Alabama faith leaders are reacting to the death of evangelical leader Dr. James Dobson at age 89.  

Dobson’s official website released this information on Thursday:

Dobson, one of the most influential Christian leaders of the last half-century and a tireless advocate for the traditional family, passed away on August 21, 2025 at the age of 89. A psychologist, New York Times best-selling author, a Radio Hall of Fame broadcaster, and advisor to five U.S. presidents, Dr. Dobson dedicated his life to strengthening marriages, guiding parents, and defending biblical values by championing the central role of family in America. 

Travis Johnson from Pathway Church in Semmes called Dobson a "giant in the faith."

Dr. John Killian of Fayette is a past president of the Alabama Baptist State Convention. He tells a telling story about Dobson’s upbringing:

“James Dobson’s father was a Nazarene preacher. One day during Dobson’s childhood, his mother, the preacher’s wife, tells her husband some concerning things about little Jimmie Lee’s behavior, that he had some attitude problems. The elder Dobson cancelled four years of traveling evangelical meetings to raise his son in the admonition of the Lord. The time and dedication worked.

“How often do we see this done nowadays?”

Rick Patrick, pastor of First Baptist Church of Sylacauga, said, “Words cannot express the influence of James Dobson and Focus on the Family upon my life. He will be missed. His message of traditional Christian family values is profoundly needed today and in every generation.”

Greg Davis, director of the Christian action group Alabama Citizens Action Program (ALCAP) and the voice of North Alabama’s WXJC Christian radio and sister stations, stated as follows:

The Apostle Paul's words came to mind as soon as I heard of James Dobson's passing.

"We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord".

I personally had the opportunity to meet Dr. Dobson and visit with him some years ago. I also had the honor to interview him on my radio show Priority Talk.

Through his radio shows and books

he discipled untold numbers of us in family relationships. DR. Dobson had been a fixture for decades on WDJC and then WXJC radio with Focus on the Family and then Family Talk. His wisdom and willingness to take a stand for biblical values on moral issues will be greatly missed.

101.1 WXJC is Alabama’s Bible teach and talk station, with “the best of gospel and inspiration.” It broadcasts from Huntsville, Florence and Cullman, covering northern Alabama.

Bill Armistead, former state chair of the Alabama Republican Party and former state senator, wrote on Facebook, "Another man of God has been united in heaven with Christ! Dr. Dobson had an amazing impact on the lives of so many people over the decades of his ministry."

John Giles of Crenshaw County was a leader in the fight to keep the Ten Commandments monument in the State Judicial Building. He said as follows:

“While Dr. Dobson helped all young parents in our generation raise our children in a biblical and practical context, my greatest memory was his involvement with the Ten Commandments issue in Alabama.  The morning that rolled they rolled the Ten Commandments monument out of the Alabama Judicial building lobby, I called Joel Vaughn at FOF in Colorado Springs who was a fellow former Christian Coalition colleague, and he was Dr Dobson’s personal assistant.  

“He saw my ID on the phone, and he said John, we are all here watching this on TV as it unfolds.  Dr. Dobson is in DC and on the phone right now with his secretary making arrangements to come to Alabama.  I experienced a sigh of relief and said this is exactly why I am calling, asking him to come to Montgomery.  We need him.

“We picked up Dr Dobson, Tony Perkins, his newly appointed head of the Family Research Council and Ambassador Alan Keyes at Montgomery aviation after flying direct from DC on a donated private jet.  We took them to our personal home where Deborah and lady friends had a beautiful brunch spread before heading downtown to our noon rally on a hot 100-degree August day.  He delivered a powerful message supporting Chief Justice Roy Moore, giving us hope, and encouragement, when all of us felt our heart had been removed after this long battle to keep the Ten Commandments in the heart of our Judicial System. The Ten Commandments is the moral foundation for Western Civilized law.  

“Dr. James Dobson is legendary on so many fronts in my estimation.”         

 The official life story of Dobson was released on Thursday by Focus on the Family:

Born in 1936 in Shreveport, Louisiana, Dr. Dobson founded Focus on the Family in 1977, creating one of the largest faith-based organizations in the world. His daily broadcasts were heard on over 4,000 radio stations across North America and translated into 27 languages in more than 160 countries. Following his departure from Focus on the Family in 2010, Dr. Dobson launched the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute (JDFI), continuing his mission through Family Talk, a nationally syndicated radio broadcast offering timeless counsel for today’s families.

Dr. Dobson authored more than 70 books dedicated to the preservation of the family, including The New Dare to Discipline, The New Strong-Willed Child, Bringing Up Boys, Bringing Up Girls, and When God Doesn’t Make Sense, which remain staples in Christian homes today. His leadership extended beyond media and publishing as he advised multiple U.S. administrations on family policy, juvenile justice, and child welfare.

A frequent presence in Washington, D.C., Dr. Dobson played key roles in presidential commissions, with appointments by Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. He was instrumental in shaping national conversations around pornography, gambling, teen pregnancy prevention, and the sanctity of human life, and he served on President Donald Trump’s Evangelical Executive Advisory Board.

Dr. Dobson’s voice not only influenced policy but also gave hope to millions seeking practical, faith-based wisdom for their homes. His legacy lives on through the innumerable families he inspired to build their lives on the foundation of Scripture.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Shirley; their children, Danae and Ryan; daughter-in-law Laura; and two beloved grandchildren.

Dr. Dobson’s impact endures through the many lives he touched, the families he strengthened, and the unshakable faith he proclaimed. 

Well done, good and faithful servant.

“It is a bit unusual that a difference-making Christian leader was not seminary trained and not an ordained minister, but was a psychologist. A Bible-based psychologist. Maybe that was just what America needed.” — Jim Zeigler

Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler’s beat is the colorful and positive about Alabama -- her people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at [email protected].

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