How Pastor Charles Stanley & Congregation OVERCAME ALL OBSTACLES!

Addressing social and spiritual concerns such as parenting, finances, personal crises, emotions and relationships, First Baptist Atlanta guides believers through the inerrant word of God for the purpose of personal spiritual growth. Through an applicable reference to God's Word, First Baptist Atlanta focuses on prayer, the character of God, fellowship through the Holy Spirit and the Person of Jesus Christ.

First Baptist Atlanta continually works to service the needs of believers, followers, and seekers of God's holiness through various missions, ministries, and programs. Beginning in 1982, In Touch Ministries was incorporated to distribute the teachings and guidance of Dr. Stanley and First Baptist Atlanta to an expanded audience. Together, the teaching of Dr. Stanley and beliefs of First Baptist Atlanta are available globally via radio, television broadcast, audio and video tapes, CDs, DVDs, pamphlets, books, and an award-winning daily devotional magazine, In Touch.

First Baptist Atlanta is inspired to continue its efforts and Spirit-driven desire to do God’s work, delivering the Gospel to “as many people as possible, as clearly as possible, as irresistibly as possible, and as quickly as possible – all to God’s glory."

A Glimpse Into First Baptist Church Atlanta’s History Built by Faith as a Fellowship of Believers:

1848 David Gonto Daniell was sent by the Baptist State Convention to the tiny railroad town now known as Atlanta. He gathered 16 other men and women together and First Baptist Church was born. They met where they could find space, usually in a small one-room school house. In June, they dedicated their first church building on the corner of Walton and Forsyth in downtown Atlanta. Unfortunately, during the Civil War the building was heavily damaged and many members were wounded or killed. Even still, the members trusted in God to provide a new building.

1869 God was faithful and they dedicated a new building on the same lot debt-free.

1903 At this point, the church had grown and was in need of a new building. Because of Atlanta’s growth, they were now surrounded by the business district and wanted to move to the suburbs north of Atlanta. They sold the Walton and Forsyth site for $81,000 and purchased a lot in the residential area across the street from the Governor’s Mansion on the corner of Peachtree and Cain streets.

1906 The new building opened for worship on June 3.

1920 By this time, once again, the church had outgrown the building and was surrounded by the business district. Sunday school had grown so much that parents were having to send their children to neighborhood churches because there was no room for them at First Baptist. When the site was bought it was in the residential area, but now the business area was closing in again, leaving them no room to grow. To accommodate the current membership and provide room for growth, an entire city block was purchased in the new residential area north of the business district at Peachtree and Fifth streets.

1930 The sanctuary was completed. Many people thought the building would take care of the needs of the church forever.

1971 Dr. Charles F. Stanley was called to be the senior pastor of First Baptist Atlanta. The church continued to experience tremendous growth under his teaching and leadership. By 1988, the membership had outgrown the available space again.

1989 First Baptist Atlanta purchased 55 acres from the Avon Corporation in the Dunwoody area with plans to renovate the building to meet its expanded needs as a congregation.

1997 The congregation moved to this current location in April. Presently, First Baptist Church Atlanta is continually working to use the building to meet the congregation’s needs. Renovations that have taken place since moving into the current location include providing the Student Ministry with a gym and café area and expanding classroom areas in the Education wing. The sanctuary has also been renovated; the current sanctuary was completed in January 2006.

Dr. Charles F. Stanley

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – Dr. Charles F. Stanley, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Atlanta and founder of In Touch Ministries, demonstrates a keen awareness of people’s needs by providing practical biblical truths for everyday life. Modeling his ministry after the apostle Paul’s message to the Ephesians, Dr. Stanley believes that:

" . . . Life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus–the work of telling others the Good News about God’s mighty kindness and love" (Acts 20:24 LB). Dr. Stanley’s earliest childhood memories are of God’s support during the difficult circumstances following the death of his father. Through the counsel and example of his godly mother and grandfather, he learned to trust and obey God’s Word.

At the age of fourteen, Dr. Stanley received a clear call to the ministry, which later led him to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia, and a Bachelor of Divinity degree at Southwestern Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. He then earned the degrees of Master of Theology and Doctor of Theology from Luther Rice Seminary in Atlanta.

Always practical, Dr. Stanley often says, "I feel I cannot honestly tell you how to believe Bible truths, and put these truths to work in your life, until I have first let God work them into my own life."

In 1971, Dr. Stanley became Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Atlanta, Georgia. In 1972, a half-hour program was launched on an Atlanta-area television station. Looking for a practical Bible teaching program, the Christian Broadcasting Network contacted Dr. Stanley in 1978 to request the program inclusion on its new venture, a satellite distribution network to cable systems. At no cost to First Baptist Church, the broadcast grew from 16,000 local Atlanta viewers to a nationwide audience in one week.

By 1982, In Touch Ministries was incorporated and began radio syndication. The In Touch program penetrated almost every major market in the United States during the 1980’s, reaching more than one million households with the message of Christ’s sufficiency for life’s demands.

Today, the In Touch program can be heard in every nation on earth via radio, short wave, or television broadcasts. In the United States, the In Touch television program is seen on 204 stations and 7 satellite networks. The In Touch radio program is heard on 458 stations and via short wave radio. The ministry continues to produce audio- and videotapes,CDs, DVDs, pamphlets, books, and an award winning daily devotional magazine, In Touch.

Dr. Stanley’s messages tackle such issues as parenting, finances, personal crises, emotions, and relationships. Instructional teaching for personal spiritual growth focuses on prayer, the character of God, fellowship through the Holy Spirit, and the Person of Jesus Christ. Dr. Stanley fervently believes the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God, a belief strongly reflected in his teaching.

Notable organizations and publishers have honored Dr. Stanley. In 1988, he was inducted into the National Religious Broadcaster’s (NRB) Hall of Fame for the consistent excellence of his broadcast and leadership in the realm of Christian television and radio. Religious Heritage of America named him Clergyman of the Year in 1989, an award that recognizes pastors who strive to make Judeo-Christian principles part of America’s daily life.

In 1993, the NRB honored In Touch with the Television Producer of the Year award; and in 1999, with the Radio Program of the Year award. Just this year, Thomas Nelson Publishing recognized Dr. Stanley for selling more than 3.5 million copies of his books. Dr. Stanley has also served two terms as President of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Dr. Stanley has authored more than 45 books, including several best sellers. Some of his titles include A Man's Touch, Handle With Prayer, How To Listen To God, Eternal Security: Can You Be Sure, The Gift of Forgiveness, How to Keep Your Kids On Your Team, The Wonderful Spirit-Filled Life, The Source of My Strength, How To Handle Adversity, The Blessing of Brokenness, Success God's Way, Handbook for Christian Living, Into His Presence, and When Tragedy Strikes.

A common theme found in In Touch's voluminous listener correspondence is how God has changed lives through Dr. Stanley’s teaching. Any success achieved by In Touch or Dr. Stanley is directly attributed to the hand of God. Dr. Stanley says, "It is the Word of God and the work of God that changes people’s lives."

The goal of Dr. Charles Stanley is best represented in In Touch's mission statement: To lead people worldwide into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and to strengthen the local church. Dr. Stanley’s heart’s desire is to get the Gospel to "as many people as possible, as clearly as possible, as irresistibly as possible, and as quickly as possible–all to God’s glory."