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.
Director's Report
Our Fall 1 classes are going well with 23 religion majors. I have 21 students taking Introduction to the New Testament and 24 signed up for Romans for the next eight-week study. I have a total of 95 students in all of my Fall classes, so far.
I just returned from an informative meeting with staff and administrative leaders of Amarillo College. It was reported to us that we now have exceeded 10,000 students after the reduction caused by COVID in 2020. The dual credit program (Badger Bound) has now attracted 3,263 high school students who are taking 15 hours of classes credited also for their college degree. This means that the rest of their tuition at AC is paid for by the State of Texas. Parents of students in Middle and High School, please take note. Scholarships are available through AC Foundation.
The Bible Chair has a unique opportunity to have high school students taking dual credit classes in Bible as well. It is wonderful to see eleventh and twelvth grade students in our classes. The average age of our students has dropped to 24, in part due to the dual credit initiative. Encourage your students to attend AC and study the Bible with us.
I am encouraged by the number of students becoming more interested in taking biblical (Koine) Greek. We prepare students to use the various tools to aid them in that study.
Something Worth Noting.
Have you ever noticed in your Bible study that occasionally you run across something written that stands in stark contrast to what you thought was the case? I have, more than once!
For example, you may have been taught that Mary did not have any more children after Jesus was born. Then you read Matthew 13:55, 56—“Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Jude? And are not all his sisters with us?” What do you then do with this conflict?
What if you think that when you die, you simply remain in the tomb till Jesus comes? Many have that idea about death. But then you read: “My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.” (Phil. 1:23, 24) Or, “We would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” (2 Cor. 5:8) Jesus asked the Sadducees, “Have you not read what was said to you by God: I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” (Matt. 22:31, 32) The patriarchs had long been dead when God said that to Moses. Therefore, they were alive (in some sense) and in the presence of God.
Another example—what if you were told that no one in the Old Testament could receive forgiveness of sins? Then you read this: “If my people which are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (1 Chron. 7:14) Multiple passages say that they could be forgiven by God. Then, you must decide what to do.
It is a mistake just to ignore these occasions when passages stand before us to instruct us and to correct our thinking. We, at least, need to be good students of the Word and seek to harmonize what appears to be a contradiction to us. The Jews had the Scriptures, yet they failed to understand them. They made the greatest blunder of all in rejecting the Messiah. (John 5:39, 40) There are many such examples that need consideration.
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!