Rev. Michael Wilkinson, founder of St. John’s Church, Basharatpur (Gorakhpur), was a devoted missionary of the Church Missionary Society. Born On 6th March 1797 in Ipswich, England, he began his faith journey while helping organize a missionary association, which led him to dedicate his life to God’s service. Trained under Rev. Henry Gauntlett and ordained, he sailed to India with his wife in 1823.

Arriving in Gorakhpur in 1823-1824, Wilkinson encountered a harsh mission field—dense forests, disease, and limited resources. Yet, with unwavering faith and perseverance, he preached, taught, and established schools and worship centers for both European and native communities, ministering in both English and Hindustani.

In a remote jungle area called Basharatpore, he built a humble mud chapel—later known as “The Church in the Wilderness”—which eventually became St. John’s Church. His dedication turned a desolate land into a place of worship and community, where faith began to take root. Despite constant illness, frequent discouragement, and physical danger—including disarming a man during a sermon—Wilkinson remained steadfast. Even after his wife returned to England due to poor health, he chose to stay, fully committed to the people he served.

He passed away in Shimla (Kotgarh) Himachal Pradesh on 6th November 1848, far from the wilderness where he first labored. Yet his enduring legacy lives on in the church he built and the lives he transformed—a true pioneer of faith. His life remains a living testament to Proverbs 11:25: “The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.”