Southwestern alumnus Michael Gott spreads Gospel in Ukraine, across Europe

There are many Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary graduates who are making an impact for the Gospel throughout the world. One alumnus, Michael Gott, is spreading the Gospel in Ukraine, a hurting nation during a time of crisis and war.

Gott has been serving the Lord as an evangelist since 1967. He spent some of the early part of his ministry in Fort Worth which culminated with his graduation from Southwestern with his Master of Divinity degree in 1970. He has led many evangelism campaigns across Europe throughout the years and is narrowing his focus to Ukraine during a time of war.

Gott’s evangelism ministry started during the time of the Soviet Union when Ukraine was part of the former USSR. Now, Gott is ministering during a time of armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine from near the battlefield.

During his current visit that began April 28, Gott recounted in an email hearing three air raid sirens blaring throughout the area. “This is a real war that continues with these courageous people facing the continuous fear of missile attacks,” said Gott. “This is exactly where a biblical evangelist should be.”

As Gott said during a recent Baptist Press article, he and his wife, Jan, arrived in Mariupol, Ukraine, “just a few weeks before the Russians began attacking that city” in early February of 2022. “And we saw the very hall where we held the concert bombed or at least destroyed by the rockets, and now it’s all under the control of the Russians.”

The concert he was referring to is a joint effort between Gott’s evangelism association, Michael Gott International, and the Singing Men of Texas. The Singing Men of Texas is a group composed of many Baptist music ministers and other singers who tour the world spreading the Gospel through their singing.

During the collaborations with Gott, the Singing Men of Texas sing and Gott preaches the Word of God for those in attendance.

Michael Gott, a 1970 Master of Divinity graduate of Southwestern Seminary, has served as an evangelist since 1967. He has focused his ministry in Europe, most specifically in Ukraine during the time of war.

Recently, Gott finished an eight-city tour in Poland where he preached the Gospel and saw what he described in an email as “real significant breakthroughs” in the lives of the Polish people with whom he was able to share the Gospel.

“Amazingly, we were allowed into one of the major Lutheran cathedrals and they had the largest attendance in the last decade,” said Gott via email correspondence. “And to be honest with you, it was like a Baptist revival.”

Since the conclusion of the tour in Poland, Gott and his team has been visiting Ukraine. According to Gott’s emails, they are “preaching and meeting with pastors to find out their needs.” The group was also able to visit with the president of the largest evangelical seminary located in Irpin, Ukraine.

Describing the nature of international evangelism in his emails, Gott calls it living at the “cutting edge of life today.” He described it this way because he recently had a preaching opportunity canceled at the last minute due to the death of a local resident in the conflict with Russia. “It’s just another example of how this war is destroying families, marriages, and lives,” said Gott. “Of course, we understand their reasoning, and so I will simply preach at another church in another city at the last minute.”

Even as the situation in Ukraine continues to deteriorate and the struggle continues, Gott feels that this is exactly where God wants him to be. “My wife and I consider it an honor to be here in ministry daily in a situation like this,” said Gott in an email. “We stand offering hope for the hopeless, and especially that applies to so many who have nothing to hold onto and have suffered so much tragedy.”

Gott has faithfully served as an evangelist for 56 years and sees no reason to slow down now. Through his service for the Lord, Gott has seen thousands of people come to know the Lord and grow closer to Him. Gott feels that his work is not done yet and will continue to serve as long as the Lord will allow.

Photos courtesy of Michael Gott International.