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.
SUMMER CLASSES:
PHIL 1301-001
Intro to Philosophy
July 3 – July 26
M/T/W/Th/F/S Online (Web)
Backgrounds for Revelation
Community Audit Class
Thursdays 7-8:30 PM
June 6 - July 25
Director's Report
Our Summer classes will begin soon. I will be teaching two of them; one for credit and another for audit. The audit class will be “Backgrounds for Revelation.” This will be beneficial, hopefully, for anyone wanting a better grasp on the great book of Revelation. The class will be each Thursday, beginning on June 6th and ending on July 25th. We plan for the class to go from 7 to 8:30 PM. We are inviting people in the community as well as students of Amarillo College.
Some have asked about textbooks that we will use. In addition to the Bible, I will use The Twelve Caesars by Michael Grant and Apocalyptic Literature, A Reader by Mitchell G. Reddish, ed. It is not necessary to purchase these books. I will provide some handouts.
Call the office (806) 877-2489, or email amarillobiblechair@gmail.com to sign up for the class. I have about 38 so far who have indicated that they would like to participate. We will meet in the fellowship area of the Bible Chair (2501 S. Jackson Street).
I am looking forward to this study. We should know not only what Revelation does not teach, but also what it does!
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.
Norma and Mural Worthey (pictured at left). Mural has been the Bible Chair Director since the summer of 2017. Mural serves as sponsor of Kappa Chi, our Christian club on campus; he teaches Bible classes at the Bible Chair and also is an instructor in the Philosophy Department of AC.
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. We will begin meeting again on August 20th.
