Prominent pastor Dr. Charles Stanley has died.
In Touch Ministries, which Stanley founded, posted the news on its Twitter page Tuesday.
“In Touch Family, this morning, God called our beloved pastor, Dr. Charles Stanley, home to heaven. Dr. Stanley lived a life of obedience and is now receiving the joy of his soul—seeing his Savior face-to-face. Please join us in praying for the Stanley family,” the organization wrote.
He was 90 years old.
According to his obituary, Stanley pastored at the First Baptist Church of Atlanta for over 50 years and “was the country’s longest-serving pastor.” He was very influential in Christian radio and television “with a continuous weekly broadcast program.”
“Believing, as he often said, that people are to ‘obey God and leave all the consequences to Him,’ Stanley focused his preaching on practical, Christ-centered, biblically based (sic) principles for everyday life,” his obituary read.
Continuing, “Many of his messages incorporated the 30 Life Principles that guided his life and helped him grow in his knowledge, service, and love of God. Other messages tackled such topics as parenting, finances, personal crises, emotions and relationships, prayer, and the character of God. Not having sought out the public spotlight, Stanley was a pastor who happened to be on TV, focused on teaching others how to seek and obey God through adversity and personal hardships.”
Stanley is survived by his son, daughter, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
In an interview with Christianity Today in 2016, he shared a word of encouragement for others facing hard times.
“I would say to anybody: the greatest lesson you can learn is to learn to live by faith on your face before God. You can face anything, no matter what it is. He said, ‘I’ll never leave you or forsake you,’ but if I’m so busy I’m not listening to him, I’m not waiting for him, I’m not expecting him to do something—I think people face a lot of circumstances and go through a lot of heartache and trouble that would be unnecessary if they would just stop and listen,” he said.