It was a typical weekday afternoon in 2009, and Flower Mound resident Stephen Smith was busy reading a local newspaper. In many ways, it was one of those rare opportunities to enjoy a few quiet moments to himself while catching up on current events. But as he flipped through the pages, his eyes stumbled upon an article that literally made him jump out of his seat.
Right there, in black ink, was an article about how Texas had just passed a law allowing school districts to offer The Bible and Its Influence on Western Civilization as a credit-bearing elective. Up to that point, no such course existed.
“I thought, ‘Holy smokes,’” Smith said about the new bill. “We all see the news on television every night, and I couldn’t help but think, where has the morality and common sense gone? Many might say we are a country in decline, but I refuse to believe that. In that moment, I realized that Texas was pushing back, and this was a chance to offer students something they’d never had before—a foundation of truth and a chance to see and understand the Bible for themselves.”
As excited as Smith was about this news, he knew that passing the law was nothing more than a really good first step—an open door, if you will. Someone still had to convince school district officials to walk through it.
Smith instantly felt compelled to be that person, and he hasn’t stopped showing up on their front doorstep since. Fast forward to today, and he and his 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Bible in the Classroom—along with several neighbors, friends, and other do-gooders—have convinced 28 North Texas school districts to offer enrichment curriculum that, per the law, includes “religious literature, including the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and New Testament and its impact on history and literature.”
Their efforts led to the creation of 30 classes this past school year.
He started with a visit to Lewisville ISD officials, and The Bible and Its Influence on Western Civilization was eventually added district-wide after a few test runs. From there, he moved on to Keller, Mansfield, Mesquite, and others. All said yes to adding it.
With momentum on his side, he also called area churches and youth groups to inform them about the new class. He and his team have made a habit of calling on at least eight churches and various local youth groups per day, Monday through Thursday.
“At the end of the day, the students must pick the course. If there aren’t enough participants, the school district has no choice but to pull the class,” Smith said. “Thankfully, we’ve managed to create enough student demand. No class has been pulled.”
He added, “We had nothing to do with passing the law itself, but I’ve come to realize that if a law is passed and doesn’t have a sponsor, schools don’t necessarily have to participate, and the law ultimately languishes. If that is allowed to happen and we continue to sit on our couches doing nothing, we have no one to blame but ourselves. It’s up to us as citizens to get involved.”
Bible in the Classroom’s mission remains simple: raise awareness that The Bible and Its Influence on Western Civilization is being taught in Texas public high schools. Several school districts in and around Denton County offer the course, include Lewisville, Argyle, Lake Dallas, Grapevine, Keller, Southlake, Aubrey, Plano, and Eagle Mountain-Saginaw. Locally, the goal is to eventually have 50 school districts on board in DFW.
The best part about the class is that students don’t have to attend church or “be religious.” The course is centered on studying the Bible, discussing it, and understanding its impact on the world today. It engages students into understanding the influence the Bible has had on Western Civilization by explaining how Bible characters and stories influence our literature, art, music and the founding of our nation.
And the success stories are everywhere. Smith pointed to one Argyle student who chose to get baptized after taking the course. On the nonprofit’s YouTube channel, a Lewisville ISD student said her interest was piqued when someone visited her church. She went to her school counselor not too long after and added the course to her schedule. It turned out to be her favorite class.
“It was just talking about it on a level of literature, and then that conversation not ending in the classroom was one of the coolest things I saw, too,” she said in the video. “When my buddies would be outside of the hallway, when we went to the cafeteria during lunch, and we were able to talk about stories that blew people’s minds because they never heard of them.”
Smith agreed, adding that he would love to eventually expand his mission throughout Texas.
“That’s the cherry on top that we strive for,” he said. “Every day, there are students who are yearning for truth and information at a very young age. And what you end up seeing is that they are discussing and reading it in class, then talking about it in the halls and while walking to and from class. It creates a nice atmosphere.”
As is the case with any nonprofit, Bible in the Classroom relies on help to keep its mission going. Yes, monetary donations are always helpful, but Smith said people can also help through prayer and by making warm introductions to school officials. Bible in the Classroom is always looking for event sponsors, as well.
“At this point, the nonprofit has to stand on its own if we plan to take this mission throughout Texas,” he said. “And that’s the key. Texas pushed back and made this possible, and we plan to help spread the word beyond DFW.”
To learn more, please visit bibleintheclassroom.com.
