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Late last week, one of the most beloved and respected Christian leaders went on into eternity, aged 89. The champion of family life and the Christian faith impacted countless millions of people around the world, and he will be so very much missed.

Born in Georgia in 1936, he studied academic psychology. He attended Pasadena College where he met his wife, Shirley, graduating in 1958. He started working at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, and in 1967, Dobson received his doctorate in psychology from the University of Southern California.

He is most noted for founding the Christian pro-family ministry, Focus on the Family, in 1977 and leading it until 2010. He authored some three dozen books. They include:

• Bringing Up Boys
  
• Bringing Up Girls
  
• Children at Risk (with Gary Bauer)
• Dare to Discipline
  
• Hide or Seek
  
• Life on the Edge
  
• Love Must Be Tough
  
• Marriage Under Fire
  
• Preparing For Adolescence
  
• Straight Talk
  
• The Strong-Willed Child
  
• What Wives Wish Their Husbands Knew About Women
  
• When God Doesn’t Make Sense

Lasting Legacy

Tributes have begun to pour in for the man and his ministry. The Dr. James Dobson Family Institute posted this about his passing:

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. Dr. Dobson’s unwavering faith and tireless devotion to the family shaped generations. For nearly five decades, his voice championed life, marriage, and the truth of God’s Word. As we grieve, we also give thanks — for his life, his legacy, and the mission that lives on through the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. We invite you to join us in prayer and in carrying this mission forward. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” —Psalm 116:15

His son Ryan Dobson wrote:

My dad, Dr. James Dobson, has gone home to be with the Lord. I’m walking through the kind of grief that words can’t quite reach. But even in the middle of it, I keep returning to this verse: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” —John 3:17

That was my dad’s heart. Yes, he was bold. Yes, he spoke hard truths. But beneath all of it was a deep, quiet desire to help families, to protect children, and to introduce people to Jesus. Not to condemn. To save. To restore. To heal. He didn’t just preach it—he lived it. With me. And with his grandchildren. His greatest hope wasn’t just that the world would hear him—but that generations after him would know the love of Christ and walk in truth.

That legacy lives on in my family—and in so many of yours. We’re spending this time together—grieving, remembering, praying, and holding tight to the promises of God. If my dad’s words, work, or witness ever impacted your life, I’d be honored to hear your story. Your prayers and reflections mean more than you know.

Tony Perkins, President of Family Research Council, said this about the great man:

Few people have had the positive, Christ-honoring impact upon the family as Dr. Jim Dobson. His legacy will be lasting. My parents used his instructions to shape our home as a family of new Christians, and then I had the privilege of working alongside him to protect marriage and family after he was a part of bringing me to Family Research Council 22 years ago this week…

In every sphere in which he engaged–as an author, psychologist, teacher, policy expert and national leader–he served the cause of Christ and proclaimed God’s faithfulness to His people. He brought to public policy a new focus on the timelessness of family.

Lawana and I extend our sympathy and prayers to Shirley and the Dobson family. Dr. Dobson fought the good fight of faith, finished the course, and kept the faith. He leaves a legacy for his own family and millions of families worldwide. Well done.

Joni Eareckson Tada made this statement:

Dr. James Dobson is now home in glory. What a welcome he must have received from the Lord he loved so deeply! Ken and I will miss our dear friend. Dr. Dobson was a valiant defender of families and a tireless advocate for the sanctity of life, from the unborn to the elderly. Every cause he championed was a reflection of his unwavering faith in Jesus Christ. Now the mantle has been passed to us. May we continue to safeguard the lives he so faithfully protected. At Joni and Friends, we are committed to doing just that. “Therefore… you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” – 2 Peter 1:10–11

Eric Metaxas called him “a hero.” He said: “It has been one of the great honors of my life to know Dr. James Dobson. He was not afraid to bring his faith into the public sphere for God’s purposes. He has finished the race — to God’s glory! Hallelujah! May we all follow in his footsteps.”

Gary Bauer, who worked with Dobson, said this: “Dr. Dobson was a pioneer — a man of deep conviction whose voice shaped the way generations view faith, family and culture. His 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.”

Firm Faith

I worked at Focus on the Family Australia from 1996-1998. While there, I was able to go to the US and see his impressive organisation in Denver. I was hoping to chat to him briefly at a major dinner, but so many others wanted to do the same, so I could not offer him my personal thanks for his terrific work.

He was not shy about engaging in the culture wars, and he knew he had to stand for marriage and family in a culture hostile to both. But he was so very good in so many other areas. When I teach on theodicy and the problem of suffering and evil, I always list his 1993 book When God Doesn’t Make Sense along with other more theological and academic works.

Given that my wife suffered long in her last year or two as she battled cancer, I even quoted from this book at her funeral. I shared this portion of it:

In my first film series, “Focus on the Family,” I shared a story about a 5-year-old African-American boy who will never be forgotten by those who knew him. A nurse with whom I worked, Gracie Schaeffler, took care of this lad during the latter days of his life. He was dying of lung cancer, which is a terrifying disease in its final stages. The lungs fill with fluid, and the patient is unable to breathe. It is terribly claustrophobic, especially for a small child.

This little boy had a Christian mother who loved him and stayed by his side through the long ordeal. She cradled him on her lap and talked softly about the Lord. Instinctively, the woman was preparing her son for the final hours to come. Gracie told me that she entered his room one day as death approached, and she heard this lad talking about hearing bells. “The bells are ringing, Mommie,” he said. “I can hear them.”

Gracie thought he was hallucinating because he was already slipping away. She left and returned a few minutes later and again heard him talking about hearing bells ringing. The nurse said to his mother, “I’m sure you know your baby is hearing things that aren’t there. He is hallucinating because of the sickness.”

The mother pulled her son closer to her chest, smiled and said, “No, Miss Schaeffler. He is not hallucinating. I told him when he was frightened — when he couldn’t breathe — if he would listen carefully, he could hear the bells of heaven ringing for him. That is what he’s been talking about all day.”

That precious child died on his mother’s lap later that evening, and he was still talking about the bells of heaven when the angels came to take him. What a brave little trooper he was! His courage was not reported in the newspapers the next day. Neither Tom Brokaw nor Dan Rather told his story on the evening news. Yet he and his mother belong forever in our “Heroes’ Hall of Fame.” (pp. 222-223)

Dr James Dobson was one of God’s very special saints. His impact and influence will continue, even many decades beyond his passing. Thank you so much, Dr Dobson.

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Republished with thanks to CultureWatch. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.