Kay Arthur Dies at 91

Arthur was a beloved Bible teacher, author and co-founder of Precept ministry

(RNS) – Kay Arthur, a popular Christian speaker, author and longtime host of the “Precepts for Life” Bible teaching program that was broadcast around the world, has died.

Kay Arthur. (Photo courtesy Precept)

She was 91.

“She will be remembered for her love for the Lord, His Word, and His people,” Chattanooga-based Precept, the ministry Arthur co-founded with her late husband, Jack, said in announcing her death. “A dynamic speaker with a warm writing style that captivated many, Kay was a remarkable beacon of grace and truth to all who encountered her.”

A former missionary and registered nurse, Arthur was born Nov. 11, 1933, in Jackson, Michigan, and graduated from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Her first marriage was short and ended in divorce after the couple had two sons, leaving Arthur in what her ministry called “a period of great personal hardship.”

Arthur would later look back on that time and recall that it helped prepare her for ministering, saying that “all suffering has an end.”

While a student at Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, she met and married a missionary named Jack Arthur, and the couple moved to Mexico as missionaries. When their time as missionaries ended, they moved back to Chattanooga, where Kay Arthur began leading Bible studies for teenagers.

Known for her inductive Bible studies — which involved teaching people to “observe, interpret, and apply the truth of Scripture” — Arthur would go on to write more than 100 books and Bible studies. The Precept Bible Study Method is used in 190 countries and has been translated into 110 languages.

When someone asked why she was trying to write studies for all the books of the Bible, she replied, “God gave us 66 books. He expects us to know them all.”

“When you know what God says, what He means, and how to put His truths into practice, you will be equipped for every circumstance of life,” Arthur was known to have said, according to the announcement from Precept.

“I’ve never known an individual more devoted to the Lord or to the tireless, faithful teaching of Scripture than Kay Arthur,” author and Bible study teacher Beth Moore said on X, upon hearing news of Arthur’s passing. “She is now at the feet of her Redeemer, looking up at the radiant face of the One she has loved with her whole being. Thank you, Kay. You were unmatched.”

In 2011, Arthur, who hosted Precepts for Life from 1999 to 2019, was named to the National Religious Broadcasters Hall of Fame. The program was also named Best Bible Teaching Program by the NRB twice. Arthur also won four Gold Medallion awards from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association.

“The impact of Kay Arthur on women in churches across the world is hard to overstate,” said Becky Loyd, vice president at Lifeway Christian Resources and former director of Lifeway Women. “She was a pioneer in teaching women to study the Bible on their own and providing the tools for deeper study of God’s Word. She was a hero to those of us who seek to serve Christian women and equip them for engaging God’s word.”

On her 75th birthday, the mayor of Chattanooga issued a proclamation on behalf of the city in honor of Arthur, naming it Kay Arthur Day.

“Right now God is shaking the things that can be shaken: the economy, the calamities, the election, all of it,” Arthur said at the time. “We’re pinning our hopes on man, and God doesn’t like it. He wants us to pin our hopes on him.”

During a 2013 speech at Liberty University, Arthur urged students to devote their lives to God.

“I have come to tell you that I have a great burden on my heart and it is such a privilege to speak to you because of that burden. You can change the world if you are absolutely and totally sold out to God,” she said.

She returned to Liberty again in 2021, urging students to memorize Daniel 11:32: “The people who know their God shall be strong and do exploits.” It was one of her last speaking engagements.

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In an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network about her 2014 Bible study, “Heaven, Hell and Life After Death,” Arthur was asked about why readers and listeners seemed to love her. She gave credit to God.

“It’s not my personality, although I try to live what I teach, so I am loving and people are beloved, and I love people,” she said “But I’m loved because they’ve learned the Word of God. Because they’ve learned the Word of God, they’ve learned how to study.”

In an interview with Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth before her 89th birthday, Arthur, who had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, recounted some of her early struggles and spoke about the importance of studying the Bible and about some of the struggles of aging. “Why fight against God when He is God, why not allow him to put his arms around you and encircle you and be your strength, your life, your Redeemer,” she said.

She also shared about some of her struggles in a blog post around the same time. “Still reflecting, I make a cup of coffee and come to my computer. It’s a chore for me to type,” she wrote in October 2022. “I have Parkinson’s, and believe me, it’s not for sissies. Sometimes I forget what I was saying or thinking, so I try to get everything down as soon as possible.”

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack, who died in 2017 after 51 years of marriage. She is survived by three sons, nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers or other gifts, the Arthur family has asked that all tribute gifts be made as donations to the Kay Arthur Memorial Fund.

Christina Darnell contributed to this report.

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