Founder and Head of the Michael Gott Evangelistic Association Before taking his ministry to Eastern Europe, or setting up Michael Gott International in Keller, Texas, the evangelist preacher came to Edinburgh in 1966 on a two year scholarship to study Theology. Why did you choose to study at New College? Neither of my parents graduated from secondary school due to the Great Depression in America, and they never travelled. When I graduated from the university (Baylor), with the help of one professor who attended New College himself, I was given a scholarship to study at New College; I longed to study preaching under James S. Stewart — all this, for family and friends, was like my going to the moon! How has New College influenced your life? New College helped revolutionize my life and continues to impact my life after over fifty years! My educational experience at New College totally upended my life — and provincialism came to an end, and it opened the world to me; New College was directly a vital part of that. Like the Apostle Paul, I am a debtor! More recently the late New College Professor Larry Hurtado’s book (autographed and sitting within reach as I write), 'Destroyer of the gods', relit a fire within me. It declared what early Christians faced with the irrefutable evidence that he presented so skilfully and yet scholarly, and it impacted my life so very significantly. Michael’s biography reads as follows: Michael Gott, now 77, is a symbol of evangelism with integrity. He has preached the Gospel in person to over one million individuals— throughout the United States and Europe. He steadily emerged as a leading spokesman for the Christian faith. Hundreds of thousands more have heard his simple message through radio and television. Since 1970 he has held preaching missions in virtually every country in Eastern Europe in Europe’s largest churches. His inspirational articles and recorded messages appear and are distributed throughout Europe, the former Soviet Union, and Africa. About Michael's studies: Reared on a small farm outside Livingston, Texas, at sixteen years of age he had an experience with Christ that changed his life purpose. Ordained by the Southern Baptist Convention in the 1960s, Michael received a solid foundation in Christian beliefs at Baylor University, Waco, Texas. In 1965 he graduated from Baylor University with a BA. After graduation, Gott served as a youth evangelist and held special events for the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Within a year after leaving Baylor he was selected for a British theological scholarship. He attended the University of Edinburgh in Scotland for postgraduate work in New Testament preaching. Michael Gott is a Master of Divinity graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. He was first to receive the Roy Fish Award for excellence in evangelism and in 2016 was awarded a Doctor’s Degree from the Biblical Seminary in Ukraine. About Michael's work: Mr. Gott was president of the Southern Baptist Evangelists in Texas and vice-president of all Southern Baptist Convention evangelists. As founder and head of the Michael Gott Evangelistic Association he has actively sought over $400,000 in scholarships for students from the former Soviet Bloc countries. Many students have studied on this program throughout America and Eastern Europe. About Michael's Awards: In 2018 he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award for his ministry of over 50 years in evangelism, at the Southern Baptist Convention, Dallas. He was once tabbed as an ‘authentic international citizen’ by leading officials in Poland. He has personally met world leaders from Margaret Thatcher to Lech Wałęsa. He has been quoted in numerous magazines, and he has been the subject of newspaper and magazine feature articles. Recently he was selected to be quoted in a nationally distributed book on quotes from outstanding Christian leaders—his statement, “An evangelist is a nobody, trying to tell everybody about somebody who can change anybody!” Links Michael’s website John Adams’ blog post about Michael's life: Not A Bible Belt Evangelist This article was published on 2024-03-19
