Anna J. Stanley was the wife of Charles Frazier Stanley, a renowned pastor and televangelist serving as the senior pastor of the American First Baptist Church and the founder of In Touch Ministries. Charles Frazier’s ex-wife was a Bible teacher and musician born on October 9, 1931, and died in November 2014 at 83.
Anna J. Stanley not only taught the Bible, she preached the word of God, played pianos, and sang in the choir. Apart from her duties in Christendom, she was a devoted and supportive wife and mother. She became popular after she started seeing and eventually marrying Pastor Charles Stanley. While they were married, she was deeply involved in the business of the church and in spreading the gospel.
Summary of Anna J. Stanley’s Bio
- Full name: Anna Margaret Johnson Stanley
- Gender: Female
- Date of birth: October 9, 1931
- Date of death: November 10, 2014
- Anna J. Stanley’s Age: 83 (at the time of her death)
- Ethnicity: White
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Libra
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christianity
- Marital Status: Divorced
- Anna J. Stanley’s ex Husband: Charles Frazier Stanley
- Anna J. Stanley’s Children: Andy Stanley and Becky Stanley Broderson
- Siblings: Elizabeth Sawrey and Dorothy Hullet.
- Anna J. Stanley’s Height in Inches: 5 feet 5 inches
- Anna J. Stanley’s Height in Centimetres: 170 cm
- Anna J. Stanley’s Weight: 115 lbs r 52kg
- Anna J. Stanley’s Net worth: $1 million
- Famous for: Being Charles Stanley’s ex-wife
When was Anna J. Stanley Born?
Anna J. Stanley was born Anna Margaret Johnson on October 9, 1931, in Smithfield, North Carolina, United States. Following her place of birth, she is an American citizen born under the Libra birth sign and is of white heritage. Though she earned recognition in her lifetime, nothing is known about the identity of her parents or what they did for a living. All that is known is that she has three sisters – Dorothy Hulett, Elizabeth Sawrey, and Janine Jannicelli, but what they have their hands on and where they are are scarce.
It is not known whether these sisters are older or younger than Anna Stanley, but they all got along and were always there for each other. Anna’s constant emphasis on family during her preaching indicates that she values family bonds. The Bible teacher grew up in the United States, but the exact place where she spent her childhood is scarce. She grew up under the care of her parents, who raised her in a firm Christian faith alongside her siblings.
As much as she was famous, there are no records of where she had her elementary education. Upon completion of elementary school, Anna J. Stanley enrolled in the Richmond Professional Institute, now known as Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. A few years later, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in arts.
Anna J. Stanley was Pastor Charles Frazier Stanley’s Wife For Over Four Decades
Charles Frazier Stanley and Anna J. Stanley was involved in a marriage that ended after over four decades. Meanwhile, they were introduced to each other by a deacon at the First Baptist Church of Atlanta, where they both worshipped. When they started courting, all that is known is that they became close in the early 1950s.
Their love blossomed, and they exchanged nuptials in 1955, a wedding ceremony that didn’t get any documentaries in the media. Consequently, the type of wedding ceremony they had and where they got married are not known. The couple served together in the church until Charles became a pastor in 1971. Anna and Charles worked so hard together in a church that they were tagged as the ideal couple, with other couples looking up to them as their role models.
Meanwhile, they seemed to have cracked the matrimonial code for popular couples while they were together. This is due to the fact that it is often not easy for couples who live their lives before the camera to stay together in marriages for decades without known scandals, but Anna and Charles did for forty-five years.
Why Did Charles Frazier and Anna J. Stanley Divorce After 40 Years?
Charles Frazier Stanley and Anna J. Stanley never opened up about their reasons for divorce. They remained silent around the media and silently parted ways after finalizing their divorce proceedings. The news about their divorce surfaced in June 1993 when Anna J. Stanley filed to end her marriage with Charles. Her reasons remained within some confined circles, and it took about seven years to conclude the marriage annulment process.
Rumors had it that the couple had been having big ups and downs in their marriage for some years before the divorce. Charles Stanley’s ex-wife was reportedly not so comfortable with how her husband spent almost all his time in the church. However, a sneak peek at the estranged couple’s marriage struggles was shed in their son’s (Andy) book titled Deep and Wide. Andy wrote that his parents’ marriage was long dead, even before the divorce case arose.
He shared that their marriage’s trouble began when their family relocated to Atlanta, where his father established In Touch Ministry. Andy revealed that his father devoted all his time to church services, leaving his wife and family to themselves. This singular act made his wife feel rejected and abandoned, and in a bid to protest, she moved out of their family house and stopped attending church. This unhealthy situation persisted and led them to seek marriage counseling from professionals, but it all proved abortive.
Charles Frazier Stanley’s Ex-wife Filed for Divorce
As much as they could not divorce because their church doctrines opposed it, Anna broke the doctrine and filed for divorce in June 1993. Considering the impending consequences of divorce on the church, she amended the file to request legal separation, which would keep them apart while they were still married. This move did not sit well with Charles until 1995, when Anna Stanley requested a jury trial.
All efforts to get Charles Stanley and Anna J. Stanley on the same page proved abortive, leading them to succumb to the controversial divorce process. Their divorce process was a long and bumpy ride, affecting the running of the church and the standard of its faith. Charles, fearing the result, offered to resign upon finalization of the marriage annulment.
However, the church committee allowed him to retain his position after the divorce as long as he did not remarry. Their divorce was concluded and proclaimed on February 16, 2000, after a union that lasted for 45 years.
Did Anna Johnson Stanley Remarry
No! Anna J. Stanley did not remarry. There was no news of Anna Stanley’s remarriage or dating after her split with her ex-husband. Instead, she stayed away from the limelight until the time of her death. Meanwhile, she was also reported to have resumed her duties in church after their divorce. Anna served until sickness restricted her active participation.
Charles and Anna Stanley’s Children
The estranged couple welcomed two children before their divorce. They welcomed a daughter known as Becky Stanley Broderson and a son whose name is Charles Andrew Stanley.
Charles Andrew Stanley
Charles Andrew Stanley is the first child of Anna J. Stanley and Charles Frazier Stanley. He was born on May 16, 1958, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Charles is the founder of North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, and the author of over 20 books. The author obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Georgia State University.
Charles Andrew Stanley further bagged a Master of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. He is married to Sandra Stanley, with whom he has welcomed three children. At the moment, he lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States.
Becky Stanley Broderson
Becky Stanley Broderson is the second child of Anna J. Stanley and Charles Frazier Stanley. She was born on June 9, 1961, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Becky is a sales agent and real estate broker who graduated from the University of Georgia. She currently resides in her home in Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three children.
What Did Charles Stanley’s Ex-wife Do For a Living?
Anna J. Stanley’s career spanned many church activities during her lifetime. She was a preacher of the word of God and once taught the Bible at the George Mueller Christian School. Anna was also a devoted mother and wife who was active in the running of her ex-husband’s Christian ministry. Apart from her teaching and impactful job in the ministry, she was also an ardent music lover who performed skillfully.
What Did Anna Stanley Pass Away From?
The exact cause of the death of Anna J. Stanley is not known, so her children tagged it as a natural death. The bible teacher passed away on November 10, 2014, at the age of 83, under the care of her loved ones.
In honor of her death, a celebration service was held on Thursday, November 13, 2014, at North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia. She was further buried at Green Lawn Cemetery in Roswell, Fulton County, Georgia.
