Bill Bright

Bill Bright (actually: William Rohl Bright; * October 19, 1921 in Coweta, Oklahoma; † July 19, 2003 in Orlando, Florida) was an American evangelist and founder of the world's largest and Missions Campus Crusade for Christ International, which today 26,000 full-time employees and 225,000 volunteers in 191 countries around the globe works. In Germany the missionary work there under Campus Crusade for Christ, in Switzerland under Campus Crusade for Christ Switzerland and Austria under Agape Austria.

Life

Bill Bright was the son of Forest Dale Bright and Mary Lee Rohl Bright. With four other brothers and two sisters he grew up on his parents' farm. He studied economics and sociology, graduated in 1944 with honors and was subsequently appointed as associate professor at Northeastern State University in Oklahoma. However, he preferred the business and founded in Los Angeles a successful confectionery factory. During this time he learned the Hollywood First Presbyterian Church and the University Pastor, Henrietta Mears know. He decided to use her influence in 1945 aware for a life with Jesus Christ and began to intensively read the Bible. Parallel to the business life, he studied theology at Princeton University and Fuller Theological Seminary.

1948 Bright married the, also from Coweta Vonette Zachary. The two adopted two boys. As a couple they made a written "Contract with God " from where it with everything they had and had God set available. A short time later, the idea of ​​a worldwide Christian movement among students, " to reach the world in this generation with the gospel " with the goal came. The starting point of these students work the University of California, Los Angeles and Vonette and Bill Bright were working closely together. Long did the students work the only working branch of Campus Crusade for Christ, but over time the ever-increasing target groups in the focus: artists, ambassadors, prisoners, business people, students ... For five decades, was Bright international president of Campus Crusade for Christian, in 2001 joined his longtime collaborator Steve Douglass to his successor. Bill Bright died in July 2003 from the effects of pulmonary fibrosis.

Works

Bill Bright has written more than 100 journals, books and countless articles. In German are among others published:

Effect

In 1979, Bill Bright the movie " Jesus ', an historically accurate film version of Luke's Gospel. The film flopped at the U.S. box office, is internationally but a great success and has been translated in more than 1000 languages ​​.

Since 1972, motivate exploration conferences (the term stands for Exploring spiritual explosion) Christians around the world to implement the Great Commission of Jesus and to convert others to the Christian faith. 1972 in Dallas / Texas was premiere with 85,000 participants, 1972 in Seoul / Korea 330 000 participants came. Since 1985, the exploration was broadcast via satellite transmission in each world.

1996 Bill Bright was awarded with prize money of £ 1 million Templeton Prize for progress in religion writing in England. With the money he promoted a worldwide prayer ministry.