Vonette Bright

Bill and Vonette Bright in 1980.

Vonette Zachary Bright (July 2, 1926 – December 23, 2015) was an American author, speaker, and the co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, now called CRU.

Bright was born in Coweta, Oklahoma, and graduated with a B. A. degree in Home Economic and a minor in Chemistry from Texas Women's University in 1948. That summer she attended a conference with her fiance Bill Bright at Forest Home Christian Conference Center, where she prayed to receive Christ under the spiritual direction of Henrietta Mears.^[1][2] That same year, she and Bill were married on December 30, 1948. In 1951, the couple moved into the Bel-Air home of Mears and from there launched Campus Crusade for Christ, until their move to their new headquarters at Arrowhead Springs ten years later.^[3][4]

Bright was known for her prayer rallies, her work as the chair of the National Day of Prayer task force which helped establish a fixed day for the event under Ronald Reagan, and as a chairperson (and one of the three women on the committee) on the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization. She was also the author or co-author of more than 20 books, including, In His Hands, Passion for Prayer, and the "Sister Circle" Series. Bright adopted a less provocative stance on social issues than her husband, but was outgoing and articulate and often spoke at conferences.^[5]

After Bill's death in 2003, Vonette continued her ministry work until her death in 2015. She was survived by her two married sons and four grandchildren.^[4]

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