Vonette Zachary Bright (July 2, 1926 – December 23, 2015) was an American author, speaker, and the co-founder of Cru. Bright was born in

Coweta, Oklahoma Coweta is a city in Wagoner County, Oklahoma, United States, a suburb of Tulsa. As of 2010, its population was 9,943. Part of the Creek Nation in Indian Territory before Oklahoma became a U.S. state, the town was first settled in 1840.Texas Women's University in 1948. That summer she attended a conference with her fiancé

Bill Bright William R. Bright (October 19, 1921 – July 19, 2003) was an American evangelist. In 1951 at the University of California, Los Angeles he founded Campus Crusade for Christ as a ministry for university students. In 1952 he wrote The Four Spir ...

at Forest Home Christian Conference Center, where she prayed to receive Christ under the spiritual direction of

Henrietta Mears Henrietta Cornelia Mears (October 23, 1890 – March 19, 1963) was a Christian educator, evangelist, and author who had a significant impact on evangelical Christianity in the 20th century and one of the founders of the National Sunday School Ass ...

. 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. Bright was known for her prayer rallies, her work as the chair of the

National Day of Prayer The National Day of Prayer is an annual day of observance held on the first Thursday of May, designated by the United States Congress, when people are asked "to turn to God in prayer and meditation". The president is required by law () to sign a ...

task force that 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 The Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, more commonly known as the Lausanne Movement, is a global movement that mobilizes evangelical leaders to collaborate for world evangelization. The stated vision is "the whole church taking the whole ...

. 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. After Bill's death in 2003, Vonette continued her ministry work until her death in 2015. She died aged 89. She was survived by her two married sons and four grandchildren.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bright, Vonette Zachary 1926 births 2015 deaths American evangelists Women evangelists Texas Woman's University alumni People from Coweta, Oklahoma