Voddie Baucham facts for kids

Voddie Tharon Baucham, Jr. was born on March 11, 1969. He is an American pastor, author, and teacher. He used to be the Dean of Theology at African Christian University in Lusaka, Zambia for nine years.

Today, he is the first President of Founders Seminary in Cape Coral, Florida. This school helps train men who want to become church leaders. Founders Seminary is part of Founders Ministries, an organization that started in 1983. This group works to help churches focus on the main ideas of their faith.

His Journey and Work

Early Life and School

Voddie Baucham was born in Los Angeles, California. He studied at several universities, including New Mexico State University and Rice University. He even played football as a tight end! He later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Houston Baptist University.

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, he started his own organization called Voddie Baucham Ministries.

His Career as a Pastor

For many years, Mr. Baucham traveled and spoke to people, mostly in Texas. He also spoke at some big Christian 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 for Founders Ministries.

In 2022, he was asked if he would consider becoming the president of the Southern Baptist Convention, a large group of churches. He wasn't sure if he could, since he was living overseas. In 2024, Mr. Baucham moved back to the United States from Zambia. In January 2025, it was announced that he would be one of the first teachers at Founders Seminary in Florida.

What He Believes

His Christian Beliefs

Voddie 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. He describes himself as a "five-point Calvinist," which refers to specific ideas about God and salvation.

He appeared in a 2019 documentary called American Gospel: Christ Alone. In it, he talked about a Christian idea called "penal substitutionary atonement."

Family and Church Life

Mr. Baucham and his wife have taught their nine children at home, which is called homeschooling. He has also spoken about why he believes Christian parents should not send their children to public schools.

In his 2007 book, Family Driven Faith, he wrote that parents, especially fathers, should guide their children in their faith. He suggests doing this through family worship and by attending churches that include the whole family in their activities.

Views on Social Justice

Voddie Baucham has written about his views on social justice. He believes that some modern ideas about social justice are different from what the Bible teaches. He calls his view "biblical justice."

In his 2021 book, Fault Lines, he explains his thoughts on this topic. He argues that certain theories, like Critical Race Theory, come from different ideas than Christian beliefs. He believes these ideas can sometimes go against Christian teachings.

His 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 type of martial art.

In February 2021, Mr. Baucham had heart failure and needed treatment at the Mayo Clinic Florida. Many people helped raise money for his medical expenses. In 2022, he received the Boniface Award from the Association of Classical Christian Schools. This award honors public figures who stand up for Christian truth and goodness.

Books He Has Written

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