Evangelist Michael Gott’s Ukraine tour amid war; SBC chaplain supports grieving families at Dover AFB on Memorial Day 2023; ERLC aiding churches: a personal insight.

One morning after air raid sirens alerted Kyiv of imminent attack, hundreds attended Central Baptist Church for Sunday worship. Southern Baptist evangelist Michael Gott was preaching.

Gott, president of Michael Gott International ministries (MGI), ministered in Kyiv, Zhytomyr and Kremenchuk in Central Ukraine three weeks from late April through mid-May.

Russa launched 25 missiles on Kyiv the week following the April 30 worship service, but Ukraine’s military shot down 23 of them with weapons supplied by the U.S., according to a ministry representative.

Gott preached several sermons during the trip, ranging from two-to-five times a day, he said, aided by an interpreter. Host pastors extend invitations to Christian discipleship and continue to minister long after Gott leaves. MGI distributes supplies at each site it visits, donating items most needed.

Some days as an Air Force chaplain stand out among all others. For Matthew Knight, one of those days was August 29, 2021.

Three days earlier, 13 U.S. service members were killed during a suicide attack on the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. On August 29, the remains of those soldiers arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and other U.S. leaders paid tribute to those who had given their lives in service to the country.

As Knight took part in the solemn movement of the remains from the aircraft to an awaiting military vehicle, his attention fell on a young girl who was there to honor her uncle, one of the fallen.

Called a “dignified transfer,” the respectful process is carried out by the U.S. military to respectfully receive the remains of service members killed in a combat environment. Dover is the primary location for dignified transfers for the U.S. military and the location often captured on news broadcasts when remains of fallen U.S. service members return to the country.

Knight asks believers to continue to pray for chaplains who are serving throughout the world and providing spiritual support for grieving families as well as the families who grieve those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

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Good News for Today is sponsored by The Voice of the Martyrs

Good News for Today is made possible through our friends at The Voice of the Martyrs, a nonprofit organization that serves persecuted Christians around the world. Founded in 1967 by Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, VOM is dedicated to inspiring believers to deepen their commitment to Christ and to fulfill His Great Commission — no matter the cost. Find out more and sign up for their free monthly magazine at vom.org/goodnews.

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In a First Person on Baptist Press, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission President Brent Leatherwood says they want to help churches think biblically about the cultural issues of our time by providing resources that are rooted in the Gospel.

In the piece, Leatherwood highlights the group’s magazine called Light Magazine, their digital downloads and the work they do with Southern Baptist churches to help them examine their bylaws. Get more information at ERLC.com.