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digital media to advance the Gospel as quickly as possible. Dr. Stanley decided to call<br />
the ministry In Touch, because it comes from a Living Bible he owned. During the<br />
1980s, the ministry's broadcasts were available in nearly every major American media<br />
market, usually on Sundays. In 2006, In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley could be heard<br />
in 107 languages. Currently, it airs in more than 50 languages worldwide. In the United<br />
States, "In Touch" is broadcast on approximately 500 radio stations, 300 television<br />
stations and several satellite networks including <strong>The</strong> Inspiration Network<br />
(INSP) and Trinity Broadcasting Network. Stanley's sermons are also available on the In<br />
Touch Web site and are downloadable in the form <strong>of</strong> podcasts, along with other video<br />
and audio programming. In Touch also produces the magazine In Touch, an awardwinning<br />
publication printed in four languages. Stanley's writings and broadcasts address<br />
issues such as finances, parenting, personal crises, emotional<br />
matters, relationships and Protestant Christianity. According to the ministry Web site,<br />
"Dr. Stanley fervently believes the Bible to be the inerrant Word <strong>of</strong> God, a belief strongly<br />
reflected in his teaching."<br />
Over the course <strong>of</strong> his ministry, Stanley has developed “30 Life Principles” that have<br />
guided his life and helped him grow in his knowledge, service, and love <strong>of</strong> God. He<br />
shares these <strong>of</strong>ten, including in books, Bibles and study guides. He credits his<br />
grandfather, George Washington Stanley, with inspiring one <strong>of</strong> his most referenced<br />
principles: “Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.” In his book Courageous<br />
Faith: My Story from a Life <strong>of</strong> Obedience, Stanley said, “Granddad told me, ‘Charles, if<br />
God tells you to run your head through a brick wall, you head for the wall, and when you<br />
get there, God will make a hole for it.’”<br />
In 2005, Stanley invited Lisa Ryan to co-host a question-and-answer segment called<br />
"Bring It Home," which aired after the sermon and advertisements. <strong>The</strong> Q&A segment<br />
was intended to help the audience better grasp the content <strong>of</strong> the sermon through the<br />
use <strong>of</strong> questions the average listener might ask. <strong>The</strong> segment was discontinued in late<br />
2006 and replaced by Stanley alone. In early 2007, Stanley began using the final<br />
segment <strong>of</strong> the "In Touch" TV and radio programs to teach on his "30 Life Principles."<br />
Related materials and teaching are available online through InTouch.org's "Life<br />
Principles Center."<br />
In addition to his work in Christian ministry, Stanley is an avid photographer. Much <strong>of</strong> his<br />
photographic work is featured in the In Touch magazine, as well as in other materials<br />
printed by the ministry (such as the In Touch wall and desk calendars).<br />
Family<br />
Charles Stanley's divorce from his wife Anna in 2000, after several years <strong>of</strong> separation,<br />
caused a minor controversy in the Southern Baptist Convention. <strong>The</strong> matter was<br />
complicated by reports that Stanley had said he would resign as pastor if he became<br />
divorced. At the time, he did not believe his separation would result in divorce. However,<br />
when it did, the members <strong>of</strong> his church overwhelmingly voted to keep him on as pastor.<br />
Page 110 <strong>of</strong> 201
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