News

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.

Christianity Today July 1, 2003

Bill Bright receives his rewardBill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ and one of the most successful evangelists of the 20th century, fought pulmonary fibrosis since his diagnosis in late 2000—but he never feared it. “If we live, we go on serving him. That’s an adventure. If we die, we’re in heaven with him, and that’s incredible,” he said. He later told Christianity Today, “The most important moment in anyone’s life as a believer is the last breath, because the next breath is in heaven.”

Bright took his last breath Saturday at his Orlando home, surrounded by his family.

“The story of Bill Bright, a Christian Horatio Alger, has been told many times,” writes Mark I. Pinsky in The Orlando Sentinel. And that paper, which has one of today’s most extensive and moving obituaries, joins many others in retelling it.

The native Oklahoman described himself as a “happy pagan” when he founded Bright’s California Confections in 1944, a very successful business venture. The following year, however, he was drawn to Hollywood Presbyterian Church, where he became good friends with Sunday school curriculum pioneer Henrietta Mears and became a Christian.

Turning the day-to-day operations of his company over, Bright went to Princeton Theological Seminary, then to Fuller, to get all the education he could about his new faith.

In 1951, Bright and his wife, Vonette, signed their famous “Contract with God” promising to be Christ’s slaves, and created Campus Crusade for Christ at UCLA. He soon developed what would become the Four Spiritual Laws, probably the most widely used evangelistic tract in the world.

Campus Crusade is now active in 191 countries, has 26,000 staff members, and has an annual budget of $374 million. Money magazine has repeatedly found it to be “the most efficient religious group” in the country.

Bright’s approach was not without its critics (the Los Angeles Times obituary is the only one Weblog has seen to give them much play, and a 2001 Time magazine profile also gave them a nod, but neither note the implications of what historian Randall Balmer calls Bright’s “unabashedly autocratic” leadership approach). But none can deny Bright’s impact on worldwide evangelism—and thus, the world. In fact, this week the BBC will air a documentary about the Jesus film, which Bright commissioned in 1979 and is now the most-watched film in history.

Expect many tributes over the next few days; they’re beginning already with today’s Focus on the Family broadcast, devoted entirely to remembering Bright’s life and mission. Meanwhile, be sure to read our collection of articles from past issues of Christianity Today.

Copyright © 2003 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere

Suggest links and stories by sending e-mail to weblog@christianitytoday.com

What is Weblog?

Check out Books & Culture‘s weblog, Content & Context.

See our past Weblog updates:

July 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14

July 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7

July 3 | 2 | 1 | June 30

June 27 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 23

June 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16

June 13 | 12 | 11 | 9

June 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2

and more, back to November 1999

Our Latest

Inside the Ministry

The Next Generation Is Ready. Are We?

See how CT is investing in the next generation of the Church—and how you can, too.

The CDC Listened to Vaccine-Hesitant Moms in My Living Room

I was surprised to find myself hosting an off-the-record chat with people worlds apart on public health. But I hope that night was a seed of something new.

The Russell Moore Show

Listener question: Why Aren’t Christians Engaging in Humanitarian Aid?

Russell takes a listener’s question about the crisis of humanitarian aid and why Christians are not stepping in to help.

New Archbishop of Canterbury Steps into Anglican Divides

Conservatives call on Sarah Mullally, the first woman at the spiritual helm of the Church of England, to uphold biblical faith amid same-sex blessings debate.

News

FDA Approves Generic Abortion Pill

Students for Life leader calls the move “a stain on the Trump presidency.”

You Haven’t Heard Worship Music like This

John Van Deusen’s praise is hard-won and occasionally wordless.

The Russell Moore Show

BONUS: Lecrae on Reconstruction after Disillusionment

 Lecrae joins Russell Moore to take questions from Christianity Today subscribers

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube