This is one of the last things I sent to Voddie Baucham.
He used to send me memes, so I knew he would enjoy that joke as much as I did. I hoped he knew that the main reason why I loved that joke was because it was one of the best compliments I have ever received.
Voddie Baucham passed away yesterday at just 56 years old.
I don’t think there is a more dynamic and multifaceted preacher than Voddie Baucham. If you ask 10 people how they were introduced to his ministry, you will get 10 completely different answers. He influenced the Church in America, Canada, the United Kingdom, Zambia, and worldwide on so many critical issues.
He is known for his work on cultural apologetics, homeschooling, family integrated church, Reformed theology, expository preaching, Biblical masculinity and femininity, adoption, abortion, race, Christian education, and more.
Most faithful Christian leaders are admired for one or maybe two things. Voddie Baucham, however, was a beloved voice on so many issues.
I’ll never forget how powerfully his words impacted me when I read his article about the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson. That was the beginning of the Black Lives Matter movement, and it was also the start of fractures in my group of black friends. At the time, I was the only person in my circle who didn’t support Black Lives Matter. So when Voddie Baucham articulated what I had been thinking in the article, it made me feel that maybe I wasn’t going crazy. If he was on my side, then it means I was probably on God’s side.
His words on race, cultural apologetics, masculinity, abortion, adoption, marriage, parenting, and the gospel consistently echo in my mind. His influence on my life is immeasurable.
I messaged Conrad Mbewe to tell him I was grieving with him as soon as I heard the news. When I met Voddie Baucham with a friend several years ago, we told him how grateful we were for his work with Conrad Mbewe in Zambia.
Christians in America might overlook his work in Zambia. But to me, that is maybe the most remarkable thing about his ministry. He moved to Zambia in 2015 to become the president of African Christian University; soon after, he became one of the most influential Reformed preachers in America. Some evangelical leaders have refused offers that would give them bigger platforms. But how many accept roles that give them smaller platforms?
What evangelical leader in America would be eager to move his large family to a poor country that most people have never heard of or can’t find on a map? Voddie Baucham.
That said a lot about his character and his motivation for ministry. He didn’t want to make a name for himself; he wanted the world to know Jesus.
He served as president of African Christian University for a decade until he returned to America earlier this year. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that many Reformed churches have been planted in Africa over the last 10 years.
There is a small, quiet Reformation happening in churches across Africa. As a Ghanaian, it has been a blessing to see a growing number of Reformed pastors and churches in Ghana and Africa. A decade ago, there was just 1 Reformed church in Ghana. Today, there are at least 10.
Voddie Baucham and Conrad Mbewe have played a significant role in that.
But I will remember Voddie Baucham most from our private conversations, not his public ministry.
In 2020, six years after his article on Michael Brown and Ferguson made me realize that I wasn’t alone and going crazy, after all. Voddie Baucham sent me an email that said:
“I wanted to drop you a line and offer a word of encouragement. I know how hard it is to be a lone voice during these trying times. Just want you to know that you are not alone.”
I am not ashamed to say that it made me cry a lot. It still makes me cry.
But, somehow, that isn’t even the kindest thing he has done for me. To my shock, the following year, in 2021, when Fault Lines was close to its release, he asked me to write an endorsement for his book.
However, I was going through a very painful process at the time. I didn’t want that to hurt his ministry, so we talked on the phone, and I told him things that I thought would make him distance himself from me.
Instead, my hero became a friend. He encouraged me with his wisdom, and I have followed his words ever since. He told me he still wanted me to write an endorsement for Fault Lines, and on top of that, he said he wanted me to join him on some of his speaking tours.
I will miss Voddie Baucham, my hero and my friend. I am thankful for his life and ministry.
Tom Ascol has created a fund on GiveSendGo for the Baucham family. Please bless them with your financial support; they enabled Voddie Baucham to bless us all.
https://www.givesendgo.com/bauchamfamily