Presbyterian Coalition pays tribute to ailing Bill Bright
By John H. Adams, The Layman Online, October 2, 2001
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Presbyterian Coalition paid a roaring tribute to Dr. William “Bill” Bright during the opening evening service at the Coalition’s Gathering VI.
Bright, standing beside the tank of oxygen that assists his breathing as he battles chronic pulmonary disease, is the retired leader of Campus Crusade for Christ, the largest campus ministry in the world.
Howard Eddington, senior minister of First Presbyterian Church in Orlando which hosted Gathering VI, described Dr. and Mrs. Bright, members of his congregation, as “Presbyterians who have given themselves away for Jesus Christ.”
Through his worldwide Campus Crusade ministry, Bright and those who served as missionaries for the organization preached the gospel to billions of people, Eddington said, with millions being saved.
“One of the things that has troubled me is that here is a great Presbyterian and our denomination has either ignored or ridiculed Dr. Bright,” Eddington said, noting that Bright’s days are numbered.
Even so, since April Bright has written four books – he has written 110 in all – and he preached at First Presbyterian on a recent Sunday “with a power that was staggering to all that were here,” Eddington said.
Dozens of ministers stood when Eddington asked who had been led into the pulpit ministry by Bill Bright or Campus Crusade.
Bright accepted the accolades with light-hearted humor. He said the recognition reminded him of another man who was honored in such a way. “He was so impressed with himself he could hardly wait to hear what he was going to say. He asked his wife, ‘I wonder how many great people there are in the world anyway.’ His wife answered: ‘I don’t know, but there is one less than you think.'”
In a few sentences, Bright gave his testimony: “an agnostic and humanist as a youth; when I met Jesus, I fell in love with him. My wife and I signed a contract 51 years ago to be his slave. We are the slaves and the master gets all the glory.”
“If we show the world how great he is and how wonderful he is, I believe we will see the greatest spiritual harvest the world has ever known,” Bright said.