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A Tribute to Dr. Bill Bright - Founder of Campus Crusade for Christ

On July 19th, 2003 at the age of 81, Dr. Bill Bright went home to be with the Lord.

Three years ago we were told he was dying with a terminal lung condition, pulmonary fibrosis, but when we received the call an hour after he died, it was still a shock. Our first response was, “Oh, our father is gone.”

Marvin reported to Dr. Bright for over 25 years and we knew and loved him and Vonette very well. All the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ, International will miss him dearly.

Since his death we have talked much about how he inspired and cared for us. He was truly a man with faith in a big God. The following are a few of the memories we have of him.

Dr. Bright was obedient to the vision God gave him in his early 20s - to help fulfill the Great Commission.

The materials he wrote were always transferable
So anyone could use them and teach others how to use them. This resulted in a worldwide movement. Over 1.6 million Four Spiritual Laws have been printed and there are 25,000 staff and thousands of volunteers in 170 countries.

He was Obedient to the Holy Spirit's promptings
Often when we were going through a particular challenging time, he would call and say, "I felt prompted to call you today - is everything okay?"

He Always Pointed us to the Sufficiency of God
When we needed his counsel on something, he would usually say, "Oh, you know how to do that better than I." Then he would pray with us - direct us to the sufficiency of God.

Dr. Bright was Available
Whenever we asked him to speak at conferences, whether in Canada or world wide, he would always come.

He Cared for His Staff
Many times, when one of the staff were sick or had lost a loved one, we would call and encourage them. To my knowledge, he always took the time to call.

He Began his Talks by Praising the Lord
As a new staff I was inspired when, during staff conference the morning after a flash flood in Estes Park, even though he did not know if Vonette was dead or alive, the first words from his mouth were a Psalm of praise.

He was Honored by the World by Receiving the Templeton Award
He promptly gave the million dollar award to the Prayer and Fasting movement. He was very generous.

He encouraged Us
When we came up with new initiatives.

He (they) was Fun
We enjoyed having dinner with them and we discussed many things. He (us too) was always on some kind of diet, Vonette saw to it that he took many vitamins pills.

I recall one conversation when I asked him, "If God has appointed the day we are born and the day we die, will dieting, exercise and vitamins prolong our life, or only enable us to have a better quality of life?"

Another time during a meal, I asked him, "How can you tell if you are hearing from God, or if it is your own imagination because it is something you want?” We had many interesting conversations.

There are so many aspects of his life that pointed people to God. Dr. Bright was truly a man of God. We loved him very much and will miss him, but at the same time we are rejoicing because he is with the Lord.

Father God, we thank You for Bill Bright’s life, for his intimate relationship with You. He modeled a life of faith and obedience. He loved you deeply. Father, may those of us who call ourselves Christians follow his example. Amen.

Related Reading:
Goal of a lifetime: Paul Henderson
Live a life of purpose
Need advice? ask us.

~ Katherine has been a staff member with  Power to Change Canada for 30 years. She has launched and developed many successful ministries, including  Canadian Prayer Alert, Women In Leadership, Women Today, Women Today Magazine and Women Today Online. Katherine has written and published a book, When Dreams Come True:  Women Today Online. She serves as the director for www.secretsofsuccess.com.