Kay Arthur, who helped millions study the Bible and Bible themes with satisfaction, passed into glory on Tuesday May 20, 2025. She had a world-wide influence as well as a local influence. On her 75th birthday, the mayor of Chattanooga, TN issued a proclamation on behalf of the city in honor of Arthur, naming it Kay Arthur Day.
On that day Arthur said, “Right now God is shaking the things that can be shaken: the economy, the calamities, the election, all of it…We’re pinning our hopes on man, and God doesn’t like it. He wants us to pin our hopes on Him” (RNS).
The titles of some of Kay Arthur’s books reveal her heart’s desire to equip the saints. Lord, I want To Know You, How to Study Your Bible, Israel, My Beloved, and Teach Me to Pray in Just 28 Days. Regarding this latter volume, Kay said she did not want to give the impression that a person can become a prayer warrior in just 28 days, and that “Kay Arthur mistakenly reduces growing in prayer to something like 28 easy steps.” Kay Arthur did not believe that but she did want to write a book that would present a simple plan for learning how to pray. It was Kay’s wonderful way of equipping believers to grow in Bible knowledge and to apply scriptures to the issues of daily life.
Kay Arthur addressed a number of weighty topics, such as:
- “Why Does God Allow Suffering?”
- “If God Is Sovereign Did He Create Evil?”
- “Why So Many Bible Translations?”
- “What Is a Covenant and Why Is It Important Today?”
She had a sound grasp of Scripture and was able to answer difficult questions in a way that was consistent with Scripture.
Arthur used a consistent application of the Inductive Method of Bible Study: observation, interpretation, and application. She knew well that if you rush into interpretation without laying the foundation of accurate observation, your understanding will be colored by your presuppositions—what you think, what you feel, or what other people have said, rather than what God’s Word says.
An obituary at Precept.org, a ministry that Arthur co-founded, stated that Kay Arthur “often quoted Daniel 11:32b: the people who know their God will display strength and take action.” Through her use of the Inductive Method of Bible Study, she was able to engage students to be involved in their own study of the Bible and to experience the joy of discovering the truths of the Bible for themselves.
Kay Arthur graduated with a nursing degree from Case Western Reserve University and became a registered nurse. In sharing the testimony of her conversion experience, she told of a period of much confusion, hardship and inner pain in her life that plagued her during her early 20s.
During that period Kay Arthur had two sons – Tom and Mark – by her first husband, Tom Goetz, but they divorced. Amid the pain of those years Arthur accepted Christ at age 29. A few years later she enrolled at Tennessee Temple University where she met a missionary named Jack Arthur. They married in 1965 and later went to serve as missionaries in Mexico. In 1970, the family returned home and settled in Chattanooga.
The Arthurs began hosting a small group of teenagers in their home. Those studies grew into what became Precept Ministries International. It originally catered to women, but later grew in scope and outreach. In addition to her written and videotaped Bible studies, Kay Arthur began hosting a syndicated Bible program called Precepts for Life, which was broadcast to 30 countries and reached more than 75 million households. Kay and Jack were married for 51 years until his passing in 2017. Despite being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2020, Kay Arthur remained active in her ministry and served as an inspiration to millions.
David Arthur, who is now CEO of Precept, wrote in a Facebook post: “When my mom surrendered her life to Christ in 1963, she truly gave her all to Him. She moved wherever He called her to be, which meant serving as a missionary and learning to lead and write Bible studies. She was deeply passionate about the mission of Precept because she loved God’s Word. It was her life.”
