AMARILLO BIBLE CHAIR
at Amarillo College
What is a Bible Chair?
The term “Bible Chair” is an adaption of a term commonly used in colleges and universities. A “chair” can be established in any department to draw students due to the subject matter or the professor teaching in that position. In Amarillo the Bible Chair is not directly on campus but nearby and funded entirely by churches and individuals. Students can obtain an associate degree in religion accredited by Amarillo College. Amarillo Bible Chair is the only Chair at Amarillo College that teaches Bible courses for credit toward a religion degree. The academic classes are taught by William Mural Worthey. These students can then transfer to a university and pursue a bachelor’s and/or master’s degree in religion.
The History of the Amarillo Bible Chair
The Amarillo Bible Chair was founded in 1972 by Gordon Downing and the San Jacinto church of Christ in Amarillo. Brother Downing directed the activities of the Bible Chair for four years, and the San Jacinto church has continued their support of the work for almost fifty years (1972-2022). We have had three churches in Amarillo oversee the Bible Chair over this period. They are San Jacinto church of Christ, Comanche Trail church of Christ, and Bell Avenue church of Christ. We have had a number of directors over the years. Following Gordon Downing, they are Dean Morgan, Wayne Wilks, Jerry Klein, Wyatt Fenno, Mark Johnson, Bobby Boaldin, Frank Bellizzi, Jerry Klein (second term), and Mural Worthey.
The Amarillo Bible Chair facility is located at 2501 S Jackson Street, across the street from Amarillo College. The building is used for students to gather for Christian fellowship, counseling, devotionals, lectures, Bible classes, fellowship meals, and to extend our presence and Christian influence among Amarillo college students, staff and community. We also host a Christian Club on campus known as Kappa Chi, which stands for Christian fellowship. William Mural Worthey is the director of the Amarillo Bible Chair. Mural has been the Bible Chair Director since the summer of 2017 and serves as sponsor of Kappa Chi, our Christian club on campus. He also is an instructor in the Philosophy Department of Amarillo College.
Area Christians have made it possible for the work to continue at Amarillo College for the past 54 years (since 1972). The San Jacinto Church of Christ established the work in that year and has been a faithful supporter ever since. In addition, we receive several gifts in memory of loved ones on a monthly basis.
Michael Foster and his grandchildren from Bell Avenue Church of Christ take care of the lawn for us. This is a weekly task that demands time and effort. I also want to acknowledge Enviro-Ag Engineering for providing a copier for our office over many years. This company in Amarillo is run by Norman and Bryan Mullins. They are members of the Comanche Trail Church of Christ.
Over the past 54 years, only three churches have served as the overseers of the Bible Chair. They are San Jacinto Church of Christ, Comanche Trail Church of Christ, and Bell Avenue Church of Christ. They have made sure that the Bible Chair has the financial resources to continue and that the Chair provides a Christian environment for students at Amarillo College. I have great appreciation for everyone involved in this work of teaching religion classes, spending time with students, and providing regular devotional periods of worship and encouragement.
Over the past nine years of my experience here, I have seen first-hand the good that teaching Bible classes on a weekly basis has upon students. They regularly express their appreciation for what you are doing.
During the first week of the new school year, club groups meet students coming and going to classes. We invite students to attend our fellowship and devotional meetings every Tuesday at the Bible Chair. We also tell them about the Bible degree that Amarillo College offers through the Bible Chair. This is a good time to meet students out on campus and to encourage them to be a part of a Christian fellowship where Jesus Christ is honored and the Bible is taught. Many of these are new students entering college for the first time. Above is a picture of our table registering students for the Kappa Chi club during the first week of school.
Director's Report
Our Fall term started on Monday, August 24. For the first term we have 21 students registered for Introduction to the New Testament. For the second term, we have 20 students who will be taking Romans. Counting those who are taking philosophy, I have 91 students for the Fall sessions.
It was interesting to us to discover that there were 14 other students who signed up for our Bible classes but were dropped from the roll. There are several reasons why this happens. It is usually because they did not have their finances in order or their scholarships would not pay for religion courses in their major. However, it is encouraging that that many students are interested in Bible classes.
One online student texted me concerning our textbook for the study of Romans. I had written that our main textbook and the only one required for them to purchase is the Bible. He replied that he did not have a personal Bible to use. I was surprised to read that he did not possess his own Bible. Tomorrow I will be meeting with him at the Bible Chair and presenting him with a copy of the Scriptures.
I am always happy to begin a new year teaching at Amarillo College. Our students range from high school age to some in my age category. Thank you for making this experience possible.
Between Summer classes and Fall, Norma and I returned to our home state of MS to visit family. On Sunday, August 9, I preached for the Christian Chapel church of Christ in Amory, MS. We have had a close relationship with this church for many years. They supported us at International Bible College, in the Cayman Islands as missionaries, and many teaching trips to South Korea. They recently sent a one-time contribution of $1200 for our work at Amarillo Bible Chair. We appreciate their generosity and encouragement.
Meeting students on campus. On Tuesday, August 25, each club group met students at the Clock Tower on campus and invited them to register for their clubs. We met and registered 35 students who showed interest in Kappa Chi and possibly to take classes at the Bible Chair. This gives us a good opportunity to meet new students and introduce them to Amarillo College and the Bible Chair. The clubs exist on campus to provide fellowship and encouragement to continue in their studies. In addition, the Bible Chair encourages them to learn about Jesus Christ and have fellowship with those of a like-mind.
We had 17 students who came for our weekly lunch and devotional on Tuesday. Several of these were new students. We look forward to having them continue with us each week and to develop closer relationships with them. Many more students decide to major in religion due to these contacts.
Kappa Chi
Kappa Chi has a strong presence on the Amarillo College campus, currently averaging 40 members. Kappa (K) is the first letter in the Greek word for fellowship, and Chi (X) is the first letter in the Greek word for Christ. Thus, Kappa Chi stands for “Fellowship in Christ.”
Membership is open to any AC student who wants to be a member. There are no dues; but the members are expected to help pay for the parties, retreats and trips in which they choose to participate. Club t-shirts are available for purchase. Send an email to amarillobiblechair@gmail.com if you would like to join the club. . Mural Worthey is the faculty sponsor.
On Tuesdays of the regular semester, we have a lunch meal for our Kappa Chi students and enjoy fellowship with one another. This gives us an opportunity to talk about biblical subjects. New students often ask about the meaning of a Bible Chair and how we function on a state college campus.
Our 2024 Fall graduation was held in the Civic Center in Amarillo on Friday evening, December 13. We honored one of our graduates at the Bible Chair on Saturday. Norma prepared a meal for her family and afterward we took pictures with Donna Warner. I expressed to her family that we appreciated her dedication in her biblical studies. For the past several years she completed her studies at AC while battling cancer. She introduced several of her family members to the Bible Chair and our classes. Some of these have plans to enroll for Spring 2025.
I want you to know of my appreciation for your support of the Bible Chair. I let my classes know how the Bible Chair exists at a State Community College. From them, thank you!