Voddie Baucham Jr: Quick Facts on the Preacher Dead at 56 and His Last Words to Charlie Kirk

Voddie Baucham Jr, the American preacher known for his strong Calvinist theology and criticism of modern cultural movements, has died at 56 following an emergency medical incident.

The news was confirmed on 25 September by Founders Ministries, who shared a statement describing Baucham's death as his 'entrance into the presence of the Saviour'. He had recently returned to the United States after a decade overseas and was helping to establish a new theological seminary in Florida.

But what exactly do we know about Voddie Baucham Jr?

Early Life and Education

Born on 11 March 1969 in Los Angeles, Voddie Tharon Baucham Jr was raised by a single mother and later became a Christian in college in 1987. He studied at New Mexico State University and Rice University, where he played football as a tight end. He transferred to Houston Baptist University and earned a BA before going on to complete postgraduate degrees in theology.

He held a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also undertook further academic study at the University of Oxford. In 1993, Baucham founded Voddie Baucham Ministries.

Pastoral Career and Theological Beliefs

Baucham's preaching career began in Texas, where he was involved in itinerant ministry and later served as pastor of Grace Family Baptist Church. He was a key voice in the Southern Baptist Convention and was known for his Reformed theology, strongly affirming the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith.

He described himself as a 'fire-breathing, TULIP believing, five-point Calvinist'. He appeared in the Netflix documentary American Gospel: Christ Alone supporting penal substitutionary atonement, a view that attracted both praise and criticism.

Move to Zambia and Founders Seminary

In 2015, Baucham moved with his family to Lusaka, Zambia, where he became Dean of Theology at African Christian University. He served in that role for nine years, working to train pastors across the continent. In 2024, he returned to the United States and took up a new post as founding president of Founders Seminary in Cape Coral, Florida.

In January 2025, he was formally announced as one of the founding faculty members of the seminary. At the time of his death, he remained active in the institution's development.

Personal Life and Views

Baucham and his wife, Bridget, had nine children and homeschooled them. He was a strong supporter of family-integrated churches and often criticised public education for Christian families. His 2007 book Family Driven Faith focused on the role of fathers in spiritual leadership at home.

In 2021, Baucham published Fault Lines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism's Looming Catastrophe, criticising Critical Race Theory (CRT) as incompatible with Christianity. He claimed CRT was based on Western Marxism and said it had become a kind of belief system in itself.

Health Struggles and Final Years

In 2021, Baucham suffered heart failure and received treatment at Mayo Clinic in Florida. A GoFundMe campaign raised over £820,000 (approximately $1 million) to cover his medical expenses. He recovered and continued to preach and write, eventually resuming full-time ministry work.

On 25 September 2025, Baucham died after an emergency medical episode. He was 56.

Just days before his passing, Baucham had posted online in memory of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed on 10 September 2025. In a tribute shared on X, Baucham wrote: 'You might kill the messenger but you can never kill the message. Rest in peace, Charlie Kirk.'