Union's Christian Studies faculty believe studying the Bible to be a fundamental skill for all Christians - pastors and laypersons alike. According to Guthrie, sensitivity to context, interpretation and literature type are key to understanding God's word.

Union plans to emphasize those skills with a Center for Biblical Studies. After five years at Union, Guthrie, who now is Chair of the Christian Studies department, is looking forward to realizing his dream.

In two years, Union will open a Center for Biblical Studies in the first classroom building to be constructed under the Campus Master Plan. The first of its kind in West Tennessee, the center will serve as a resource lab for West Tennesseans and a training center for Union students. Offering the "best reference tools for Bible study," Guthrie says, the center will be a model library for Christians. Tools will include computers with Internet access and software programs designed to help users find the best web sites for their Bible studying needs. "Bible study was never intended to be limited to pastors and scholars," Guthrie says. "When people are nourished by the word of God through constant interaction with it on a deep level, such interaction has a profound impact on their lives. They in turn can have a profound impact on the rest of the body of Christ."

Guthrie expects the Center to host an annual national conference on Bible study. The conference would include major plenary sessions and sub-seminars on specific topics, such as understanding the book of Revelation and perhaps interpreting the parables or interpreting the Psalms. Guthrie hopes to offer a 12- to 15-week video series for churches and other organizations wanting to learn these skills as a group.

In an effort to broaden the Center's impact, it plans to provide copies of the video series free of charge to churches. Those churches in turn would agree to provide a seminar on how to study the Bible once a year for three years.