VONETTE BRIGHT
PROFILE

Co-Founder of Campus Crusade for Christ International

Vonette Zachary Bright, wife of Dr. William R. “Bill” Bright, co-founded Campus Crusade for Christ, with her husband in 1951. Since then the ministry has grown into its current size of 26,000 staff members, and 225,000 volunteers working in 191 countries.

Born in Coweta, Okla., Vonette received her bachelor's degree in home economics from Texas Women's University and did graduate work in the field of education at the University of Southern California. She taught in the Los Angeles school system from 1949-1952.

Concerned for the moral and spiritual values of America, Vonette founded the Great Commission Prayer Crusade in 1972. This movement united Christians to pray specifically and strategically for national and international concerns. As a member of the original Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, founded in 1974, Vonette served as chair of the Intercession Working Group from 1981-1990. In 1984, she served as chair of the International Prayer Assembly for World Evangelization in Seoul, Korea. More than 3,000 people from 71 countries joined 100,000 Koreans for this event, which was directed by Dr. Joon Gon Kim, one of Korea’s leading Christian statesmen.

Vonette's commitment to prayer led to the founding of the National Prayer Committee in 1979, a group of prayer leaders who seek to motivate other Christians to unite in prayer for spiritual awakening. In 1988, as chair, she was successful in requesting legislation unanimously approved by both houses of Congress to make the first Thursday of every May the permanent date for the National Day of Prayer, which encourages American citizens to pray for the United States and its leaders. 

Vonette has authored several books, including the My Heart in His Hands Devotional series (New Life Publications, 2002), The Woman Within (New Life Publications, 2003), The Sister Circle, co-authored with Nancy Moser, is her first novel in a a four-part series and was released in 2003 (Tyndale Publishers),  and Building a Home in a Pull-Apart World (Thomas Nelson, 1995), which she co-authored with her husband.

Honors for Vonette include being named 1973 Churchwoman of the Year by Religious Heritage of America. Religion in America honored her in 1982 as International Church Woman of the Year. In that same year, she was named distinguished alumna of Texas Woman's University. In 1988, the Brights were inducted into the Religion in Media International Communication Galaxy of Fame at the International Angel Awards. In 1995, Vonette was named Christian Woman of the Year by the Christian Woman of the Year Association.

Vonette has two grown children, Zachary and Bradley, and grandchildren Rebecca, Christopher, Hamilton Keller, and Noel Victoria.

Vonette Bright resides in Orlando, Fla.

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