What Do You Think of Charles Stanley?
This evening, I think of Charles Stanley. He was faithful. Yet, in 2000, his wife of 44 years just walked away and filed for divorce. He still prays for her to come back. Large numbers left the church because of this. Radio stations in various areas cancelled his "In Touch" radio program. Various Christian leaders commented that he should be prohibited from further service. But his growing church, First Baptist Atlanta, still accepted him as pastor. And he remained at In Touch radio ministry to the present.
I find that some things are really hard to explain. Many of us may struggle with trying to understand what the Bible says in pastor Stanley's case. But it appears that he had been forced to live out a decision outside of God's design made by his loved one. That decision has placed him where he does not want to be. I can imagine how broken pastor Stanley has been.
Is it possible to have a sorrowful marriage while having a personal character that is above reproach? Well, I think of the prophet Hosea in the Bible. And yes, what about God? You will recall that He had a divorce from the nation Israel (Jer. 3:8)!
Continuing in ministry after the divorce was met with a lot of resistance in pastor Stanley's case. I think of Moses who was a murderer. David was an adulterer and murderer. The apostle Paul probably killed people. Were they still accepted by God to serve Him? Of course, there is always a time for repentance and healing. Yet after that, God sees no longer what a man was but what he now is.
I think of how pastor Stanley felt when even Christians started to judge and reject him. What do you do when the very place where you should receive help or grace is the very place where you get rejected even further? Someone said that the church is the only army that shoots its own soldiers! I think pastor Stanley should not get mad at God's children. They should know better, but they are also human.
I think God's promise to pastor Stanley and the rest of us in Hebrews 13:5 is in effect: "I will never leave you nor forsake you." God plus you is a majority!
Comments
Dr. Stanley is a very good and gifted communicator. There is no reason that he could not continue to teach, minister and share the love and grace of God.
When he promised, from the pulpit to the congregation, to step down if his wife ever divorced him, I believed him. However when she did divorce him he said that the reason he wouldn't step down as promised is that no one can know the future and comments (promises) like he made have to been seen in that light.
Huh?
He had refused to hire or retain divorced staff - until he became one.
His associate pastor at the time, Geral Spicer, told the the congregation to stand and affirm Dr. Stanley in both morning worship services.
Gearl manipulated the congregation and misused the trust and authority he had been given.
Dr. Stanley had proclaimed a biblical standard and had upheld that standard until it applied to him.
He was and is a beloved and respected pastor. His broadcast ministry could have easily continued without him being pastor of FBA but for whatever reason he chose to dig his heals in, change his Biblical views and hold on to both the church and broadcast ministry.
I believe he should have stepped down - the majority of the congregation would have not wanted him to - and continued to pursue In Touch as his primary ministry which had been since the middle 70s.
His refusal to step down set a low standard for pastors. As a respected pastor, his actions and words helped pave the way for others to live by a lower standard and to treat the Word as flexible.
Adrian Rogers, a friend and contemporay of Charles Stanley once said, "We will never violate the principles of Scripture to recover and preserve the integrity of Scripture."
I think this mindset would have served Dr. Stanley in his very unfortunate divorce with Anna. My heart goes out to them both, their children and grandchildren.
God's grace and mercy and forgiveness is adequate for them and us all. But we must each bear the consequences for our sin, disobedience and weakness. Grace and forgiveness do not erase consequences.
Andrew
I also don't believe that divorce disqualifies someone from being a pastor. The text in I Timothy and Titus about being the husband of one wife refers to the practice of typical Greek men of having multiple sex partners. I don't think Paul was thinking of divorce at all when he wrote that. But this verse has been traditionally applied to divorce and it's become ingrained in our church culture and way of thinking.
I believe being a pastor is more of a spiritual gift than a calling (Eph. 4).
So, should someone step down from being a pastor if it was not their fault? I should ask it this way: Can God still use someone who was forced to get a divorce? The answer to the latter is "yes". I watched my father go from an angry man to a wonderful man and Pastor after his divorce with my mother. God could not use him until he was willing to be used. He finally followed God's call in ministry when he got an unwanted divorce.
Now Dr. Stanley's situation is different. He was already serving God faithfully before the divorce. So why did the divorce happen?
Andrew above speculates that it was the sin of Dr. Stanley when he says, "But we each bear the consequences of our sin, disobedience, and weakness."
Though I understand it, the problem with this way of thinking is that we do not know if Dr. Stanley had sin that caused this. I am reminded of the man who was born blind as recorded in John 9. The disciples asked Jesus who sinned, this man or his parents? Jesus said that he was not blind because of his or his parents sin! WOW!
Because of this, I am very careful when trying to understand why certain things happen not to judge without knowing everything. Since we do not know everything, I think it is unwise to blame the divorce on Dr. Stanley's sin. What if he was in the right? What if there was no sin to be found in his walk with the Lord? What if he was like Job was when his life crashed? We do not know the events that caused the divorce, so we must be very careful to blame sin. It was not Job's sin that caused his hardships.
Now, I am not trying to be biased here, but want to be as Biblical as I can. There are Biblical reasons for a divorce. There is no verse that says God can not use someone who has been divorced. The main verse the church uses today is the verse that speaks about "being the husband of one wife." Has Enrico vialated this verse? No. He is the husband of one wife. Has Charles Stanley violated this verse? Not any more than one who has never married. The question is, should he be blamed for the divorce or should his wife? Who was at fault? I understand that even when one person leaves, alot of the time it is because of the other persons actions. Yet we do not know if this is true in Dr. Stanley's case, so we will be careful to not judge too quickly.
To go back to Andrews main point: Charles should have stepped down as pastor because he has required the rest of his church to live by a certain standard. I wonder if God is not teaching CHARLES a thing or two about how legalistic he might have been in the past concerning the issue of divorce? I bet Dr. Stanley will not be as quick to say "no" in the choice of bringing a divorced staff member on board. I believe he is not lowering his standard, but rather raising it to the standard we find in the life of Jesus. I think Charles realized that sometimes things happen that we have no control over. He will be more cautious in blaming a persons sin for that persons hardships.
I hope this comment is understood correctly. I am not advocating divorce. I am simply confronting the notion that a persons ministry is over after a divorce. I do believe there will be serious consequences on ones ministry if they were the cause of the divorce, yet want to caution you not to judge too quickly. A lot of times, when we are DOWN to nothing, God is UP to something.
I hope this helps,
Preston
Things happen in our lives, but who gave other christians to judge another. God is the judge of all and if He can have mercy on us then we should have mercy on each other. Today the church is acting just like the world no wonder the unsaved would rather suffer than come into the church and suffer more because we kill our own.
Today, I can say my life has been influenced by Charles Stanley's teachings, I endeavour to pray for him and to support his ministry. Before we judge him or his wife, endeavour to pray for them. Endeavour to love them with the love of the Lord and seek God on how He can use you to help these wounded soldiers live.
Your statement "He was faithful." may or may not be true. No one but God, Charles Stanley and his wife know what went on in their marriage behind closed doors. It is entirely possible that he was unfaithful to her in many ways that broke his marital vows long before she filed for divorce.
For insight into what that may have looked like, I refer you to the article "The Silent Killer of Christian Marriages" by Amy Wildman White and the book "Keeping the Faith" by Marie M. Fortune.
Harley
The scripture that requires a man to have only one wife (even if taken to the extreme of divorce and remarriage) does not apply to Dr. Stanley, because he has still had only one wife.
Regardless, I live under grace, not the law. There is one unforgiveable sin, which is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Let him without sin cast the first stone.
I heard of his case few months later and though I was not a Baptist christian,I had that great respect for him and the ministry.I also heard of other known ministers committing adultery etc and later repented and went back serving the Lord.I know that Jesus forgives any sin except the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and I do believe God knows best what to do in this situation.
I am divorced from me ex-wife and it's so hard in this kind of situation.I understand Pastor Stanley's feeling and my deep sympathy goes to him and his family.It's in this kind of situation where we expect most the our brothers and sisters' in-Christ support and true love and NOT JUDGEMENT/POINTING fingers.Love and compassion should be seen during this kind of crisis and not condemnation.We are hurt,wounded,helpless and weakened and we truely needed your love from the Lord if you really have that God kind of love.
As a result of my separation with my ex-wife,I went back to the world and became worst indulging in all kinds of sins and worldly pleasures.8 long years of living in sin is empty and have so many consequences.But one thing I know is that God isn't yet finished with his plan in my life thus He was able to sustain me even I turned my back away from Him.He just forgave me and gave me a new beginning.I am now at peace with God and myself.I have repented and turned away from all those wickeness and earthly pleasures that I used to have.I felt sorry and I have regrets and remorse for instead of holding on to my faith after my separation with me ex-wife.It was because there were not concerned christians before to support and pray for me.I often heard a lot of condemnation accusing me of many things.I didn't see the compassion and love from those people around me before.Slowly,I drifted away from the faith then too late when I realized I was dep in sin.I thank God for Pastor Stanley for He kept his integrity and faith.He is really a man of God and God keeps him safe under his loving arms.If God has nothing to do with Charles,then God should have snatched his life before but the truth is very clear..God isn't yet finished with Pastor Charles Stanley.That he has to proclaim God's word in this endtimes.Therefore,bros and sisters let us learn to ask God to give us wisdom to understand things like this.Let us be busy preaching the goodnews to the lost world and tell them that God can forgive even the most feared murderers,adulterers,homosexuals,atheist etc etc...amen
What happened in Dr. Stanley’s marriage was definitely caused by spiritual warfare …what would happen in natural world was already happened in spiritual realm. Do you think most of Jesus’ disciples faced or ended up their ministry journey with a happy ending? Though it seemed they had faced challenges and ended in peril in human sense, they were spiritually victorious in God’s eyes. Most Jesus’ disciples especially apostle Paul did a major damage to the enemy in spiritual realm by preaching the Word instead of busy of pointing finger judging the brethren.
When a man like Dr. Stanley who has been preaching the Word and winning many souls to Christ, he definitely became a prime target to the enemy who diligently would find any loop hole/s (as all of us who are human have them) in his life for revenge. So, the failure of his marriage was as much the failure of all of us as Christian who fail to pray for him.
Dr. Stanley is a man of God and I would continually pray and support him and his ministry. I believe in my heart that no other man in this world could walk in his shoes. Keep preaching…my brother.
That he preaches mostly about self-help, rather than the sovereign grace of God, makes it even worse.
But the clincher is that he promised if he were divorced he would immediately resign as pastor. He didn't. He broke his word.
Please don't quote Matthew 7:1 out of context. We are supposed to watch out for false prophets and we'll know who they are by their fruit (also in Matthew 7).
What about that??? Anyone who condemns Dr. Stanley should be ashamed. After all this time nothing has come out by his ex to implicate him in something worthy of being divorced from, ie. infidelity. So leave Dr. Stanley alone. He is doing the Lord's work, with or without his wife.
I state all of that because I have been considered a "leper" in Baptist circles. Many ministers have been very kind and compassionate while others want nothing to do with me simply because I am divorced. I have been told that God can forgive me for my sins of divorce. How exactly did I sin in my divorce? Why I am left for dead in Baptist circles? I have a good job with a non-profit now to provide for my family but most churches will not even remotely consider me. I have been told by Baptist leaders to simply consider a different career. In SBC circles, I have found no ministries for divorced ministers. No recovery ministries or active leadership from a convention standpoint. It has been a very discouraging situation. I guess if I had a very successful TV ministry, it would be a completely different story.
If Charles did not really submit his marriage, his self to Jesus and allow himself to be changed to have the marriage God created for him, then the WOrd judges him.
what caused the marriage to be "broken"?
if Charles blames "childhood problems" then is he practising what he preaches?
we don't know the reasons for why anna divorced charles - after 7 years -
do you really think this wife lightly did what she did?
there is some issue and usually it has to do with affection misplaced. infidelity is not necessarily sexual but flirting, wanting attention from others, opening oneself to another in conversation and cultivating an intimacy of emotional needs with someone other than one's husband or wife.
I really do not think that anna came to her decision lightly.
If charles or anna sinned, it is not people who judge but the WOrd..the Word plainly says
"thou shall not committ adultry, thou shall not covet, " etc.
if the Atlanta church is covering up the facts of the separation, the divorce, etc. then they will be judged by the Word.
of course people can judge others not to demonize but to correct and bear witness to the stndard of God's truth in the WORD.
when someone lies, don't we all say, "that is wrong. what you did is wrong.. lying is wrong and you are wrong to lie."?
The Word is our guide and the "lamp at our feet" guiding us. We are not to create rules - only what the Word says - we are not to change the Word of the Bible.
If the SBC does'nt want you then ask God where he wants you. If what you said about your divorce is true then there is no sin, believe it or not Baptist don't have the God thing totally in the bag for themselvs though many believe so. God can still use you.
As far as Dr. Stanley goes nobody knows what is in his heart but God and I believe if God wanted him to step down he would.
I have been divorced twice. I married "until death do us part" the first time at age 18. The first affair by my husband came in the second year. I forgave him. Vows are unconditional! 16+ years later, multiple affairs, other children born, and continued forgiveness, I was left to raise our two children! Divorce was forced on me even though I was willing to allow God to work it out. It took many years to recover and GOD used my experiences in helping others. Our church offered a program called Divorce Recovery and I was one of the lecturer's and group leaders for five years. 12 years after my first divorce, I remarried. Blended families, second time around bring a whole set of "additional problems". It only lasted a little over 5 years and again, even though I was committed to the "marriage vow", it ended in divorce!
FYI we do not "get out of problems", we just "change" the problems because we're ALL broken! Forgiveness is an action word that is on going. Commitment to the marriage by both parties keeps the "enemy" satan at bay. Christian or not, pastor or layman, educated or not, young or old, male or female, origin or culture, anyone can fall prey to that illusive "greener on the other side" myth!
It is not about "who" is divorced it is about "how" God will use that for the glory of His Kingdom! It is "satan" who benefits when he can cause us to "miss the message"! God created marriage and HE also is the author of reconcilliation!
The "shame" of failure,is a very powerful tool used by satan to attack and attempt to destroy us in our hearts and minds! "Unmet expectations" are the lethal "foxes" that steal our ability to see beyond our own wants!
I continue to ask God for wisdom and pray that I will not miss the opportunity to allow my experiences to make a difference in my "present" and also be an encouragement in another persons life!
There is NOTHING more impactful than knowing you are not alone in the challenges of life!
GOD is all knowing and all powerful! HE has a purpose in all our life experiences! Therefore, it is MORE IMPORTANT to look to GOD and eagerly watch as HIS GLORY IS REVEALED in all things!
Life is a series of actions and reactions. We cannot control "the action" but we CAN control how we REACT!
Dr.Stanley, nor ANYONE ELSE, who stood at the ALTER - SAYING "I DO", thought they would ultimately end up "DIVORCED"!
Praise God, we have our Heavenly Father, who is there to wrap HIS arms around us in our human-ness that he already KNEW about before the Creation of us ALL!
Nothing makes satan more excited than being able to take credit for destroying as many marriages as he can!
There is no "higher" standard for anyone. We are all charged with "accountability". It takes two to be joined together, man and woman, and they become ONE in the eyes of GOD and MAN! HOWEVER, we must remember that it only takes ONE to tear that down in the EYES OF MAN and our COURT SYSTEM!
My prayer is for all "marriages" present and future! Ultimately, I believe that if "the couple" were alone on a deserted island, "they" would figure out how to reconcile all of their differences!
Dr. Stanley's divorce is not any more or any less than any other broken marriage - they all hurt! It is the loving hand of GOD that matters most, that HE can restore us and gives us HOPE for tomorrow!
If you are married, put YOUR marriage on GOD'S ISLAND, pray for the "hedge of protection" and hold tight to each other! If you are single, take all the above to heart if you are blessed with a marriage in the future!
I don't know what all happened between Dr.Stanley and his wife. It saddens me. For a long time I quit listening to Dr. Stanley because I was so confused by his divorce. But recently I have been experiencing some severe trials and have found myself angry with God over disappointments I've had, losing my joy and sense of direction. I found myself becoming bitter and depressed. I knew I needed to repent but was caught up in my own world of self-pity. I found a sermon by Dr. Stanley on the web and listened to it. The sermon was about bowing down to God and accepting His will. I soon found myself on my knees repenting and confessing my sin and my need of God's guidance again. The depression began to lift and joy returned. It was the Lord doing this work thru Dr. Stanley. I know the difference between condemnation and conviction.This was indeed the sweet conviction of the Lord leading me to repentance. I know this awesome God of mine and how lovingly He breaks us and draws us back to Him. For some reason He chose to use Dr. Stanley once again in my life. I'm still baffled and saddened by what Dr. Stanley has gone thru. But God is still using him.
I do believe C. Stanley should have stepped down and took care of his wife!
He should have worked on his marriage for as long as it took instead of preaching to the world about all the things HE himself was not doing properly within his own family!
C. Stanley chose to marry, therefore, much of his time would be devoted to his wife and future family.
God commands the husband to take
care of his wife and family. My heart went out to Anna when she said their problems go unresolved! That NEVER should have happened! C.S should have RESOLVED problems in their marriage BEFORE anything else AND IF HE STEPPED DOWN FROM
THE MINISTRY (which was the BIBLICAL thing to do) WHEN HE FIRST STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS, HE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN DIVORCED!
If CS spent quality time working on his marriage and investing in his wife, he would have had BETTER books to write, BETTER sermons to preach, but LATER, when his marriage was stronger! OR MAYBE ANNA COULD NOT HANDLE ALL OF THIS HUGE MINISTRY, God would have honored CS in taking care of his wife and working together in a way they BOTH could handle! Did Charles give Anna a chance? Did he just ask her to come back or did he say I'll work with you and we'll figure this out together? I doubt he was willing to sacrifice all his crowds to meet her needs! Looks like he didn't have the TIME to devote to Anna, because he was too busy with all his listeners and appointments, he was too busy with HIMSELF! Doesn't sound like someone devoted to serve God when he's neglecting his wife's needs the same time he's preaching to the world! God can use anyone and anything to accomplish His will, so just because folks are learning from CS and making good decisions because of his books and sermons, that's ALL about God, NOT cs!!!
We believers NEED godly and obedient leaders, and we need them to admit when they do something wrong and TAKE the right actions, for the world to see. PERFECTION belongs ONLY to GOD! Everyone knows and understands human beings fall and sin. We need to show the world the GOD that we go to when we fall, the God that NEVER fails as we do. We want people to trust in the GOD who is our LORD and SAVIOR, not put their trust in MAN!
Folks are so quick to say, "Don't judge"! So they think we all should always turn a blind eye and never speak out when a Christian brother is in sin! That's not biblical, and that's why Christians have become so liberal and immoral. God tells us to discipline within the church. He tells us to go to our brother when they're in sin.
We need to love the Stanleys, pray for them, AND encourage them to do the right thing according to the Word of God! The church is not "RAISING the STANDARD" by allowing a divorced man to continue in this ministry, is there not any WISE godly leader out there anymore?? God is the one who set the standard. He is the judge. We still need to discern and handle sin in our churches! God tells us how! CS is not this perfect man of God! He is not where he obviously should be.
I pray Charles Stanley becomes a testimony and witness to the world by his EXAMPLE. I pray he reconciles with Anna, even if she won't have him back. I pray he SHOWS his love to her rather than just asking her to come back into his BUSY crowded life of ministry which was probably overwhelming to her for so many years!
Simply stated, we just do not know the factual details of Dr. Stanley's divorce, i.e., we do not know the content of both of their hearts, whether it was CFS's "infidelity" or Anna being "overwhelmed by a large ministry." WE SIMPLY DO NOT KNOW THE 100% TRUTH, therefore, WE MUST RESERVE JUDGMENT and know that it should only be left up to God to judge the hearts of both at the appropriate time.
In the meantime, if I may humbly express my own personal feelings here, I believe Dr. Stanley has and continues to do the works of God and BEAR A LOT OF FRUIT. He has personally changed my life and further opened my eyes to the love of God and the Truth of His Word.
The simplest definition I have found for Christian integrity is found in Matthew 5:37 (NIV) Jesus himself reminds us;
"Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one."
Sorry if biblical accountability is not politically correct today but ultimately the truth is the truth and that is Jesus.
So as far as Mr. Stanley goes, he is not sinning if he does not re-marry another person...other than his covenant wife.
I know I will get flack for this...always do, but I'm just going by scripture and not mankind's desire to switch spouses because the going got tough. Just ask Esau how seriously God takes vows.
Oh, and Mr. Stanly probably should honor his word about stepping down if divorce happened. Not because of anything wrong, but because he said he would. Let your yes be yes and your no be no.
Oh, if only all of us would honor our word. Divorce would never happen in the first place and our churches would not be in this mess!
I recognize the fact that I am a sinner, and God's Grace is sufficient for me.
I recognize that I will sin again.
I recognize that I will be sanctified as time goes on.
I recognize that God's Spirit lives in me, and the proof is in the conviction when I "miss the mark".
I recognize that no single sin is smaller than the other.
I recognize and LOVE God for his eternal Grace and love for me- regardless of my shortcomings, he draws me back with open arms.
I recognize that God is my Creator and Father- In the way I love my son, regardless of what he does (he will always be my son and I will love him)- even when he hurts me or causes pain for himself. If I am a sinner with the righteousness of a lepers wraps, how much more does the Father's perfect love mean to us?
With the recognition of the above, I believe that no one can know another's heart - this includes one's spouse. " The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Only God knows my heart. If this is the case, how could I judge or suppose to understand the condition of another? All I care about with regard to Dr. Stanley is that the Lord loves him and he loves the Lord as evidenced by his fruits. "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit."
My thought as a poor sinner is that my heart goes out to Dr. Stanley and his wife. Only a fool would believe that Dr. Stanley does not still love his wife and pray for her. Should he stay in his ministry - I am not worthy to decide this. I am sure he has been prayerful in this, so I am also sure God will guide him. If he is in submission to God, what else matters? How did the religious leaders of the Old Testament interpret the Law? Where did they go wrong? What was asked of Jesus regarding the law? These are questions every Christian needs to examine. I was never humble, now I am being humbled and I praise God for it - even if the outcome in this world is not pleasurable or comfortable. I am being broken on the rock, and loving every bit of it. Without the process I am experiencing, I don't think I would have come to the Lord in the way I am coming to Him today.
If another Christian can witness to me based on his personal experience and bear testimony on how the Lord used this experience/trial in their life- I feel I get a qualified testimony. If he hasn't shared the same trial as me, how can he say, "I understand..."?
I don't seem to remember many great men God used in the Bible who were without sin.... I believe the one who was called to this was God himself as Christ. And we judged Him as prophesied while he was blameless and sinless. We are no better today. It's time to put away the ritual and religious tassels- stop being miserable comforters, and praise God while supporting and encouraging our brothers and sisters in the Lord. We are to show our light in a dark world.
In summation, I doubt whether any of us can tell how God will use this in Dr. Stanley's life.... why not trust God and look forward to it in prayer and supplication.
I recognize the fact that I am a sinner, and God's Grace is sufficient for me.
I recognize that I will sin again.
I recognize that I will be sanctified as time goes on.
I recognize that God's Spirit lives in me, and the proof is in the conviction when I "miss the mark".
I recognize that no single sin is smaller than the other.
I recognize and LOVE God for his eternal Grace and love for me- regardless of my shortcomings, he draws me back with open arms.
With the recognition of the above, I believe that no one can know another's heart - this includes one's spouse. " The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Only God knows my heart. If this is the case, how could I judge or suppose to understand the condition of another? All I care about with regard to Dr. Stanley is that the Lord loves him and he loves the Lord as evidenced by his fruits. "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit."
My thought as a poor sinner is that my heart goes out to Dr. Stanley and his wife. Only a fool would believe that Dr. Stanley does not still love his wife and pray for her. Should he stay in his ministry - I am not worthy to decide this. I am sure he has been prayerful in this, so I am also sure God will guide him. If he is in submission to God, what else matters? How did the religious leaders of the Old Testament interpret the Law? Where did they go wrong? What was asked of Jesus regarding the law? These are questions every Christian needs to examine. I was never humble, now I am being humbled and I praise God for it - even if the outcome in this world is not pleasurable or comfortable. I am being broken on the rock, and loving every bit of it. Without the process I am experiencing, I don't think I would have come to the Lord in the way I am coming to Him today.
I don't seem to remember many great men God used in the Bible who were without sin.... I believe the one who was called to this was God himself as Christ. And we judged Him as prophesied while he was blameless and sinless. We are no better today. It's time to put away the ritual and religious tassels- stop being miserable comforters, and praise God while supporting and encouraging our brothers and sisters in the Lord. We are to show our light in a dark world.
In summation, I doubt whether any of us can tell how God will use this in Dr. Stanley's life.... why not trust God and look forward to it in prayer and supplication.
I recognize the fact that I am a sinner, and God's Grace is sufficient for me.
I recognize that I will sin again.
I recognize that I will be sanctified as time goes on.
I recognize that God's Spirit lives in me, and the proof is in the conviction when I "miss the mark".
I recognize that no single sin is smaller than the other.
I recognize and LOVE God for his eternal Grace and love for me- regardless of my shortcomings, he draws me back with open arms.
With the recognition of the above, I believe that no one can know another's heart - this includes one's spouse. " The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Only God knows my heart. If this is the case, how could I judge or suppose to understand the condition of another? All I care about with regard to Dr. Stanley is that the Lord loves him and he loves the Lord as evidenced by his fruits. "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit."
My thought as a poor sinner is that my heart goes out to Dr. Stanley and his wife. Only a fool would believe that Dr. Stanley does not still love his wife and pray for her. Should he stay in his ministry - I am not worthy to decide this. I am sure he has been prayerful in this, so I am also sure God will guide him. If he is in submission to God, what else matters? How did the religious leaders of the Old Testament interpret the Law? Where did they go wrong? What was asked of Jesus regarding the law? These are questions every Christian needs to examine. I was never humble, now I am being humbled and I praise God for it - even if the outcome in this world is not pleasurable or comfortable. I am being broken on the rock, and loving every bit of it. Without the process I am experiencing, I don't think I would have come to the Lord in the way I am coming to Him today.
I don't seem to remember many great men God used in the Bible who were without sin.... I believe the one who was called to this was God himself as Christ. And we judged Him as prophesied while he was blameless and sinless. We are no better today. It's time to put away the ritual and religious tassels- stop being miserable comforters, and praise God while supporting and encouraging our brothers and sisters in the Lord. We are to show our light in a dark world.
In summation, I doubt whether any of us can tell how God will use this in Dr. Stanley's life.... why not trust God and look forward to it in prayer and supplication.
I recognize the fact that I am a sinner, and God's Grace is sufficient for me.
I recognize that I will sin again.
I recognize that I will be sanctified as time goes on.
I recognize that God's Spirit lives in me, and the proof is in the conviction when I "miss the mark".
I recognize that no single sin is smaller than the other.
I recognize and LOVE God for his eternal Grace and love for me- regardless of my shortcomings, he draws me back with open arms.
With the recognition of the above, I believe that no one can know another's heart - this includes one's spouse. " The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Only God knows my heart. If this is the case, how could I judge or suppose to understand the condition of another? All I care about with regard to Dr. Stanley is that the Lord loves him and he loves the Lord as evidenced by his fruits. "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit."
My thought as a poor sinner is that my heart goes out to Dr. Stanley and his wife. Only a fool would believe that Dr. Stanley does not still love his wife and pray for her. Should he stay in his ministry - I am not worthy to decide this. I am sure he has been prayerful in this, so I am also sure God will guide him. If he is in submission to God, what else matters?
I don't seem to remember many great men God used in the Bible who were without sin.... I believe the one who was called to this was God himself as Christ. And we judged Him as prophesied while he was blameless and sinless. We are no better today. It's time to put away the ritual and religious tassels- stop being miserable comforters, and praise God while supporting and encouraging our brothers and sisters in the Lord. We are to show our light in a dark world.
In summation, I doubt whether any of us can tell how God will use this in Dr. Stanley's life.... why not trust God and look forward to it in prayer and supplication.
I recognize that I will sin again.
I recognize that I will be sanctified as time goes on.
I recognize that God's Spirit lives in me, and the proof is in the conviction when I "miss the mark".
I recognize that no single sin is smaller than the other.
I recognize and LOVE God for his eternal Grace and love
With the recognition of the above, I believe that no one can know another's heart - this includes one's spouse. " The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Only God knows my heart. If this is the case, how could I judge or suppose to understand the condition of another? All I care about with regard to Dr. Stanley is that the Lord loves him and he loves the Lord as evidenced by his fruits. "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit."
My thought as a poor sinner is that my heart goes out to Dr. Stanley and his wife. Only a fool would believe that Dr. Stanley does not still love his wife and pray for her. Should he stay in his ministry - I am not worthy to decide this. I am sure he has been prayerful in this, so I am also sure God will guide him. If he is in submission to God, what else matters?
I don't seem to remember many great men God used in the Bible who were without sin.... I believe the one who was called to this was God himself as Christ. And we judged Him as prophesied while he was blameless and sinless. We are no better today. It's time to put away the ritual and religious tassels- stop being miserable comforters, and praise God while supporting and encouraging our brothers and sisters in the Lord. We are to show our light in a dark world.
In summation, I doubt whether any of us can tell how God will use this in Dr. Stanley's life.... why not trust God and look forward to it in prayer and supplication.
I question what kind of example that is setting to the marriages and families under his spiritual care.
I don't feel the issue is about whether or not divorced people can continue in ministry, but rather what caused the divorce in the first place!
Too often prestige and power can distract from the God given responsibilities of men to care for those closest to him - his family.
"Dr Stanley did nothing wrong. His wife became possessed by Lucifer and left him. He had no control over this. I have also had such an experience. Those that criticize him for this are doing the Devil's work in being an "accuser of the brethren."
I find it disturbing, "Rev Doc", that you automatically blame Mrs. Stanley since she was the one who filed for divorce. That reminds me of the Scripture where the woman who was caught in the act of adultery was brought before Jesus - but she is standing there alone. The man she was with should have been there, too. He was probably in the crowd with a stone in his hand, eagerly awaiting to throw it. The point is, why lay all the blame on Mrs. Stanley and none on her ex-husband? I don't know what happened and don't need to know. But to blame JUST her sounds a bit judgmental on your part, Rev Doc. Don't be so quick to put ALL the blame on Mrs. Stanley.
Also -- would you have called John the Baptist an "accuser of the brethren" for telling Herod Antipas he shouldn't have married his brother's wife? There IS a difference between judging someone and telling them the truth in love.
You also write, "I have also had such an experience" - which sounds like you're dealing with bitterness from your own divorce. Just because your ex-wife chose to leave you, doesn't mean that every woman who files for divorce is like her.
I'm also a survivor of divorce. Twelve years ago my ex had an affair with a married woman 14 years his junior. He made the decision to leave his family AND his faith to be with this woman. But in order for me to maintain custody of our child (I didn't want her to live with her dad and his girlfriend while he was still married to me), I had to file the papers for divorce. For doing that, my church shunned me and my daughter (8 1/2 at the time). I thought my life and ministry as a Christian were over. My daughter is now 22 and is not a Christian. I believe the church shunning had a major part in that.
Then four months after our divorce became final, I was diagnosed with cancer. That got a few comments from those who thought this was God's judgment on me for filing for divorce. But at no time did anyone say anything about my ex-husband's adultery!
But God got me through all of it. I've been in remission for 11 years and now I'm involved in an outreach ministry to public housing residents, using the gifts and callings God gave me to share His love. I feel complete and whole in Him and Rev Doc, I'm praying this for you, too.
I guess I shared all this to say that I'm supporting Mrs. Stanley. I've read that she didn't feel her husband chose her as a top priority in his life. Maybe she got tired of her husband putting his ministry first when he should have put God first, family second, and ministry third or further on down the line in priorities.
God instructs that we are not to judge lest we be judged this is backed up by many clear lessons and directives that it is only GOD who has right to vengance and judgement. When you hold any animosity or effect any cause or action against Dr. Charles Stanley or Anna Stanley or the woman who was ostrasized from her own church you are stepping in the way of GOD and you are offending him and doing this will be held against you when you are having to stand before GOD and your own final judgement...But if you want to be like that...Well, I guess GOD may decide that you can pay him later only problem...that later will be too late for you
None of us ever really knows the full story of anyone's divorce. All are tragic, and I think God hates it because it causes everyone so much pain.
What inflames me about Charles Stanley's situation, though, is that he was president of his denomination's leadership twice. During that time, I would guess that the policies he upheld regarding divorce caused many faultless and faithful ministers to be ejected from their pulpits.
It didn't matter that the minister was in the same boat Stanley would one day find himself. Rules were rules, and I would guess that Stanley abided by them...until they were going to be applied to him.
I was in Atlanta when all the hubbub was going on. Two of my closest friends left after they said they saw an arrogant side to Stanley that they never knew existed.
I was also listening to a radio interview when Stanley made a comment on why he didn't step down like he had promised. His response was horribly arrogant. It was something like, "Well, some people thought they knew better than me..." What?!
I think the earlier blogger had it right. If he'd had as big a following as Stanley, he could have continued in his pulpit. And that, I am convinced, is pathetic. Shame on those (like Stanley, his elders, and his remaining flock) who think the rules are just for the little people.
Although, from a laymens persepctive, it seems that a Pastor is called to a live a life of higher responsibility. Yet Dr. Stanely hold's the office of pastor, still.
God did not allow Moses to enter the promised land because of one act of disobeidiance he committed, even after Moses pleaded with Him.
Joseph's brothers left him for dead, yet God used him to save His people from hunger. However, He picked Judah, not Joseph, as the one to carry the line of the Messiah.
...We have to remember that we only know in part, but once perfection comes then we'll know in full.
Until then, let's pray for Dr. Stanley's healing and that WE show him love that we've all been given. Then, if God wants to use us to move Dr. Stanley to step down or be a pastor, leave it to God. It's all His anyway.
Remember the words of Micah ..."Do justice, have mercy and walk humbly."
during our 14th year of marriage she had weight loss surgery..from the time of her surgery until the day she told me she wanted a new life was 14 months. during that time she lost about 150 pounds..to make a long story shorter that was in 2006..we divorced in 2007 and within 8 weeks she was pregnant with the alcoholic neighbor where she had just moved into...since then she is on her 3rd marriage, a couple of shack-ups,met men on the internet for sex a few times, and worse stuff..the reason i bring this up is that i know the pain of divorce and how someones decision can impact ones life.. i forgot to mention that we have 2 children that were affected by all this.to be honest, my pastor and the associate pastor never once talked to me and i feel as others do that the church let me down..i love my church but i feel that pastor stanley is more my pastor than my actual pastor..pastors simply dont know or understand the pains,hurts,and consequences divorce brings..i felt shunned by my own kind..it is hard..pastor stanley understands this, and i believe it makes him a better preacher and pastor..i can feel the hurt in his voice when he talks about divorce, pain, and especially loneliness..i have been divorced 4 years and i couldnt buy a friend..when you are divorced, everyone goes on when you are in neutral...family, friends, your church, your spouse, can all leave you but god never will. my prayer is that god brings healing and joy into anyone who is divorced,divorcing,separated, or even thinking of divorce..especially to all the people who have been hurt by their spouses, especially when the person who hurt them seems to have it made...to paraphrase from pastor stanley...you reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow..love galatians and romans 12:19...my prayers are with pastor stanley that he heals completely and continues with his ministries, and also to his ex-wife..
I worked there for 10 years, my wife worked there for more than that...many UNGODLY things have gone on there, and some of them WITH Dr Stanley's knowledge and Bobby Schipper's Knowledge too. They have even gone to lengths to cover some of them up and keep them hidden. This is partly due to his poor opinion of certain people, particularly women. (some other groups too)
He has, like any other weak, sinful man, compromised God's word for his own benefit. The things that we saw and endured were not small things.
All this to say, that don't think for a minute that he didn't DO things that he KNEW were wrong in the scripture, for his own benefit.
Sorry if this hurts but what I and my wife witnessed over the years was incredibly wrong.
and follow him. What is happening,
about it, spread love, compliment Dr. Staney for his help etc. What did he do to you all to be put down and rejected by so many?
What I should do is just to listen to Dr. Stanley's sermons, reflect my life and live a godly life.
My ultimate goal is to live out a christian life. I shouldn't be distracted from this goal.
I will keep on watching Dr. Stanley's programmes cos he's a good teacher and preacher.
I think that Charles Stanley is a messenger from God.
I think that He is a godly man. He is a human being which means that He is not perfect. We should love and accept him the way He is. We are not the ones to judge him and his wife, only GOD, because we all make mistakes.
As brothers in Christ lets pray for them, and wish them the best. Hope Charles and Anna reconcile some day, and share with us their testimony for the glory of our loving and merciful God!! Amen!!!
Why would God prefer dr Stanley to be divorced, he said himself that he hates divorces. But he is a forgiving father! Things are just complicated, we don't know why his ex wife didn't want him anymore. He seems so lovely. In marriage, you must learn to forgive. That woman could not forgive. If you can't forgive your neighbour, God won't forgive you.
I see this forum (as well as others) have been bantering off track for years. The real issue that should have been addressed from the beginning was FULL DISCLOSURE of the facts, and then public REPENTANCE from both Mr. and Mrs. Stanley, and then what to do to: help, stop or let the chips fall where...
So here we have a dubious problem in cover-up, which has left in its tracks suspicion, corruption, disgrace and on and on but at its core: lingering SIN.
Who's the worst offender here? Obviously the SBC. How and why could I say such a thing? They have power. Eerily similar to the Catholic Church scandals, this power comes in the form of MONEY (or should I say HUSH MONEY) to keep the dirt under the rug.
What would have happened to Jim Swaggart or Jim Baker and their ministries if the TRUTH were never uncovered about them? Is C Stanley's problem less significant or is it just as insidious? I won't go into the FACTS of how Baker and Swaggart DID TRY to cover-up their mess AFTER they got the first whiff the pot was beginning to boil over - that's human nature. I've questioned myself as to how long I would have tried to hold onto that which God was prying out of my grubby hands.
The Holy Bible has warned a number of times (mainly new testament ref) that our church leaders meet the highest moral standards I have ever seen, even as far reaching into their own families!
Now, to the credit of all three men mentioned above, many, many souls were reached by them in so that the Holy Spirit convicted the lost to repent and be eternally saved. Imagine that! Almighty God used these men (and who knows how many others in such lifestyles) to be rescued from eternal damnation. Well praise God! And to Him alone be the Glory forever.
I wouldn't call any of them hypocrites, because I was worse than all of them put together! You might be in my camp too, one things for sure: yellow dirt down in our soul.
The big difference of circumstances is that these matters 'undercover' ARE our business and C Stanley is hiding something. If this continues, the Bible has stated some frightening consequences for ALL parties involved, including his enablers.
Try asking the SBC what they're afaid of most; forgiveness from the Church and Almighty God, or the drop in funds when this scandal breaks. And it will break loose probably sooner than later.
Since the violations were committed while (they) retained God-given positions, and the SBC refuses to release the facts, this will be tried in the highest of all courts. And you all know what happens there...
"A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife.." It might come as a shock to everyone, but the word "divorce" is not mentioned. Dr. Stanley IS the husband of one wife. She divorced him. He has not remarried. So he is still within that rule. It can be proven that, according to the scriptures he is still married. The Bible says that if someone marries a divorced person, they commit adultery. That means that in God's eyes, someone whose spouse divorced him, except for a biblical reason, in God's eyes, is still married. Therefore, Charles Stanley is still the husband of one wife. As Christians, we should go by biblical reasoning, and not modern society's idea of when to grant a divorce. If Dr. Stanley's wife did not list a biblical reasoning for a divorce, and we understand that she did not, then even more so, in God's eyes, Dr. Stanley is still married to her, so long as he has not remarried, and he has not remarried.
Sunflower
How can you trust anyone who lives his "convictions" out this way? Sounds like a politician doesn't it?
I know he will.
You have done nothing wrong. what ever is going on is before you and God. Please do not judge Mr. Stanley
Trully yours.
Augusto Freitas
Dan
He never recanted or corrected that statement and yet he continued as senior pastor.
A Christian wife will not leave her husband who is agape-loving her, cherishing her and honoring her, putting her first after the Lord... she just won't
Am not sure why Anna is being judged, for what she did took the courage of a woman in the perfect helpmeet role, saying "no more abuse" of me - "I will not stay in a marriage where I am unloved by my husband"
Colossians 3: 19 Husbands, AGAPE love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
AGAPE love is a verb //
Wives are encouraged (by OLDER WOMEN) to "philandros" love their husbands
Malachi 2: 16 “The man who hates and divorces his wife, ” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,”says the Lord Almighty. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful." (NONE of us know when it was that Anna was divorced in by her husband IN HIS HEART -- she just made it legal in order to protect herself, which IS biblical (even the Apostle Paul used his right as a Roman citizen)
Deuteronomy 24: 5 If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married."
Perhaps, if pastors would teach THESE principles, the divorce rate would go down throughout the "church" and THEN we would actually have marriage that reflect Christ and His bride!
On the other hand, unfortunately, there are too many comments that resemble the mentality of the Sadducees and Pharisees whose hardened hearts rejected the very essence of God, Emmanuel, our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ. Imagine being alive and witnessing the ministry of Jesus while on the earth. What an awesome privilege to watch Him heal the broken in spirit & body. Imagine being in His presence and hearing His voice as he taught in the synagogues with such authority. And now imagine being so bound by "religion" and all its rules and regulations that your heart is hardened and unable to embrace who He is, what He's about and why He came to earth. God SO loved us. . .it is a Love like no other. That Love dwells in our hearts and causes us to reach out to the lost, the hurting, the lonely, the homeless, the hopeless, the broken. . .
My father was homebound for the last several years of his life. He never missed Dr. Stanley's televised sermons and shared Dr. Stanley's words of wisdom with me periodically. In 2008, my father passed and my youngest son's life was being weighed in the balance. Dr. Stanley's ministry was a God-send at that time and continues to be today. When I read the comments of those who insist that Dr. Stanley should have stepped down when his wife divorced him because of the "church’s" rules, I thank God that Dr. Stanley did not listen to them. When I read the comments of those who are "inflamed" that he did not keep his word and step down because he said he would if his wife divorced him, I am more than saddened and would ask you to lay down your unforgiveness & bitterness toward Dr. Stanley and find joy in the fact that his obedience to God has not only resulted in my renewed commitment to God's will in my life and my family's lives, but his obedience has resulted in many others drawing closer to God AND most importantly, has resulted in the salvation of many on a global level. Why swallow a camel, but strain on a gnat? God knows what He is doing - He does not consult the Southern Baptists' rules & regulations and thankfully, He evidently does not operate within your own particular scope and/or lack of understanding when leading and guiding Dr. Stanley's ministry. And I say this with hope in my heart that you will examine your motives and allow God to heal you of a bitter, religious spirit that would fight against the miracles He has done and continues to do in the lives of His children.
We will ALL answer for our choices one day. I will, you will, and Dr. Stanley will. In the meantime, let's let God be God and get onboard with what HE wants us to do: go ye into all of the world, teaching that Precious Name, sweet Love and Grace proclaim, not here & there, but EVERYWHERE.
The spell lady has no measure and i can never stop spreading her good works for bringing me happiness and joy. She helped my friend and now am testifying to it, why not do the same and dont make mistake in meeting rip you off on your pain. her email is priestessifaa@yahoo.com,
Thanks spell goddess. you are wonderfully sweet to meet.
The truth is we do not know the truth of the Stanley's marriage or divorce. It would have showed humility and accountability for Mr. Stanley to step down from the ministry for a time of reflection, repentance and healing. It certainly would have been a humble act to have offered grace to the divorced persons who were excluded in some way from participation in First Baptist Church's ministry. It looked like an abuse of power and a double standard to have pushed forward, especially after he had threatened to resign if the separation turned to divorce. No, we don't know the truth of the Stanley's divorce. Unfortunately we have seen the result when integrity and humility are divorced from power and position.
Mr Stanley would not be the first Christian to hear what he wanted to hear when he prayed over stepping down.
God keeps us refined...so this obviously is set the red back on fire in my ginger hair! Ya all ( especially you poor theologically trained Sadducees who do not have the man balls to post comments with a name) should be praying and praising your brother...that ol' man can be any of YOU.
Eva Shaw
I just come to know today that we was divorced after listening to his sermons for years... His divorce, for whatever reason, did not change my respect for him as a chosen man of God. Human as he was, still God continues to use him to build His kingdom here on earth.
Who in this world can question God's wisdom? We know that in the Bible how GOD used people even in their weakness to accomplish His purpose. Their obedience to the will of GOD made them set apart from all the rest.
There should be no reason for divorce. Because there is nothing in a Spirit led life that should lead to it. All problems can be overcome through TRUTH. But like with all pastors, there is HUGE hypocrisy. They tell truths. But they leave out a lot to suit a worldly life. Charles Stanley for instance. He gives a good explanation about what it means to Walk in the Holy Spirit. But the big problem is that he leaves out the first part, which is to sacrifice your worldly life FIRST. Jesus spoke of the gate to the narrow path. It is the only true path to Salvation. He submitted the initial commitment of this path to our own will. In other words, we must take it upon ourselves to leave the worldly life behind. Beyond this commitment lies the path. The Spirit then guides our life. But not beforehand.
This is why we have divorces. Because people want to believe PART of the TRUTH, but not all. Pastors have successfully used the Scriptures to bring personal wealth. Stanley has given up nothing that I can see. Hr prospers better than most of the people who live around me. He can talk the talk. But clearly, he cannot walk the walk. He left out the part where you can live IN this world, but not OF it to serve GOD. Look around you. Does it look like anyone is giving up the world? Not at all. They are still indulging, more and more. Not less and less. They are NOT guided by the Spirit. But they still flock to the churches to listen to the sermons. Stanley is equivalent to the devil becoming a pastor in order to warn you of the devil. He will tell you truth. But not ALL TRUTH. You will still walk out of that church, not feeling compelled to derail your present life to lead one simplistic and more in touch with the SPIRIT. Jesus didn't live poorly for nothing. This world tempts us at every turn. hence the reason why we must literally step away from it. Even Stanley tells of how the disciples were told to "sit still" until they were ready to live by example. Even the devil knows the TRUTH. But pastors do not live by example. They stand on a pedestal. And you can trust that "something" is wrong with what they are telling you. Even if it means they are telling you 100% of the truth taken from 50% of ALL TRUTH.
http://worldhatestruth.blogspot.com/