Best-selling Whitaker House author Don Gossett died Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 85, his wife Debra at his side, according to a ministry spokesperson. The prolific author was also a pastor, worldwide evangelist, missionary and longtime broadcaster, serving in active ministry for 66 years.

Gossett was best known for his teaching on praise and the power of the spoken word. Many of his books are considered classics, including What You Say Is What You Get, There’s Dynamite in Praise, The Power of Your Words and Words That Move Mountains, co-authored with E.W. Kenyon.

“We’ve lost a pioneer whose teaching impacted several generations,” said Whitaker House President Bob Whitaker Jr. “Don Gossett was among the first to teach that ordinary people, not only the clergy, could stand on the authority of God’s Word to teach, preach and heal in the name of Jesus.”

Gossett began serving in ministry in the 1940s. He apprenticed with well-known evangelist T.L. Osborn, who encouraged him to launch his own evangelistic ministry. Gossett started his radio program, “Bold Bible Living,” in 1961. The broadcast grew to reach millions of listeners living in 89 nations. His works have been translated into 18 languages with more than 25 million copies distributed worldwide.

“No matter how famous he became, Don was a gentleman with a humble and content spirit," Whitaker said. “He was a pleasure to work with and always an example of Jesus’ love.”

Gossett’s legacy is guaranteed to live on with a new Whitaker House book co-authored by Kenyon and scheduled for release in 2015. Gossett’s recent series of interviews on It’s Supernatural! with Sid Roth are also available online at sidroth.org/television/tv-archives/don-gossett.

In recent years, Gossett had begun reaching a new generation via social media. Last year, after Osborn died, Gossett posted on Facebook what now serves as a fitting eulogy for himself: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. … It was completely true that for him to live was Christ. Now he has received the ‘gain’ of heaven.”

Don’s first wife, Joyce, with whom he had five children, died in 1991. He and Debra, an ordained minister, were married and have been partners in ministry since 1995. They planted a church in British Columbia, Canada—Vancouver International Community Church. They also have 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, and the ninth was born Dec. 13 after Gosset passed.

A public “Homegoing Celebration” to honor Gossett is being planned for January 2015. Details will be available at dongossett.com.

Editor's note: This story has been updated since its original publication.

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