Pastor Charles Stanley’s “Legacy Celebration” ceremony included a roster of distinguished pastors and musical performers befitting of his well-known ministry career.
In front of a packed house at First Baptist Atlanta on Sunday night (April 23), the former pastor, well-known television and radio preacher, and former SBC president was honored for his life.
CeCe Winans, Greater Vision, and The Collingsworth Family all gave moving gospel music performances for the crowd.
Guest speakers included Franklin Graham, head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, Anthony George, senior pastor of First Baptist Atlanta, and David Jeremiah, senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, California, and founder of Turning Point Ministries.
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Guest speakers included Franklin Graham, head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, Anthony George, senior pastor of First Baptist Atlanta, and David Jeremiah, senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, California, and founder of Turning Point Ministries.
At the age of 90, Charles Stanley, a longstanding leader of the Southern Baptist Convention and the longtime pastor of Atlanta’s First Baptist megachurch, passed away on Tuesday.
His guiding principle was to “obey God and leave all the consequences to him.”
More than 70 books were written by Stanley, who also founded the international evangelical radio organization In Touch Ministries.
Along with Charles Swindoll and Billy Graham, he was regarded as one of the outstanding preachers of his age.
Jeremiah spoke of Stanley’s monumental influence on future television and radio programs such as his but reiterated his most important ministry was the local church.
“I can’t remember a time in my adult life when I have not been able to watch Charles Stanley on Television,” Jeremiah said.
“The thing that always has stuck out to me is that when you do this and you become seen across the country in different places, the temptation would be, you know, the church is hard and being a pastor is hard work. Maybe just let the church go and go do the media thing.
“He would never do that because he was a man of God who first of all was a pastor. He was a man of God who thought the Word of God, and the people of God and the church of God were a priority. He knew that the light that shines the furthest has to shine the brightest at home. So, he built a great church and from that church this light has shined all over the world in places we will never even know about until we get to Heaven.”
Graham spoke of Stanley’s unwavering commitment to the authority of God’s Word and said the best way to honor the legacy of Stanley is by “staying true to the Word of God with its unchanging truth in this ever-changing world.”
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