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One of the outstanding evangelists of the 20th century lost his battle with pulmonary fibrosis on July 19. Campus Crusade for Christ founder William R. "Bill" Bright, 81, died at his home in Orlando, Florida.

Bright, diagnosed in 2000 with the progressive lung disease, said in a letter just before his death that the past two years had been among his most productive. They included writing, editing, producing teaching videos, and cofounding a global network aimed at starting 5 million house churches.

"It is a win-win situation for me," Bright wrote of his impending death. "If I go, I will be with my wonderful Lord, whom I have served for almost 60 years. If I stay, I will be able to joyously serve him even more."

Bright's survivors include his wife, two sons, one sister, one brother, and four grandchildren.

Bill and Vonette Bright founded Campus Crusade in 1951 as an outreach to the campus of the University of California at Los Angeles. Today Campus Crusade works in 191 nations, with 26,000 employees and 225,000 trained volunteers in 60 ministries.

Bright's booklet, "The Four Spiritual Laws," has been printed in 200 languages and distributed to an estimated 2.5 billion people. He also commissioned the Jesus film, which has been translated into more than 800 languages and seen by more people than any other feature-length film.

Steve Douglass assumed leadership of Orlando-based Campus Crusade in 2001. Bright's emphasis on training revolutionized evangelism and gave laypeople the tools to spread the gospel, Douglass said.

Formerly a hard-driving entrepreneur, Bright turned his attention to presenting the love and claims of Jesus Christ to "every living person on earth." In 1996 Bright received the $1 million Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion. He donated the money to projects supporting the spiritual benefits of fasting and prayer.

"He has carried a burden on his heart as few men that I've ever known," longtime friend Billy Graham said in a statement, "a burden for the evangelization of the world."

• Ken Walker

See the October issue of CT for more remembrances of Bill Bright.

Previous Christianity Today coverage of Bright includes:

Weblog: Campus Crusade for Christ Founder Bill Bright Dies at 81 | Former "happy pagan" went on to form one of the largest and most efficient parachurch ministries in the world. (July 21, 2003)

Bill Bright's Benediction | "As long as I have breath, I will praise and serve the Lord," the evangelist wrote earlier this month. (July 21, 2003)

Bright Unto the End | In the face of retirement and death, the founder of Campus Crusade says his spirit still soars. (October 12, 2001)

Bill Bright Announces Retirement | Current veep Stephen Douglass to lead Campus Crusade for Christ in July 2001. (July 20, 2000)

Bill Bright's Wonderful Plan for the World | Evangelicalism's power couple closes in on their radical mission. (July 14, 1997)

CT Classic: 'I'm Only Doing What God Told Me to Do' | The founder of Campus Crusade for Christ talks about America's moral disintegration, Christians in politics, and his hopes for the "greatest spiritual awakening in the history of the world." (September 24, 1976)

CT Classic: Campus Crusade Into All the World | Bill Bright leads a spiritual revolution. (June 9, 1972)

Missionary surgeon Paul Brand, 89, died July 8 in Seattle from complications related to a subdural hematoma following a fall. Brand was credited with breakthroughs in research and treatments of leprosy, and his medical achievements and writing earned him international acclaim.

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September 2003, Vol. 47, No. 9