Dr. Charles Stanely, influential pastor of First Baptist Church of Atlanta and founder of In Touch Ministries, passed away on Tuesday morning at the age of 90.  Stanley, whose broadcasts were seen by millions, pastored First Baptist Atlanta for over five decades.

His In Touch television was seen by millions and is broadcast in more that 126 countries around the world.

Dr. Stanley was the president of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1984-1986 and presided over the two largest annual meetings in SBC history – 45,531 messengers in 1985 in Dallas and 40,987 in 1986 in Atlanta.

Dr. Stanley transitioned to pastor emeritus at First Baptist in Altana in September 2020 at age 87, having led First Baptist for nearly 50 years. Anthony George, senior associate pastor since 2012, succeeded Stanley.

A native of Dry Fork, Virginia, Stanley was raised by his mother Rebecca (known by Becca) after his father Charley died from a kidney disease when he was less than a year old. His grandfather was a Pentecostal preacher in North Carolina, and the mother and son attended the Pentecostal Holiness Church in Danville, Virginia.

He held doctorate and master’s degrees in theology from Luther Rice Seminary in Atlanta; a divinity degree from Southwestern Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas; and an undergraduate degree from the University of Richmond.