Truett-McConnell College is honored to have Dr. Charles Stanley as the commencement speaker on May 7, 2011.

 

Cleveland, GA (February 28, 2011)- Dr. Charles F. Stanley, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Atlanta and founder of In Touch ministries, will be the guest speaker at Truett-McConnell’s Spring 2011 commencement. The commencement ceremony will be held on May 7, 2011.

A widely hailed preacher, Stanley received his call to ministry at the age of 14. Stanley’s father died when he was a child and through the help of his godly mother and grandfather, he grew up learning to obey and trust God’s work. To fulfill God’s calling in his life, Stanley went on to earn his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia. In addition, he acquired a Bachelor of Divinity at Southwestern Theological Seminary and completed his master’s and doctorate at Luther Rice Seminary.

Stanley became the senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Atlanta in 1971. The following year, he launched a half-hour program called “The Chapel Hour” on an Atlanta-area station. The program was later picked up by the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) spanning its 16,000 local viewers to a nationwide audience. InTouch Ministries was incorporated in the 1980s and gained access to major markets in the United States. The ministry was able to reach more than a million homes.

Currently, “In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley” airs around the world in more than fifty languages. The program is broadcasted through television, radio, the ministry’s website, and the handheld device, In Touch Messenger. In addition, the ministry continues to produce resource materials including their award winning monthly devotional magazine, In Touch.

Stanley firmly believes the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God and through his messages, he addresses various issues such as personal crises, relationships, emotions, and finances. He trusts that “it is the Word of God and the work of God that changes people’s lives.”

Not only is he a speaker, Stanley is also a New York Times best-selling author. He has written more than thirty five books, including How to Listen to God, The Gift of Forgiveness, How to Handle Adversity, The Blessing of Brokenness, and many more. In fact, he was recognized this year by Thomas Nelson Publishing for selling more than 6.5 million copies of his books.

Stanley has served two terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention. In 1982, he joined National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) board of directors and has received numerous awards for his television and radio programs. He was inducted into the NRB Hall of Fame in 1988. NRB then named him Television Producer of the Year in 1993 and gave him the Radio Program of the Year award in 1999. Stanley was also dubbed Clergyman of the Year by Religious Heritage of America.

Stanley and In Touch Ministries’ goal is to lead people worldwide into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ as well as to strengthen the local church. Truett-McConnell College is honored to have Dr. Charles F. Stanley speaking at this year’s commencement ceremony.

The mission of Truett-McConnell College, a Georgia Baptist College, is to equip students to make a positive impact for Christ through disciplined scholarship and Christian discipleship. For more information about Truett-McConnell College visit us online at www.truett.edu

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By Vicky Kaniaru & Havilah Miller

 

 

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