Kay Arthur, Christian author and Bible teacher, dies at 91

Originally published in The Christian Post

Kay Arthur, a Christian author, Bible teacher and co-founder of Precept Ministries International, has died at the age of 91.

Precept announced Arthur’s death on its social media pages, saying the “beloved cofounder” had died on Tuesday morning.

“We are so grateful for Kay’s gifts and her obedience to God’s call on her life. Her heart for God’s Gospel is reflected in the mission of her ministry to this day: engaging people in relationship with God through knowing His Word,” stated Precept.

“Join us as we thank God for the life of His daughter, Kay, and ask Him to comfort the family and friends she has left behind. She will be dearly missed, but we rejoice knowing that she is whole and made new in the presence of her Maker.”

Melissa Kruger, author and vice president of discipleship programming at The Gospel Coalition, gave her condolences in a piece in which she credited Arthur with teaching her how to properly study the Bible.

“Study after study, line by line, precept upon precept, Kay taught her readers God’s Word. She reminded us that Scripture is the only plumb line of truth by which to measure our thoughts, words and deeds,” wrote Kruger.

“Through her studies, I learned to pay attention to repeated words, contrasts and comparisons, descriptive lists, locations, and genre, and I learned the importance of reading the text again and again before seeking to interpret and apply it. As she led me through the Scriptures, she reminded me daily of my identity in Christ: beloved.”

Born in 1933, Arthur was raised in a Christian family that moved around a lot. Shortly after graduating from nursing school, she married Frank Thomas Goetz Jr, and the couple had two sons.

The marriage was a rocky one, however, with Goetz suffering from severe depression and Arthur engaging in an adulterous relationship. Their marriage ended after six years.

“I left my husband. I shook my fist in the face of God and said: ‘To Hell with you, God. I’m going to find someone to love me,’” Arthur recalled during a 2011 video testimony. 

After failing to find peace in numerous romantic relationships, Arthur became a devout Christian in 1963. She married her second husband, Jack Arthur, in 1965, with whom she would have a son and remain married to until he died in 2017.

During the 1960s, the couple became involved in international ministry work until Kay Arthur experienced a serious illness that forced them to return to Tennessee.

The couple then began to host a Bible study at their home, which later blossomed into the ministry group Precept. She and her husband co-led Precept until 2012, when their son became CEO.

According to her official biography, Arthur has authored around 100 books and Bible study workbooks, and has also reached around 75 million households via her radio programme, Precepts for Life.

Arthur received multiple honours for her ministry work, including the NRB Hall of Fame Award at the 2011 National Religious Broadcasters Convention, an honourary doctorate of Humane Letters from Tennessee Temple University, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Christian Women in Media Association in 2012.

In 2023, on her 90th birthday, Arthur received the Museum of the Bible’s Pillar Award for impact, which recognised “individuals who have made a significant Kingdom impact on many lives through their lifetime of dedication to sharing the Bible’s message.”

“I feel totally inadequate,” Arthur told those gathered for the award ceremony. “There’s one thing that’s my life, and that’s the Word of God.”

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