Charles Stanley ministry to launch free online learning platform on anniversary of his death
The ministry once founded and led by Southern Baptist Pastor Charles Stanley will launch a free online Christian education platform on the first anniversary of his death.
In Touch Ministries, which Stanley founded in the 1970s, announced that it will be launching the Charles Stanley Institute on April 18.
In a statement emailed to The Christian Post on Monday, In Touch Ministries said the initiative will “become the disciple-training arm of ITM, providing seekers and believers with in-depth biblical instruction based on Dr. Stanley’s more than fifty years of inspirational messages.”
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“In each class, students will begin with his sermons and then dive deeper into the spiritual truths he presented through new Scripture-centered materials — instructional videos, Bible studies, and leader guides — that explore his points further,” the ministry added.
ITM COO Seth Grey said in a statement shared with CP that his organization “wanted to honor the day Dr. Stanley saw Jesus face to face in a way that shows we’re still ‘all in’ — that the mission he passed on to us continues.”
“Our partners are always telling us how much Dr. Stanley meant to their walk with God and how they want In Touch to keep going. That’s why we’re so excited about the Charles Stanley Institute,” Grey said.
“The Institute was the last big project Dr. Stanley signed off on before he passed away. He was thrilled by the thought of offering this kind of in-depth training to people. When he went home to be with the Lord, we knew this was our path forward — this was what he wanted us to do.”
Charles Stanley Institute Executive Director Joshua Howard said he believes people will “want to learn about Jesus from someone they trust.”
“For so many years, that was Dr. Stanley. He’s no longer here, but what God taught us through him is — it’s timeless and worth a deeper look,” Howard added.
“With God leading, Dr. Stanley’s amazing content, curriculum tailored to grow disciples, and a state-of-the-art website, we’re hopeful we can provide believers everywhere with a place to flourish in their faith.”
An author, popular televangelist, and former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, Stanley died at the age of 90 last year, about three years after stepping down as lead pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, a position he held since 1971.
Stanley was honored in October 2021 by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary when it created an endowed chair in his honor supported through a donor agreement between SWBTS and the In Touch Foundation, the charitable arm of Stanley’s In Touch Ministries.
In October 2022, Stanley was again honored with an endowed faculty chair at Truett McConnell University, a Baptist liberal arts school in Cleveland, Georgia.
Anthony George, a trustee at TMU who succeeded Stanley as senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Atlanta in 2020, expressed his support for the decision.
“This gift and the naming of this Chair of Theology could not have honored anyone more fitting,” stated George at the time.
“His ministry has modeled the bold proclamation of Scripture so visibly, so practically, so consistently, and so globally, and to this day stands on a rock-solid theological foundation.”
