ATLANTA – Dr. Charles Frazier Stanley, the senior pastor at First Baptist Church Atlanta and the founder of In Touch Ministries has died.
For more than five decades, the pastor, broadcaster, and author served on the staff of First Baptist Atlanta. He was named Senior Pastor in 1971, becoming the 16th pastor at the historic church that was founded in 1848. Under Stanley’s leadership, the church saw unprecedented growth.
Stanley, who was born in Dry Fork, Virginia in 1932 would become a pioneer in religious broadcasting. He founded In Touch Ministries in 1977 to in his words, “Get the truth of the Gospel to as many people as possible”. His sermons, podcasts, and devotionals have been seen or heard in more than 115 million homes per week in more than 126 countries around the world. At the time of his death, Dr. Stanley could be heard in every nation on Earth via radio, shortwave, or television broadcasts. In the United States, the In Touch television program could be seen on 204 stations and seven satellite networks, and the In Touch radio program could be heard on 458 stations and via shortwave radio. In 1988, he was inducted into the National Religious Broadcasters Hall of Fame. As an author, he wrote more than 60 books including several New York Times bestsellers. He also served for two terms as the president of the Southern Baptist Convention in the 1980s.
Stanley is survived by two children, his daughter Becky and son Andy, who is the founder and senior pastor at Northpoint Ministries. Andy called his dad a role model for pastors.
Stanley was preceded in death by his former wife, the late Anna Stanley who passed away in 2014.
