Charles Stanley Divorce
Dr. Charles Stanley got married to Anna Stanley in 1958 and together they have two children - Andy and Becky Stanley. After 44 years of a good married life, unfortunately they started having their differences and Anna Stanley first filed for divorce in 1993, saying the couple had separated and lived apart for a year since 1992. This announcement caused a lot of controversy In the Southern Baptist Convention. The matter got even worse when reports started floating around that Stanley, not hoping to get divorced after the separation had said he would resign as pastor if he became divorced. The situation got in control when the members of his church voted to keep him on as a pastor on a condition that he won’t remarry.
There wasn’t any particular official reason for the divorce given by Anna but there are hints in a letter she sent to the congregation in which she said, "Long ago . . . Charles, in effect, abandoned our marriage. He chose his priorities, and I have not been one of them.”
Later, they decided mutually to amend the lawsuit and seek legal separation but their efforts for a reconciliation failed and Anna filed for a divorce again in March 20,1995. This was the second divorce attempt but failed as well. Eventually after concluding there are no possibilities for a reconciliation, the final divorce paper were filed for the last time on February 16, 2000 and the Couple officially got divorced by May of the same year.
As he is constrained by the rules of the church members, he isn’t allowed to marry again. When asked about his mindset during his 8 years of separation, he recalled: When she decided to leave me, I decided to say, “Okay, God, I’ve done what you told me to do. I’ve been obedient to you. Now I’m going to trust you.” And I remember when I got the call from her attorney that she was suing me for divorce, and he asked me where to send the papers and I told him—and then when I hung up, I remember exactly what I felt. I remember saying, “God, you’ve been with me through every circumstance. You’re going to see me through this one.” I knew he would.
About Charles Stanley
Charles Stanley is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. Additionally, he is the founder and president of In Touch Ministries. Furthermore, he also served two one-year terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1984 to 1986. Charles Stanley's son Andy Stanley is the pastor of North Point Community Church in nearby Alpharetta, Georgia. Stanley’s daughter Becky has been occasionally mentioned in his sermons.
