{"id":5537,"date":"2025-08-21T13:54:26","date_gmt":"2025-08-21T13:54:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/foreverinourhearts\/?p=5537"},"modified":"2025-08-21T13:54:26","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T13:54:26","slug":"dr-james-dobson-focus-on-the-family-founder-and-defender-of-biblical-family-values-dies-at-89","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/foreverinourhearts\/2025\/08\/dr-james-dobson-focus-on-the-family-founder-and-defender-of-biblical-family-values-dies-at-89.html","title":{"rendered":"Dr. James Dobson, Focus on the Family Founder and Defender of Biblical Family Values, Dies at 89"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_5546\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5546\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/399\/2025\/08\/Dr-James-Dobson_credit-Focus-on-the-Family.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5546\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/399\/2025\/08\/Dr-James-Dobson_credit-Focus-on-the-Family.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5546\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Focus on the Family<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family and one of the most influential Christian leaders of the past half-century, has gone home to be with the Lord. He passed away peacefully on August 21, 2025, following a brief illness. He was 89.<\/p>\n<p>For nearly 50 years, Dr. Dobson dedicated his life to strengthening families through biblical truth. The Dr. James Dobson Family Institute announced his passing, remembering him as \u201ca pioneer \u2014 a man of deep conviction whose voice shaped the way generations view faith, family, and culture.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Today, we share the news of the passing of our beloved founder, Dr. James C. Dobson. He went home to be with the Lord peacefully, following a brief illness.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Dobson\u2019s unwavering faith and tireless devotion to the family shaped generations. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/DKzaOVsEJS\">pic.twitter.com\/DKzaOVsEJS<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dr. James Dobson Family Institute (@DrJamesDobsonFT) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DrJamesDobsonFT\/status\/1958497808836591760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 21, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Gary Bauer, senior vice president of public policy at JDFI, reflected on his legacy: \u201cHis bold leadership, integrity, and compassion helped equip countless families to thrive in a world of shifting values. He was a mentor, a counselor, and a steady voice of truth in turbulent times.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>A Life of Ministry and Influence<\/h2>\n<p>Dobson\u2019s impact stretched across homes, churches, and even the halls of power. He served as an advisor to five U.S. presidents and was once described by <em>The New York Times<\/em> as \u201cone of the nation\u2019s most influential evangelical leaders.\u201d His commitment to biblical values made him a trusted voice in the defense of marriage, the sanctity of life, and the authority of Scripture.<\/p>\n<p>In 1977, he founded Focus on the Family, a ministry that would grow into one of the largest evangelical organizations in the world. Focus became a household name through its resources, counseling, and radio programs. It also launched \u201cAdventures in Odyssey,\u201d a beloved family drama series that expanded into books, devotionals, and videos\u2014impacting generations of children and parents.<\/p>\n<p>After leaving Focus in 2010, Dobson established the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute, continuing his mission with a more personal emphasis on broadcasting and teaching. As the ministry explained, he remained \u201ccentered on helping parents raise godly children and guiding couples toward Christ-centered marriages.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Author, Broadcaster, and Advocate<\/h2>\n<p>Dobson was a psychologist, best-selling author, and Radio Hall of Fame broadcaster. Over the course of his career, he wrote more than 70 books, including &#8220;The New Strong-Willed Child,&#8221; &#8220;The New Dare to Discipline,&#8221; &#8220;Bringing Up Boys,&#8221; and &#8220;When God Doesn\u2019t Make Sense.&#8221; His books, broadcasts, and teachings equipped millions with practical wisdom for navigating family life in light of biblical principles.<\/p>\n<p>The Dr. James Dobson Family Institute noted that his work \u201creached millions, influencing not only households but also the cultural conversations of our nation.\u201d Through it all, his heart was to provide encouragement for believers to stand firm in a rapidly changing world.<\/p>\n<h2>A Lasting Legacy<\/h2>\n<p>Though the world grieves the loss of such a powerful voice for truth, there is also a deep sense of gratitude. As one tribute put it, \u201cToday, we grieve the loss of a spiritual father and champion of truth, but we also rejoice that Dr. Dobson has received his eternal reward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The institute he founded has pledged to continue carrying forward his mission so that \u201cthe torch he lit will not be extinguished.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As the body of Christ reflects on his remarkable life, believers everywhere are encouraged to lift the Dobson family in prayer. His voice may have fallen silent here on earth, but the impact of his faithfulness will echo for generations to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family and one of the most influential Christian leaders of the past half-century, has gone home to be with the Lord. He passed away peacefully on August 21, 2025, following a brief illness. He was 89. For nearly 50 years, Dr. Dobson dedicated his life to strengthening&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":462,"featured_media":5546,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Dr. James Dobson, Focus on the Family Founder and Defender of Biblical Family Values, Dies at 89<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dr. James Dobson, Focus on the Family founder and advisor to five presidents, dies at 89 after brief illness.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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