Bill Bright

In Korean, his name is also spelled "빌 브라잇."

Life

Bright was born in 1921 in Coweta, Oklahoma. He attended Northeastern State University in Oklahoma and later studied theology at Princeton Theological Seminary and Fuller Theological Seminary. Before his theological studies, he ran a specialty foods business. In 1948 he married Vonette Zachary. In 2001 he stepped down as leader of the organization. Around the same time, he announced that he had pulmonary fibrosis and did not have long to live. He died in Orlando, Florida, in July 2003 at the age of 81.

Ministry and Accomplishments

• Founding of CCC: In 1951 Bright closed his business and, with his wife, began a ministry to students at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The first volunteers were recruited from Fuller Theological Seminary and Hollywood Presbyterian Church. Believing that existing churches were limited in their ability to disciple new believers, he reportedly established it as an interdenominational ministry unaffiliated with any particular church or denomination. The ministry later expanded beyond college students to reach military personnel, athletes, political and business leaders, and families.
• The Four Spiritual Laws: In 1952 Bright wrote a booklet that set out, in four principles, the way to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The Korean edition is titled Sayeongni, meaning "four spiritual principles." According to the organization, the booklet has been translated into more than 200 languages, and more than 2.5 billion copies have been distributed.
• The film Jesus: In 1979 Bright released a feature film, based on the Gospel of Luke, depicting the life of Jesus. According to the organization's count, it has been translated into more than 1,400 languages.
• Fasting and prayer: Bright wrote more than 100 books, including The Transforming Power of Fasting and Prayer, and worked to promote fasting and prayer widely. In 1996 he received the Templeton Prize and donated the $1.1 million in prize money to efforts promoting the benefits of fasting and prayer.

Influence on the Korean Church

Pastor Joon Gon Kim met Bright while studying at Fuller Theological Seminary. According to Korea CCC, Bright was moved by Kim's testimony and proposed that they work together; Kim accepted and returned to Korea. In 1958 a founding service was held at Chungdong First Methodist Church in Seoul, marking the beginning of Korea Campus Crusade for Christ, CCC's first overseas branch. This development reportedly led CCC to adopt the principle of appointing nationals as leaders in each mission field. Bright also attended Explo '74, held at Yeouido Plaza in Seoul in 1974. Korea CCC focused its activities on evangelism among incoming students, small-group meetings, and retreats, and by 2008 it was reported to have produced some 400,000 members.

Assessment

In a 2003 tribute, Charles Colson named Bright one of the great Christian leaders of the twentieth century. He also described him as a man whose vision was comparable to that of John Wesley, who regarded the whole world as his parish. In awarding him its prize, the Templeton Foundation stated that he had carried out the Great Commission in new ways. However, figures such as the number of Four Spiritual Laws booklets distributed and the number of people who have viewed the film are largely counts published by the organization itself.