Anna J. Stanley Filed for Divorce Twice – Facts about Charles Stanley's Ex-wife

First Baptist Church of Atlanta senior pastor for over five decades, Charles Stanley, was married to Anna J. Stanley. The couple's marriage lasted over four decades but underwent two divorce proceedings.

Charles spent most of his years on Earth in ministry. He became known worldwide for his preaching, reaching millions of people across the globe through broadcasting and authorship. He became a significant component of his church.

Hence, when his marriage to Anna began crumbling in the 1990s, it also affected the church. Although the first attempts at divorce were thwarted, they eventually divorced at the turn of the millennium, which had a lasting effect on the church.

Anna Stanley Studied Art at the Richmond Professional Institute

Born on October 9, 1931, Anna was a native of Smithfield, North Carolina. She was a college graduate, having attended Richmond Professional Institute, where she majored in art.

She later became a teacher at the George Mueller Christian School in Miami, Florida. She was described as a gifted Bible teacher and musician who served alongside her former husband in many locations, such as Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, and Georgia. She continued to serve in the church until illness got the best of her.

Anna Filed for Divorce from Charles Stanley Twice

Anna J. Stanley tied the knot with Charles Stanley in 1955. When they exchanged vows, Charles was still a student. The couple welcomed two children, Andy and Becky, in their many years of marriage.

Anna was with her former husband before he became the successful man he eventually was. After they got married, Charles got into ministry and became a preacher. In 1971, he was promoted to the role of senior pastor at First Baptist Church of Atlanta. That made him only the 16th person in that role in the church's 123-year history.

Stanley's work went beyond just being a pastor in the church. He expanded his reach by getting into broadcasting and authorship. In 1972, he launched "The Chapel Hour" on two Atlanta broadcasting stations, WXIA-TV 11 and WANX 46. The show was later added to the Christian Broadcasting Network in 1978.

Although Stanley's career as an evangelist was excelling, trouble was brewing at home in the 1990s. After almost four decades of marriage, Anna asked for a divorce in 1993. That was terrible news for Stanley, not just because of the separation but because divorced men were not allowed to serve as church leaders in his church.

Stanley had indicated that he would resign his position when the divorce became final but believed there was still a chance of reconciliation. He was vindicated in 1996 as Anna quietly dismissed her divorce plea.

However, that proved short-lived as they divorced a few years later, in 2000. In Anna's divorce application, it was noted that their marriage of 44 years had become irretrievably broken. The divorce is said to have caused significant problems, including a split in the church.

Anna J. Stanley Preceded Her Ex-husband in Death

In 2012, Anna and Charles's son, Andy, talked about how his parents rarely communicated but added that there was no hate. Anna would ask how her former husband was and watch him on television.

Andy, who followed in his father's footsteps by becoming a preacher, said, "I love my mom. In her prime, she was an incredible woman. Something just caught up with her and my dad, took all the grief for her." At the time of that interview, Anna's health was already deteriorating, and she was under 24-hour medical care.

On November 10, 2014, Anna passed away in the company of her loved ones. The 83-year-old was survived by her two children, six grandchildren, and two sisters.

Charles had promised that he would not remarry after their divorce because the Bible views it as adultery. The pastor sadly passed away on April 18, 2023. He was 90 years old. Charles lived for nine years after his ex-wife's death but still never remarried.