Charles Frazier Stanley, the founder and current president of In Touch Ministries, is a renowned pastor and speaker.

He served as the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta for almost 50 years.

Charles was married to Anna Johnson Stanley, and the couple had two children, Andy Stanley and Becky Stanley.

Andy is an accomplished author and founder of North Point Community Church, the largest church in Georgia.

In 1993, Anna unexpectedly filed for divorce from Charles. Although they tried to reconcile, Anna re-filed for divorce in 1995. The couple was judicially separated, and Stanley committed to resigning after the completion of the divorce proceedings.

However, members of his church voted overwhelmingly to retain him as their pastor. According to the First Baptist Atlanta’s bylaws, Stanley can only lose his post when he remarries.

Anna Stanley died in 2014. In his book Deep and Wide, Andy writes that his parents’ marriage was dead long before they opted for divorce. Despite their issues, neither wanted to instigate divorce proceedings, as they didn’t believe in divorce.

When Charles heard that Andy formed North Point Community Church with a group of friends, he interrupted his regular order of service one Sunday morning to tell his congregation, “And he has my blessing,” he said.

Although Charles and Anna tried to save their marriage, their attempts failed. However, Charles and Andy restored their relationship by spending time together and seeking counseling.

Eventually, they restored the bond that they had erroneously broken. Almost 20 years later, when asked whether he was competing with his father, Andy said, “Not intentionally, but I felt like what we were doing was better.”

Charles Stanley’s ministry has been influential, and he is widely respected by his followers. He founded In Touch Ministries, which broadcasts his sermons through television, and he served as the president of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1984-1986. Despite his divorce and family rift, Stanley’s impact on the spiritual community remains significant.

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