Southern Baptists are sharing the gospel at the Winter Olympic Games, officially known as Milano Cortina 2026, currently underway in Italy.
The 25th global event, running from Feb. 6 to Feb. 22, has brought together about 2,900 athletes from 92 nations and is the most geographically widespread Winter Olympics in history, using 15 venues across Northern Italy and drawing an estimated two million spectators. Hundreds of Southern Baptists have joined the crowds alongside International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries to boldly proclaim Christ throughout the host regions, Baptist Press reported.
IMB teams, local partners, and volunteers are focusing much of their energy on Milan, a city prominently Roman Catholic by heritage and known for iconic landmarks such as the Duomo di Milano and Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” which is housed in the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
Mission teams are continuing the evangelistic “Who Am I?” apologetics campaign that originated at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The strategy involves engaging residents and spectators with conversation-starter cards featuring questions about identity, meaning and purpose, ultimately leading them to discover the answer in Jesus. Bibles are being distributed alongside John’s Gospel booklets at hospitality points around Milan and through the beloved Olympic pastime of pin trading.
“In Italy, you strive to live the good life,” IMB missionary Charlie Worthy said. He is helping to coordinate outreach efforts during the Winter Games. “If you’ve got a good friend, a good house and a good income, then what more do you need?”
Worthy expressed his excitement at the “large-scale opportunity to impact global lostness.” He asked for prayers for the teams and volunteers involved in sharing the Gospel with boldness, noting his hope for long-term outreach in Italy after the Games conclude.
“I think what most people don’t realize is that Italy is the third oldest Southern Baptist mission field,” he told Baptist Press. “We’ve had missionaries longer here than just about anywhere else in the entire world.”
Meanwhile, the Salt Lake City-based worship collective The Rock Music is also in Northern Italy for a high-profile mission during the Winter Olympics, in partnership with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) and local Italian congregations.
The group is leveraging the global stage to perform at official Olympic Fan Zones and local venues across Milan and Arco. Their outreach strategy combines large-scale concerts with intimate coffee-house sets, aimed at using music to facilitate Gospel conversations during the 17-day event.
“Our heart is to share the Gospel message to all nations, and the nations are coming to Italy, so we felt impressed to go as well,” The Rock Music founder and worship leader Steele Croswhite told the Gospel Music Association.
“Music is a little like smiling—even if you don’t speak the language, you can still communicate through song in a meaningful way. And because we are partnering with local ministries, we will be joined by fellow believers serving as translators to help provide opportunities for conversation. We can’t wait to be part of the excitement of the Winter Olympics while offering hope to a field ripe for harvest.”
