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.
She was 91.
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“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.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Bob Smietana and originally published by Religion News Service.