Sharing My Story

During the late 1970s and 1980s while I didn't keep
a daily journal I did keep a detailed weekly and
monthly schedule. Occasionally I'd write out my
thoughts concerning personal events or thoughts
on the future. These schedules have survived the
years and several moves. As I look back on these
schedules they were filled with numerous activities.
I was becoming somewhat unsettled about my work
with Campus Crusade. While I had no problems
with the organization I felt that I had done about as
much with Crusade as I could without a radical
re-orientation of career objectives (and conversely
Crusade had done about as much for me as it would -
or at least that was my perception). The basic option
was to leave headquarters and accept a field ministry
assignment such as being on a college/university
campus team or an international assignment.

Many of my co-workers were dissatisfied with being at
headquarters and wanted to be on the field where they
perceived they could have more direct people-to-people
ministry. They felt that being at headquarters was a second
rate assignment and were anxiety to move on. Campus Crusade
put a great emphasis on having a "submissive spirit" and following
the decisions of those in authority (This did not make Campus a
dyfunctional or cultic organization as most secular businesses
require a level of cooperation and availability from their employees).
Issues such as readiness for field assignments and the wider needs
of the organization played into these personnel decisions. However,
that was not my inclination as I enjoyed being at headquarters
doing art and design work. Increasingly during this time a sense
that the reasons I had jointed CCC staff back in 1971 were
completed —especially for me.

Dr. Bill Bright was very big on setting audacious and humanly
impossible target goals. One of his favorite sayings was, "Small
goals don't inflame the hearts of men." When I jointed CCC staff
in 1971 the goal was to see the Great Commission fulfilled in the
United States by 1976 and the world by 1980. Massive projects
like Explo 72, Explo '74 (in Seoul, South Korea), Here's Life America
and the Jesus Film Project were all launched with the idea of seeing
the Great Commission fulfilled within this generation (the generation
of the 1970s is how I interpreted it). As mentioned earlier this made
Campus Crusade with its very conservative button down image a
revolutionary organization. There was a sense of urgency to get
the gospel out. While even then I realized that there were many
ethnic/people groups that didn't ever have a written language or
a Christian church the great goals CCC had were very exciting for
young people such as myself to be involved in.