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Co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ dies at 89


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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Vonette Bright, who with her husband founded Campus Crusade for Christ, has died of complications from leukemia in Orlando, Florida. She was 89.

With her husband, Bill Bright, who died in 2003, she helped build the ministry into a worldwide evangelical force with a presence in 173 countries and 25,000 staffers.

The Brights launched Campus Crusade for Christ, now known as Cru in the United States, in 1951 at UCLA and the ministry soon spread to other university campuses. The ministry later expanded to include Athletes in Action, The Josh McDowell Ministry, FamilyLife and The Jesus Film Project.

In the late 1980s, Vonette Bright helped petition Congress to declare a permanent National Day of Prayer. She served for almost a decade as chairwoman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force.

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