Voddie Baucham facts for kids

Voddie Tharon Baucham, Jr. (born March 11, 1969) is an American pastor, author, and educator. He currently works as the Dean of Theology at African Christian University in Lusaka, Zambia. A Dean of Theology helps lead the studies and teaching programs at a religious university.

Education and Career

Voddie Baucham was born in Los Angeles. He studied at New Mexico State University and Rice University, where he played football. He then went to Houston Baptist University and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He continued his studies, getting advanced degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also did more studies at the University of Oxford in England.

In 1993, Baucham started Voddie Baucham Ministries. For many years, he traveled and preached, mostly in Texas. He also spoke at some early Passion events in the late 1990s. He was a pastor at Grace Family Baptist Church in Spring, Texas, until he moved to Zambia in 2015. He is also a board member of Founders Ministries.

In 2022, Baucham was asked if he would consider becoming the president of the Southern Baptist Convention. He noted that he was not sure if he could, since he was working as a missionary overseas.

Beliefs

Theology

Baucham follows a type of Christian belief called Reformed theology. He believes in the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, which is a statement of beliefs for some Baptists. He describes himself as a "five-point Calvinist," which refers to specific beliefs about God's plan for salvation.

He appeared in a 2019 documentary called American Gospel: Christ Crucified. In it, he spoke about a Christian belief called penal substitutionary atonement. This belief explains how Jesus's death on the cross paid the price for human sins.

Family Roles

Baucham believes in what he calls "gospel patriarchy." This is a view that believes God has given different roles to men and women, especially within families and the church. He wrote about these ideas in his 2009 book, What He Must Be: ...If He Wants to Marry My Daughter.

He also supports the Stay-at-home daughter movement. This movement encourages young women to stay at home under their parents' guidance until they marry. In a 2007 documentary, he said that he believes many women in America are not properly guided or protected.

Family and Church Life

Baucham and his wife have homeschooled their nine children. He has often spoken about why he believes Christian parents should not send their children to public schools.

In his 2007 book, Family Driven Faith: Doing What It Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk with God, Baucham shared his ideas. He believes that parents, especially fathers, should teach their children about faith. He suggests doing this through family worship and by attending family integrated churches. These churches focus on families worshiping and learning together.

Views on Social Justice

Baucham does not agree with critical race theory. He believes in what he calls "biblical justice" instead. He sees critical race theory as a kind of religious movement with its own ideas about the world.

His 2021 book, Fault Lines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism's Looming Catastrophe, explains his criticisms. In the book, he argues that Critical Race Theory and similar ideas come from Western Marxism. He believes these ideas are not compatible with Christian beliefs.

Personal Life

Voddie Baucham is African-American. He became a Christian in 1987. He and his wife, Bridget, have nine children. He also practices Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which is a martial art.

In February 2021, Baucham had heart failure. He traveled to the Mayo Clinic Florida for medical care. Many people donated money through a GoFundMe campaign to help with his medical costs.

In 2022, Baucham received the Boniface Award from the Association of Classical Christian Schools. This award honors public figures who have faithfully supported Christian truth and values.

Books

• The Ever-Loving Truth: Can Faith Thrive in a Post-Christian Culture? (Broadman & Holman, 2004)
• Family Driven Faith: Doing What It Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk with God (Crossway, 2007)
• What He Must Be: ...If He Wants to Marry My Daughter (Crossway, 2009)
• Family Shepherds: Calling and Equipping Men to Lead Their Homes (Crossway, 2011)
• Joseph And the Gospel of Many Colors: Reading an Old Story in a New Way (Crossway, 2013)
• Expository Apologetics: Answering Objections with the Power of the Word (Crossway, 2015)
• Fault Lines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism's Looming Catastrophe (Salem Books, 2021)