George Abbot was born in Guildford, England. He rose to become Archbishop of Canterbury, the highest office in the Anglican church, after defending the monarchy and working to combine the English and Scottish churches. For years he was the recognized leader of the English Calvinists and demonstrated Puritan sympathies. His life was darkened when he shot a man in a hunting accident--his arrow glanced off a tree. Earlier Abbot had taken a leading part in the translation of the King James version of the Bible.
Birth of John Woolman. This American Quaker preacher ran a shop and used part of its proceeds to support his abolitionist work, traveling widely to lecture for African-American rights. His journal is considered a masterpiece of unadorned prose. Woolman died in England where he had gone to present his views.
Bill Bright was born in Coweta, Oklahoma. In 1951, he and his wife Vonette, founded Campus Crusade for Christ, an evangelism and discipleship ministry which by 1992 had some 30,000 full-time staff and trained volunteers serving in 138 countries around the world. He scribbled the first draft of The Four Spiritual Laws in 1965. This has been copied by evangelical agencies worl wide and millions printed and distributed. Though the Lord has used this to bring multitudes to Christ, it has been ridiculed for its simplicity. In 1979 Bill Bright and his organization sponsored the Jesus Film project. The film has been translated into hundreds of languages and shown to millions world wide, leading to many conversions. Only when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ will we know fully all that Bill Bright's personal dedication to the Lord has actually accomplished.
