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To share this article with your friends, use any of the social share buttons on our site, or simply copy the link below. The Calling Episode 24 40 min. September 28, More than anything, though, he cites prayer as the anchor that kept him stable as he navigated those choppy waters: I start the day on my knees with the Lord. Free Newsletters Get the best from CT editors, delivered straight to your inbox! Posted: September 28 , Despite the divorce becoming final, Dr.
Charles Stanley remained as the church's head pastor with positive support from its congregation as they voted to retain him. Charles' divorce also caused a rift to grow with his son, Andy Stanley. Besides, what could he do -- make someone not divorce him?
Charles, though, wasn't the only one in his family with a strong will. His son had other ideas about divorce. The tension between Andy and his father had been building even before the divorce. They were partners in ministry, but they were becoming rivals. As Andy's congregation started outdrawing his father's, people told Charles that his son was becoming a prima donna who wanted to take over the entire church. Those rumors seemed to be validated, Charles recalls, when his son's church staff asked him to give them the satellite church's property.
Whose idea was it, No. The distance between father and son was also philosophical. They had different ideas about church leadership. Andy had discovered another preaching mentor, the Rev. Bill Hybels, an unassuming, genial pastor -- the kind who travels alone without an entourage. People tend to focus on the cosmetic innovations of seeker churches: incorporating contemporary Christian music in worship, injecting clever skits and colorful stage props into services.
But Andy was also drawn to Willow Creek's primary mission: reaching "irreligious people" who had been turned off by traditional church. After hearing Hybels, Andy says, church made sense "for the first time in my life. Andy incorporated some of Hybels' innovations into his father's satellite church.
He stopped wearing suits in the pulpit as his father had insisted. The church grew even more. But so did the tension with his father. Almost 20 years later, Andy pauses before he answers:. All the tensions converged one day when Andy's father called him into the office to discuss the divorce.
Walk into church the next Sunday morning and read a letter of resignation, Andy said. Tell them that you want to continue as their pastor, and will preach as long as they want. If you do this, it all ends. Let them choose. Andy says his father didn't hear anything after the word "resign. His son had joined the church faction trying to get rid of him. Andy says it was after that exchange that he started popping up in his father's sermons, not as the heir apparent, but as the Old Testament villain, Absalom.
Absalom was the charismatic but treacherous son of David who tried to snatch his father's kingdom away from him through war. But Andy himself felt betrayed. He wondered why his father didn't denounce from the pulpit those people who questioned Andy's loyalty. He told his father, I'm your most loyal staffer, but you can't see it. I didn't feel like I was at war with my dad. The conflict could not have come at a worse time for Andy. He had recently married; a baby was on its way.
He had a steady job, health benefits, his congregation was booming. But his relationship with his father was crumbling. It was like being trapped in a soap opera. There was always something new happening, some new comment. Andy had to act, but how? The book explored the story of a biblical soap opera, the relationship between David and King Saul, Israel's first king. Saul descended into jealousy and paranoia because he was threatened by David.
David eventually left King Saul's kingdom and abandoned the spoils that came with it. It also speaks volumes of just how sure they are that God is with them.
That line clinched it for Andy. He would walk away from his father empty-handed -- no church, no salary, no health benefits. That day remains vivid. He drove to his father's office filled with anxiety. When he saw his father sitting behind his massive desk, he knew he wasn't going to take it well. His father reacted by staring at him in silence. Then he accused him of joining his enemies. He finally rose slowly from his desk, walked over and embraced him.
It was horrible. But you know what? I had perfect peace," Andy says. Andy says he could not have stayed at his father's church, no matter how much money or fame he stood to gain. You trust God with all the consequences. Reggie Joiner was on First Baptist's staff at the time. He would later help found North Point and now runs Orange , a nonprofit that teaches churches how to reach and keep young people.
He remembers meeting with Charles after his son resigned. Later, he called another leader at First Baptist to tell him that Andy had resigned. The stunned church leader said he had never heard of a young pastor walking away from such a prominent ministry.
Charles Stanley was alone. His marriage was ending. Pastors were publicly calling for him to step down. People within his church were trying to get rid of him.
His enemies were coming after him, and his son wasn't stepping in front of his father to meet the blows. That's how Charles saw it. He says his son could have prevented some of that pain. He was the one person who could have stopped the congregation from calling for his resignation because he had earned so much respect.
I couldn't understand it. I would have never done that," Charles says. The church drama lasted seven years. The divorce became final in , and First Baptist eventually voted to retain Charles as its pastor. He recently celebrated his 80th birthday at First Baptist, and was presented with a large photograph depicting Jesus counseling him as he prepared a sermon. Charles painstakingly posed for the photographer, with a professional model playing Jesus.
It kept me in the Word of God -- praying, trusting God, watching people saved and watching the church grow. Few would question Charles' toughness, but during that time he revealed another side. He stopped treating Andy as his enemy.
Charles fought for his relationship with his son as hard as he fought to stay in the pulpit. Maybe harder. He did it with chips and salsa. He kept inviting his son to lunch at Mexican restaurants.
The meals were excruciating. Both men were still angry; they weren't good at chitchat. Anna was the ex-wife of one of the most influential pastors and Bible teachers in America, and you must be interested in knowing how much wealth she had amassed before her death. Becky is the last child Charles Stanley had with his ex-wife Anna. Unlike her brother, Becky did not follow in her father's footsteps to become a preacher. Being a pastor's daughter, she grew up sharing her parents' time and attention with many other people.
She is all grown up now and she is happily married to John Brodersen. They are blessed with three kids. Becky has been happily married to John Brodersen for more than two decades.
She is currently living with her husband and kids in Dallas, Texas. Becky and her children share a close bond with Charles. Even though Anna Stanley achieved so many milestones in her lifetime, she will always be remembered for being the ex-wife of the famous televangelist Charles Stanley. She left behind so many memories which will be cherished forever.
Her legacy and fame will continue to remain even in the future. Beth Thomas' life story is extraordinary. While young children are seen as angels who cannot harm even a fly, she shocked the world as a child of rage who did not have a conscience.
No one could imagine the term psychopath was being used to describe a six-year-old. However, that is precisely what she was. Many thought that her future was doomed and she wouldn't grow to be an average adult having made global headlines.
Beth Thomas' story is truly inspirational and gives professionals a sense of hope as they continue to engage in old and new therapies with other struggling children. Anna Stanley: Life story and death of Charles Stanley's ex-wife 1 month ago Anna Stanley's ex-husband Charles Stanley. The untold story of Anna Stanley Anna and Charles lived together happily as husband and wife for close to four decades.
Did Anna Stanley remarry? How much is Anna Stanley's net worth?
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