July 27, 2026
Child Evangelism Fellowship® affirms Bible literacy as Texas curriculum sparks national debate
‘The Bible has profoundly shaped history, literature, art, and the moral foundations of civilizations around the world,’ says CEF® Vice President Fred Pry
ST. LOUIS — The Texas State Board of Education recently voted to require public-school literature classes in grades 1 through 12 to study 10 Old Testament and five New Testament passages as part of 185 required literary readings. Students will have the right to opt out if biblical material violates their conscience. Critics raise objections due to the Constitution’s ban on government “establishment of religion.” Yet it is often forgotten that the 1963 Supreme Court case Abington v. Schempp explicitly clarified that studying the Bible or religion objectively as part of a curriculum remains completely constitutional.
“The Bible has profoundly shaped history, literature, art, and the moral foundations of civilizations around the world,” said Fred Pry, Vice President of Administration for CEF. “Understanding its influence provides valuable historical and literary context, but our greatest desire is that every child has the opportunity not only to know about the Bible, but also to experience the life-changing hope and salvation found through faith in Jesus Christ. That mission has remained at the heart of Child Evangelism Fellowship since its founding and is seen in the school-based Good News Club® conducted by CEF.”
Child Evangelism Fellowship® (CEF®), founded in 1937, has been establishing the Good News Club® ministries in countries around the world for decades.
In 2025, more than 34 million children worldwide were impacted by the Good News through CEF ministries.
For more CEF news, see the ministry’s latest edition of the online magazine Impact.
CEF is an international, nonprofit, Christian ministry that has been dedicated to seeing every child reached with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, discipled and established in a local church since 1937. CEF is located in all 50 American states and in most countries around the world, with over 3,800 paid staff and tens of thousands of volunteers around the world.
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To interview a representative from Child Evangelism Fellowship, contact Hamilton Strategies, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, or Daniel Moyer, ext. 104.
