The well-known Atlanta Baptist pastor Dr. Charles Stanley’s ex-wife Anna Stanley passed away on November 10, 2014, at the age of 83.
For those who were close to her and the larger religious community, who had grown to know and appreciate her efforts over the years, her demise was a great loss.
Notwithstanding the difficulties she encountered personally, Anna was remembered as a devoted churchgoer, and her memory is borne on by the uplifting effect she had on others around her.
The ones left behind to grieve Anna’s demise were her two children, six grandsons, and one great-grandchild. Although the nature of her sickness was kept a secret, it is known that she had been battling health problems for some time prior to her passing.
According to some sources, Anna Stanley’s protracted illness was the reason for her death.
On November 13, 2014, a celebration of life service was conducted at North Point Community Church in Georgia, when a large crowd showed up to pay their respects and celebrate Anna’s life.
On October 9, 1931, Anna Margaret Johnson was born in Smithfield, North Carolina.
She obtained an art degree from the Richmond Professional Institute and started working as a Bible instructor at the George Mueller Christian School.
Andy and Becky Stanley were the couple’s two children, born in 1955 after Anna and Charles Stanley’s marriage.
The marriage of Anna and Charles Stanley endured difficulties that ultimately resulted in their separation and divorce.
When they relocated to Atlanta, though, their marriage started to break down as Charles got more preoccupied with his ministry activities and neglected his family.
As Anna felt rejected and hurt, their marriage began to experience domestic difficulties. Despite their best efforts to patch things up, including consulting with licenced therapists and doctors for marital counselling, their efforts were unsuccessful. Anna was compelled to seek for legal separation as a result in March 1995.
The Southern Baptist community, where divorce was strongly forbidden by biblical beliefs, did not take kindly to this news.
Anna admitted in a letter to the church her ex-husband attended that she had battled with her husband for years and experienced disappointing disappointments.
She went on to say that her ex-husband never attempted to remedy the issue, rather to focus on his goals. after a protracted and tiresome legal process.
Charles Stanley made the decision to step down as a pastor on February 16, 2000, the day their divorce was officially finalised.
The vast majority of his church’s members chose to keep him as their pastor, provided he did not get married again. He persevered in his vocation despite opposition from some clergymen, devoting his time to book writing and church service.
Anna Stanley, on the other hand, made the decision to avoid the spotlight after their divorce. Notwithstanding the challenges she encountered during her marriage and separation, she continued to be active in a number of religious activities until her health deteriorated.
She didn’t get married until she passed away.