Campus Crusade for Christ History

Campus Crusade for Christ was developed in 1951 by Bill and Vonette Bright on a campus at UCLA. Originally the crusade was developed for college students, as a way to spread the word of God. The organization quickly spread, with Bill and Vonette taking on six staff members, officially in 1952. From 1952 through 1958 the crusade spread its word through college campuses nationwide. In 1958, however, the crusade decided that it needed to expand and Campus Crusade for Christ set up its first international ministry in South Korea. At the end of 1959, a mere eight years after the crusade started, it was active in three international countries and on over 40 college campuses across the United States.

In the 1960s, the Campus Crusade for Christ focused on expanding its efforts beyond the colleges. Beginning in 1962, they purchased a location in San Bernardino, California to use as their headquarters. San Bernardino was their headquarters for over three decades, until they relocated to Orlando, Florida in 1991. In 1965, the crusade started what is now known as the Keynote - a musical ministry. The purpose of the music ministry was to spread the word of God through gospel music around the world. By the end of the 1960s, the Crusade was active in more than 25 countries proving that their dedication to God showed no boundaries.

The growth of the Campus Crusade for Christ continued in this fashion through the next four decades with a total of over 190 countries being a part of the largest evangelist group in the world. The founder, Bill Bright, died in 2003 after a bout with pulmonary fibrosis. Two years before he passed, however, he named Steve Douglass as his successor. Douglass still runs the Campus Crusade for Christ as of 2011. In 2011, the crusade decided to change its name to "Cru".

NOTE: Information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Some content is compiled from 3rd party sources. If you are aware of incorrect or outdated information, feel free to contact us.