An influential evangelical Christian leader who founded a significant parenting ministry and served as an advisor to five US presidents during his notable career has passed away.
James Dobson, who founded Focus on the Family and served on a board for President Donald Trump, died on Thursday at 89.
His death was announced by the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute.
“Dr. Dobson was a trailblazer – a man with profound beliefs whose influence shaped the understanding of faith, family, and culture for generations,” stated Gary Bauer, JDFI’s senior vice president of public policy.
“His courageous leadership, integrity, and compassion provided countless families with the tools they needed to succeed in a world of changing morals. He was a mentor, a counselor, and a reliable voice of honesty during challenging times.”
Focus on the Family mourned its founder as a “hero of the faith” and said that he died in his home in Colorado Springs on Thursday morning.
“While we mourn this loss, we are grateful for his enduring legacy in family ministry that will inspire future generations, and we celebrate his being in the presence of our Savior,” the organization expressed.
The cause of his death wasn’t released.
Dobson was most known for being a staunch supporter of traditional family values, which he promoted through his organizations and talk radio show.
He began writing about the significance of discipline in 1970, in response to the rise of sexual permissiveness in the 1960s he observed as a child psychologist, the New York Times noted.
In 1977, he established Focus on the Family, which evolved over thirty years into a $140 million media organization that disseminated Dobson’s beliefs through magazines, radio programs, and books.
