Charles Stanley (radio evangelist)
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Charles F. Stanley is the senior pastor of megachurch First Baptist Church Atlanta in northern Atlanta). He is the founder of InTouch Ministries and the Charles Stanley Institute for Christian Living. Stanley also served two terms as President of the Southern Baptist Convention.
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[edit] Biography
Charles Stanley was born September 25, 1932, in Richmond, Virginia. He grew up in rural Dry Fork, Virginia, in the outskirts of Danville. Later graduating from the University of Richmond, and receiving a B.Div from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Finally, he received his M.Th and a doctorate in theology from Luther Rice Seminary in Florida.
Stanley became the senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Atlanta in 1971, and launched a half-hour religious television program the next year. The Christian Broadcasting Network began televising this show in 1978. In 1982, Stanley's InTouch Ministries was founded and its radio broadcasts began to be syndicated. During the 1980s, this ministry's broadcasts were available in nearly every major American media market, and in 2005, the "InTouch" program could be heard worldwide through shortwave radio.[citation needed] In the United States, InTouch is broadcast by 204 radio stations (most of which are AM) and is on several satellite networks. It is broadcast on 458 short-wave stations. Stanley's sermons are also available on the InTouch website in the form of podcasts and produces other video and audio programming.
Stanley's writings and broadcasts address issues such as finances, parenting, personal crises, emotional matters, and relationships, and of course, conservative protestant Christianity. According to his website, "Dr. Stanley fervently believes the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God, a belief strongly reflected in his teaching." [1]
Stanley recently invited Lisa Ryan to help co-host a Q & A segment, played after the sermon and advertisements. The Q & A segment is intended to help the audience better grasp the content of the sermon through the usage of questions posed by Lisa Ryan that the average listener might ask.
[edit] Family
Stanley's divorce from his wife Anna in 2000 after several years of separation caused a minor scandal in the Southern Baptist Convention. Stanley will remain eligible to be pastor of First Baptist Church of Atlanta as long as he does not remarry. Charles Stanley's son, Andy Stanley, is pastor at another nearby megachurch, North Point Community Church, in Alpharetta, Georgia.
[edit] Honors
- In 1988, Stanley was inducted into the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) Hall of Fame.[citation needed]
- In 1989, he was named "Clergyman of the year" by Religious Heritage of America.[citation needed]
[edit] Books(Incomplete list)
- Living in the Power of the Holy Spirit (2005) ISBN 0-7852-6512-0
- The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible (2005) ISBN 0-7852-5677-6
- Living the Extraordinary Life : 9 Principles to Discover It (2005) ISBN 0-7852-6611-9
- When the Enemy Strikes : The Keys to Winning Your Spiritual Battles (2006) ISBN 0-7852-8788-4
- Walking Wisely: Real Guidance for Life's Journey (2002) ISBN 0-7852-7298-7298-4
