Precept Ministries International

Discover. Go Deeper. Disciple.

Our mission is to establish people in God’s Word.

People who are established in God’s Word should be exemplary followers of Jesus Christ, studying the Bible inductively, viewing the world biblically, and serving the church faithfully in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Our reach is to everybody, everywhere, any time, any place, any language, and any age with one message: the Bible, and one method: inductive study.



Our History

Establishing People in God’s Word since 1970

If you had followed the call to spread the Gospel in a foreign land but your health forced you to return home, what would you do? That was the troubling situation in which a missionary couple to Mexico, Jack and Kay Arthur, found themselves in the late 1960s, which led to their return home to Chattanooga, Tennessee.

After years serving with the Pocket Testament League, Jack Arthur met a young widow who had two small boys, Mark and Tom, at Tennessee Temple in Chattanooga. After marrying, they went on the mission field together to Mexico, where they had another son, David. Illness forced them to pack up and head home, but their disappointment was really God’s appointment for them in ministry. Back in Chattanooga, Jack became the Station Manager for a Christian radio station that brought Bible teaching to the airwaves in the Southeast. Kay started a Bible study for teenagers in their living room. As young people started to hear the Word of God and study it, the Bible study grew. By 1970, the Arthurs had stepped out in faith to purchase what was a chicken farm to create a home for their fledgling ministry founded as Reach Out Ranch. Soon the teens were meeting in a barn they had cleaned out and patched up themselves.

Then the first Tuesday morning women’s Bible study class began, word spread, and then night classes began when husbands wanted to attend as they saw their wives’ enthusiasm. Soon Kay was traveling to Atlanta, Georgia, to teach a study of eventually 1800 adults every week. Knowing she and Jack would not be able to travel to Atlanta every week at some point, Kay wanted to teach others to learn to study inductively the way she studied and to share in the joy of learning to study the Word of God for themselves, and so began writing Precept Upon Precept courses. The Arthurs and Reach Out began to publish their style of Bible studies so believers could go deeper with God anywhere they were, irrespective of a single teacher’s personality or proximity.

Jack left his broadcasting career to devote his energy full-time to the growing Ministry as its president, overseeing it along with the building of the facility to accommodate booming distribution and training demands. Now the small team of staff and Bible study trainees packed and shipped studies to churches and small groups across America. The Ministry’s leadership developed training so that in-depth Bible study could multiply beyond their reach and Reach Out became Precept Ministries. Then the studies spread internationally, to Korea, Mexico, and Romania. By the time the studies had reached over 100 countries and 60 languages, the word “International” was added to the name. Today, Precept Ministries International trains millions of people to discover Truth for themselves. Through inductive study method training workshops and thousands of Bible studies in local churches and small group studies; through Precepts for Life television, radio and online media; through Bible study tours to biblical sites and Bible-centered conferences; and an international effort with studies in 150 countries and nearly 70 languages, PMI is focused on establishing people in God’s Word.

You are invited to join fellow sojourners on the adventure of an eternal lifetime as we meet God through the daily, personal, in-depth study of His Word.

You can discover Truth for yourself!



Our Authors

David Arthur
David, Vice President of Teaching and Training of Precept Ministries International, came after serving at Generous Giving as a vice president. He also served several years as a pastor in the Presbyterian Church of America and the Associated Reformed Presbyterian denominations. Arthur directed Generous Giving’s communications and publications, as well as participating in one-on-one mentoring of pastors and church leaders who seek to establish cultures of generosity in their congregations. Prior to his pastoral work, he was employed at IBM in Columbia, S.C. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Covenant College and a master’s in theology from Reformed Theological Seminary.
   
Kay Arthur
Kay has touched literally thousands of lives through her writing and teaching ministry. Author of more than 100 books and Bible studies, she has a unique ability of reaching people in an exciting, effective way challenging them to change and equipping them to be used in the furtherance of the kingdom of God. Her authority comes from the Word of God, which she continues to study zealously; her compassion stems from a life that has been touched by deep tragedy as well as great triumph; and her practicality springs from an openness of character.
   
Pete De Lacy
Pete is Chief Operating Officer for Precept Ministries International. He has been on staff since 1990 after retiring from a distinguished U.S. Army career. An author, trainer and Precept Upon Precept teacher, Pete’s passion for inductive study has served him well as he has led various departments of the Ministry and in his COO position today.
   
BJ Lawson
BJ is a co-author with Kay Arthur of the popular small-group 40-Minute Bible Studies. As a conference speaker and Bible Study Trainer and teacher, she travels extensively nationally and internationally. She has served with the Precept Ministries International staff since 1997..
   
David Lawson
David serves on the staff of Precept Ministries International alongside his wife, B.J. David is the Director of Church and Ministry Relations. A former pastor, David graduated from the College of the Southwest with a degree in Business Administration before attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
   
Bob Vereen
Bob began his ministry in 1981 by pastoring a small church. In 1984, Bob attended an advanced seminar on inductive Bible study at Precept Ministries International and, seeing only two men out of sixty-three attendees, he made a commitment to reach more men for God. Bob and his wife Diane have two sons. Sean married in 1995. Their other son, Scott, was tragically killed in an automobile accident in 1994.
   
Diane Vereen
Diane (and husband Bob) joined the Precept staff in 1991. Together the couple serves as Ambassadors at-Large, overseeing 17 Precept offices throughout Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, the Pacific Rim, Austrailia, the Caribbean, and Canada.

 

Doctrinal Statement

Our doctrinal statement summarizes biblical truth that historically and doctrinally has been regarded as essential to the Christian faith. We ask that all of our leaders be in full agreement with this statement.

THE SCRIPTURES

We believe (a) in the plenary verbal inspiration of the Word of God, and (b) that both the Old and New Testaments are inerrant in the original writings and are the supreme and final authority for faith and life.

THE GODHEAD

We believe the Godhead exists in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three Persons are one God having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections.

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

We believe in (a) His eternal existence as God, (b) His Incarnation and Virgin Birth, (c) His death on the cross as the substitutionary atonement for sin, (d) His literal, bodily resurrection from the dead, (e) His present ministry of intercession in heaven, and (f) His personal, future return to earth.

THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Godhead, convicts men of sin, regenerates, baptizes, indwells, seals, and sets apart believers unto a holy life; that He keeps and empowers believers day by day; that He is the Teacher of the Word of God and the Guide for daily living.

MAN

We believe that (a) man was created innocent and pure, and (b) Adam fell through the sin of disobedience. Therefore, (c) all men are corrupted in body, soul, and spirit; and (d) all men need redemption.

SALVATION

We believe that (a) salvation is by grace, a free gift of God apart from works, (b) salvation involves repentance, a change of mind in respect to God and thus turning from one's own way to God's way, (c) salvation is through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, (d) all who receive Jesus Christ are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become the children of God, and (e) true salvation will be manifested by a changed life.

THE FUTURE

We believe (a) in the personal, visible, bodily return of Jesus Christ to earth, (b) in the bodily resurrection of the just to the eternal abode in the glory of God’s presence, and (c) in the bodily resurrection of the unjust to judgment and everlasting punishment in the lake of fire.


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