ones.
All you should know about pastor Dr. Charles Stanley
Born in 1932, Charles Stanley was brought up in Virginia. He was raised by his mother, as his father passed away at the young age of 29. Having studied Bachelors of Arts from Richmond University, he was appointed to the ministry at Moffett Memorial Baptist Church in Danville, Virginia.
He then studied for a Divinity Degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and later went on to earn his master’s and doctorate degree in Theology from Luther Rice Seminary.
He began his pastoral career in 1957 at Fruitland Baptist Church in North Carolina, where he also imparted his knowledge of homiletics, preaching, and evangelism to students at the Fruitland Bible Institute.
Over the years, he took on various pastoral roles, including serving as the pastor of First Baptist Church of Fairborn, Ohio, in 1959 and the First Baptist Church of Miami, Florida, in 1962, where he founded the George Mueller Christian School in 1966, and First Baptist Church of Bartow, Florida, in 1968.
He married Anna Margaret Johnson in 1955, and had 2 children, Andy and Becky. However, their marriage ended in 2000. Anna passed away in 2014.
The family has not yet spoken about the funeral or memorial service for the pastor.
