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35-600: The Christian Embassy was started in 1975 by Bill Bright , founder of Cru , and then-congressman for Arizona John Conlan , in order to serve as a spiritual resource to leaders working in Congress, the Executive Branch, and the diplomatic community. The Christian Embassy runs a number of offices in cities around the world, including Washington D.C. , London , New York City , Ottawa , Geneva , Dublin , Manila and Pretoria . In 2004, Christian Embassy filmed

70-811: A Doctor of Divinity from the Los Angeles Bible College and Seminary, and a Doctor of Laws from Pepperdine University . In 1975, along with fellow evangelist Loren Cunningham (founder of Youth With a Mission ) and theologian Francis Schaeffer , Bright was one of the founders of what would later be termed the Seven Mountain Mandate . The idea would later go on to be popularized by Bethel Church pastor Bill Johnson and Lance Wallnau , among others. The concept centers around Christians taking dominion of seven societal spheres of influence : "family, religion, education, media, art, economics, and government." In 1983, he chaired

105-621: A parachurch organization . In 1951, after recruiting several volunteers from Fuller Seminary and Hollywood Presbyterian, Bright started Campus Crusade's first chapter at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). According to Turner, Campus Crusade was also inspired by Bright's desire to combat Communist influence in US universities including UCLA, which was then regarded as a hotbed of student radicalism. By 1952, Bright's Campus Crusade had reportedly converted 250 students at UCLA including

140-591: A 20–minute evangelistic presentation called "God's Plan for Your Life", which set the tone for Campus Crusade's evangelism and discipleship program. Bright also initially partnered with the fundamentalist Bob Jones University . However, the relationship deteriorated after Bright sided with Billy Graham, who had accepted the sponsorship of liberal Protestants for his 1957 New York crusade. In response, Bob Jones Sr. and his son Bob Jones Jr. severed relations with Bright's ministry. According to Turner, this split with Bob Jones University led Bright to gravitate towards

175-678: A company called "Bright's California Confections." During the 1940s, Bill attended the First Presbyterian Church, Hollywood where he became an evangelical Christian . Bright was influenced by Henrietta Mears , who served as the Director of Christian Education at First Presbyterian Church, and Billy Graham , who later became a prominent American evangelical leader. In 1946, Bill Bright quit his candy business to pursue Biblical studies and theology at Princeton Theological Seminary and Fuller Theological Seminary . According to

210-479: A ministry for university students. In 1952 he wrote The Four Spiritual Laws . In 1979 he produced the film Jesus . In 1996 Bill Bright was awarded the $ 1.1 million Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion, and donated the money to promote the spiritual benefits of fasting and prayer. In 2001 he stepped down as leader of the organization and Steve Douglass became president. He died in 2003. Bill Bright

245-756: A promotional video featuring endorsements by six Congressmen, two ambassadors, two ambassadors' wives, the Under Secretary for Benefits of the Department of Veterans Affairs , and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency . It also included two civilian employees of the Department of Defense , and seven military officers, the latter filmed in uniform at the Pentagon and identified by name and rank. After

280-429: A request to meet that afternoon. According to the minutes, "the notice had the proper effect and, as requested, there appeared a goodly number of men to learn what was in store for them." Founder Nieman, who had become familiar with fraternities while attending William Jewell College , was the principal organizer of the meeting. He explained the purpose of the meeting and told them what such an organization could mean to

315-495: A staunch Republican supporter and voter throughout his life. As an evangelical Christian, Bright was also anti-Communist and stated that one of his reasons for starting Campus Crusade was to combat Communist influence in US universities. During the 1970s, Bright defended the South Korean President Park Chung Hee , who imposed martial law and assumed dictatorial powers. He claimed that Park

350-762: A student at Northeastern State University, he was initiated into the Zeta chapter of the Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity, and has subsequently been granted honorable alumnus status to the Alpha Gamma Omega Christ-Centered Fraternity. In 1942, Bill enlisted in the United States Navy Reserve but did not see combat service due to a burst eardrum from playing football during high school. While in his early 20s he moved to Los Angeles, California , and founded

385-573: Is expected to provide service or funds directly to the Special Olympics . The fraternity offers scholarships and awards to undergraduates and alumni during the summer convention. The individual awards include the Michael J. Steinbeck Fellowship, which offers assistance in the pursuit of graduate and professional degrees. Chapter awards include the Earl A. Webb Most Improved Chapter Award and

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420-529: Is worn by associate members of the fraternity until initiation. The associate pin is the chapter's property and is returned to the chapter at the time of initiation by the new member. The fraternity hosts multiple annual events, including: On June 30, 2011, the Board of Directors announced its partnership with the Special Olympics in 2011, making it the fraternity’s official philanthropy. Each chapter

455-555: The "new evangelical" wing of the Protestant movement, which was associated with Billy Graham's cooperative evangelism. In 2011 Campus Crusade for Christ had 25,000 missionaries in 191 countries. Bright held five honorary doctorate degrees: a Doctor of Laws from the Jeonbuk National University of Korea, a Doctor of Divinity from John Brown University , a Doctor of Letters from Houghton Seminary,

490-480: The 17 founders of the fraternity. Several of the founders were members of the Irving Literary Society , but they wanted to create a new fraternity including members of other literary societies. On the morning of June 28, 1920, "at an unusually early hour" according to the original minutes, a list containing the names of about thirty men was posted on the college bulletin board by Emmett Ellis with

525-511: The Brights to share her Bel Air home and spoke at several Crusade functions. Bright's success at UCLA led him to establish Campus Crusade branches at several other US universities. Campus Crusade's expansion across several US campuses created friction with other Christian campus groups including InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and liberal campus chaplains, who disagreed with the evangelistic tone of Bright's ministry. In 1956, Bright wrote

560-853: The Emmett Ellis Chapter Scholarship Award Established in 1966, the Sigma Tau Gamma Foundation is its distinct legal entity, considered a public charity ( 501c3 ) by the federal government and is separate from the Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity. It makes use of tax-deductible charitable gift dollars for the development of chapters of the Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity. The Sigma Tau Gamma Foundation started "Books for Kids" which raises money and books for public libraries and school districts. Established in 2014,

595-673: The First World War in France. Parsons commented that in founding the Fraternity they wanted to sustain a "sense of service, responsibility, and affection for their companions." These four, together with Allen Ross Nieman, Edward Henry McCune, Carl Nelson Chapman, Buell Wright McDaniel, George Eugene Hartrick, A. Barney Cott, Chiles Edward Hoffman, Rodney Edward Herndon, William Edward Billings, Clarence Willard Salter, Frank H. Gorman, Alpheus Oliphant Fisher, and Daniel Frank Fisher, were

630-719: The National Committee for the National Year of the Bible. He was named the 1996 recipient of the $ 1.1 million Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion . He wrote more than 100 books and booklets, and thousands of articles and pamphlets. He endorsed the document Evangelicals and Catholics Together . Bright was a co-founder of the Alliance Defense Fund , which funds high-profile litigation cases on behalf of Christians' First Amendment rights. He

665-526: The Taylor family. Bill Bright married Vonette Bright on December 30, 1948. The two had been engaged to marry since the spring of 1946. However, Bill at the prompting of Zachary's parents agreed to delay the wedding until her impending 1948 graduation from Texas State College for Women . During the 1950s, Bill and Vonette adopted two boys named Brad and Zachary Bright. In 1965, Bright wrote The Four Spiritual Laws , an evangelistic Christian tract . In

700-526: The alpha chapter at Central Missouri as patron, counselor, and advisor until he died in 1947. A further fourteen members were added in the first year of the fraternity's existence. Founder Edward H. McCune recalled later that, "from the very beginning, Sigma Tau Gamma prospered, both in membership and service. Its challenge to students to live well and promote the spirit of brotherhood was continually being met by those who were seeking membership." There are several public and private ceremonies and rituals in

735-659: The booklet he outlines his view of the essentials of the Christian faith concerning salvation . It is summarized as four spiritual laws or principles that govern what he sees as human beings' relationship with God. The booklet ends with a prayer of repentance . Bright had initially planned to produce an evangelical film called "The Great Adventure" but abandoned the project due to a lack of funding. Though Bright had initially considered partnering with other churches, his disenchantment with their ability to mentor new Christian converts led him to start Campus Crusade for Christ as

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770-652: The campuses surrounding teachers' colleges (at the time also called " normal schools "). Since the Fraternity's beginnings in 1920, they have since spread to more than 193 university campuses across the United States. Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity is an active member of the North American Interfraternity Conference . Four of the founders (Emmett Ellis, Leland Thornton Hoback, Edward George Grannert, and William Glenn Parsons) had enlisted and served their country together during

805-442: The chapter meeting. The fraternity's colors are azure blue, white, red, and yellow. Its mascot is the knight and its flower is the white rose. Its coat of arms was adopted in 1927 and modified in 1954. The badge, which all members may purchase and wear, is the principal symbol of membership. The badge was adopted in 1927 and modified in 2016. The standard gold badge is provided to each new member at initiation. The associate pin

840-428: The fraternity, from initiation to memorials for deceased fraternity members. Sigma Tau Gamma also has a development program known as the "Path of Principles". The first eight weeks of the program challenge associate members to "promote the highest ideals of brotherhood and demonstrate an abiding spirit in which all things in life are done and possible". Content is covered during weekly associate meetings held separate from

875-439: The generals stated that he thought that Christian Embassy was a "quasi-federal entity". Participating Army generals were Robert L. Caslen Jr. , Vincent K Brooks and Air Force generals Peter U. Sutton and Jack J. Catton Jr. 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

910-426: The historian John G. Turner, Bright struggled with his academic studies and did not complete his degree at either institution. While studying at Fuller seminary, Bright felt what he regarded as the call of God to reach out to university students and abandoned his academic studies. Before starting his campus ministry, Bright sold off his confections company and settled a financial dispute with his former business partners,

945-487: The individuals filmed in the video did not violate any policies, but that others had violated DoD policy by endorsing the Christian Embassy while in uniform. Furthermore, Chaplain (Colonel) Ralph G. Benson had provided a "selective benefit" to Christian Embassy by obtaining permission for them to film the promotional video in the Pentagon, and that he had done so by "mischaracterizing the purpose and proponent of

980-410: The men of the college. The men elected Leland Hoback temporary Chairman and Emmett Ellis temporary Secretary. They agreed to begin crafting the organization and adjourned until July 7, 1920. The founders were accompanied by Dr. Wilson C. Morris to present their petition to the faculty, who had been part of Sigma Nu in his college days. Dr. Morris became the Fraternity's first honorary member and served

1015-645: The protest against the Martin Scorsese film The Last Temptation of Christ and he called the film "blasphemous". He offered to buy the film's negative from Universal in order to destroy it. Bright died on July 19, 2003, in Orlando, Florida . His wife died in 2015. Bill Bright's father Dale Bright was a staunch Republican who served as the chairman of the Wagoner Country Republican Party. Like his father, Bill remained

1050-527: The student body president, campus newspaper editor, and several athletes including African American decathlete and future Olympian Rafer Johnson . While Bill and his colleagues focused on the male students, Vonette focused on reaching out to the female students. In 1953, Campus Crusade established its headquarters in Los Angeles' Westwood Boulevard . Bright's campus outreach was also aided by his Hollywood Presbyterian mentor Henrietta Mears, who allowed

1085-697: The video was posted on the Christian Embassy's website in November, 2006, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation , a group led by retired Air Force lawyer Michael Weinstein , requested an investigation in a letter to the Department's Inspector General . In July, 2007, the Inspector General issued a report on "Alleged Misconduct by DoD Officials Concerning Christian Embassy". The report concluded that some of

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1120-416: The video." Six senior officers (four generals and two colonels) were described in the report as having "improperly endorsed and participated with a non-Federal entity while in uniform." The report also noted that "their remarks conferred approval of and support to Christian Embassy, and the remarks of some officers implied they spoke for a group of senior military leaders rather than just for themselves." One of

1155-454: Was a co-signatory of the Land letter of 2002 which outlined a just war rationale for the 2003 invasion of Iraq , providing a theological underpinning for the invasion being planned by President George W. Bush . He produced the film Jesus in 1979, which was released by Warner Bros. in the United States. It was not a financial success, losing approximately $ 2 million. In 1988 he led

1190-666: Was born in Coweta, Oklahoma , on October 19, 1921. He was the sixth child and fifth son of Forrest Dale and Mary Lee Rohl Bright. His father Forrest Dale was a cattle rancher while his mother Mary Lee was a school teacher prior to marrying Forrest. Bill's father Forrest was actively involved in the Oklahoma Republican Party with Bill remaining a staunch Republican throughout his life. Bill studied economics at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma . As

1225-603: Was fighting against Communism and supported religious freedom. Sigma Tau Gamma Sigma Tau Gamma ( ΣΤΓ ), commonly known as Sig Tau , is a United States college social fraternity founded on June 28, 1920, at the University of Central Missouri (then known as Central Missouri State Teachers College). The fraternity was founded as a result of friendships made while some of the founders fought in World War I in France . The fraternity went on to create new chapters on

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