(RNS) — Charles Stanley, a former Southern Baptist Convention president, Atlanta preacher and longtime presence as a religious broadcaster, died Tuesday (April 18) at age 90, his ministry announced.“We are saddened to share that our beloved pastor, Dr. Charles Stanley, has passed away,” reads a statement on the website of In Touch Ministries. “We are forever indebted to him for his godly example, biblical teaching, and devotion to the gospel. Please join us in prayer for the Stanley family.”
The Dry Fork, Virginia, native felt called to ministry as a teenager and, after pastorates in North Carolina, Ohio and Florida, led First Baptist Atlanta as its senior pastor starting in 1971. The next year, he began his broadcast ministry with “The Chapel Hour,” a 30-minute program on two Atlanta television stations.
It was renamed “In Touch With Dr. Charles Stanley” and became a nationwide broadcast on the Christian Broadcasting Network in 1978.
By the 1980s, “In Touch” reached more than 1 million households, his website said. At the time of Stanley’s death, his messages were heard in more than 127 languages on TV and radio, making him one of the longest-serving pastors with a continuous weekly broadcast program.
“Dr. Stanley leaves behind a lasting legacy as a torch-bearer and trailblaz …
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