Cru, known until 2011 as Campus Crusade for Christ, is an interdenominational Christian parachurch organization. Founded in 1951 at the University of California, Los Angeles, by Bill Bright and Vonette Zachary Bright, it grew into one of the most influential evangelical ministries in the world.
The Brights were deeply shaped by Henrietta Mears, director of Christian Education at the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, and by the preaching of Billy Graham. While at Fuller Theological Seminary, Bill Bright felt called to reach university students. This conviction led to the founding of Campus Crusade.
Within a year, the movement had spread rapidly. By 1952, 250 UCLA students had joined, including Olympic decathlete Rafer Johnson. The ministry soon hired its first staff members. In 1956, Bright introduced a 20-minute evangelistic presentation, “God’s Plan for Your Life,” which became a defining feature of its discipleship and outreach.
Campus Crusade initially reflected a conservative evangelical and anti-communist orientation. Tensions developed with Bob Jones University after Bright sided with Billy Graham, who welcomed support from liberal Protestants. By 1958, Campus Crusade had aligned itself with the “new evangelical” movement. Around the same time, it began stressing the role of the Holy Spirit while banning staff from speaking in tongues in 1960. This stance limited ties with Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians.
In 1957, Bright developed the “Four Spiritual Laws,” a succinct outline for Christian conversion. Compiled into a booklet in 1965 by businessman Gus Yeager, it became one of the most widely distributed religious tracts in history. The group also acquired the Arrowhead Springs Hotel in California, using the property as a training center for thousands of students. By the mid-1960s, Campus Crusade had launched ministries overseas, as well as specialized programs for laypeople and athletes.
The organization sought to connect with the counterculture of the 1960s. It sponsored a folk band called the New Folk, organized campaigns such as the “Berkeley Blitz” in 1967, and supported the Christian World Liberation Front, which aimed to engage student radicals and the New Left. Its most visible moment came in 1972 with Explo ’72, a week-long congress in Dallas attended by 80,000 students and nicknamed the “Christian Woodstock.” The event combined evangelism training with contemporary Christian music.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Campus Crusade became more closely associated with conservative politics. It launched FamilyLife, an outreach promoting traditional evangelical views on family structure, gender, sexuality, and abortion. The ministry also strengthened relationships with U.S. political leaders and other evangelical figures.
During the 1980s, Bright attempted to establish a graduate university in San Diego. The effort, however, was plagued by fundraising problems and legal disputes with the city. The project collapsed, nearly bankrupting the organization.
Campus Crusade shifted its stance toward charismatic movements during this period. In 1983, it lifted its ban on speaking in tongues, opening the door to partnerships with Pentecostal groups. The organization also began working alongside the Assemblies of God and the Catholic Church in missionary initiatives.
In 1991, Campus Crusade moved its world headquarters to Orlando, Florida. During the decade, it launched national media campaigns encouraging sexual abstinence and condemning racism. In 1996, the group drew controversy after publishing advertisements featuring testimonies from “former homosexuals.”
To address underrepresentation of minorities, Campus Crusade launched several ethnic-based ministries in the early 1990s. Among these was the Impact movement, created to reach African American students. In 2000, Bill Bright named Steve Douglass as his successor. Douglass officially became president in August 2001.
One of the organization’s most ambitious projects began in 1981 with the Jesus Film Project, which translated the 1979 Hollywood film Jesus into hundreds of languages. Cru leaders have claimed the film has been viewed billions of times by more than 3 billion people worldwide. While these figures are disputed, the project has become one of the group’s central evangelistic tools.
In 2011, Campus Crusade for Christ officially shortened its name to Cru. Leaders explained that the term “crusade” carried negative associations, especially for Muslims, and that the ministry’s work had expanded well beyond universities.
Cru has faced criticism for its theological and social stances. Some universities have refused to recognize it as a student group because its policies bar gay students from leadership roles. Internally, the organization has also been grappling with questions about race and diversity, reflecting broader debates within evangelicalism.
In April 2020, Steve Douglass stepped down as president due to health issues. Leadership passed to Steve Sellers, who had previously served as U.S. National Director. Under his leadership, the organization has continued its global outreach while navigating challenges over diversity and inclusion.
Key Sources:
The Baptist Press. Campus Crusade founder Bill Bright dies; “Four Spiritual Laws” among legacies. (2003, July 21).
Quebedeaux, R. (1979). I found it!: The Story of Bill Bright and Campus Crusade. HarperCollins Publishers.
Starnes, T.. (2015, March 27). Campus Ministry drops “Christ” from name. Fox News.
Turner, J. G. (2008). Bill Bright & Campus Crusade for Christ: The Renewal of Evangelicalism in Postwar America. Univ of North Carolina Press.
Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religious Movements 