In 1995, it was the summer of my junior year of high school just before my senior year. I attended our summer youth camp in San Marcos Baptist Academy that our church was able to secure for that week. I do not remember who led worship, but we had a preacher that no one ever heard of. We knew he was in the Houston area and preached at various youth camps. That preacher was Voddie Baucham.
I do not remember the messages he preached that week, but everyone loved Voddie. He and I got to have many one-on-one conversations during that week. I even asked him to give a nod to our recreational team who have not won any games on the last full day of camp, Voddie did more than that, He participated in two of the games that afternoon, which were Water Polo and Volleyball. We won both of those games including the last game he was not involved in because he was preparing for that evening's message.
Voddie and I reconnected a couple of years later when he came and spoke during our Tuesday night Bible study at East Texas Baptist University (ETBU) called Timeout. He spoke at our chapel service the next day wearing a bow tie. I asked him why he was wearing one. He told me that I am reclaiming the bow tie for Jesus from Louis Farrakhan. He said it will a big smile on his face. Voddie came back to ETBU as the main speaker for our Spiritual Renewal Week. I do not remember his messages, however one thing I remember was one service he quoted Philippians 2:5-11 by memory and had tears coming from his eyes. He said nothing after that and sat back in his seat. The room was quiet for a moment till the worship band came up to lead us in some songs.
In 2000, about a month after my wife and I got married, I was also a college graduate. Voddie was preaching at Super Summer at ETBU. Our church's youth group and we were invited to go. Voddie met my wife and told him I was out of college. He looked at me and said, "They let you out?" I think my wife and everyone around us laughed. To be honest I probably did too. One interesting note, the band leading that Super Summer was MercyMe so I got to hear "I Can Only Imagine" before it was played at various funerals.
I wish I can say Voddie and I stayed in touch over the years, but we did not. His ministry was starting to take off, and I was a struggling Youth Pastor. I remember being at a Christian bookstore in Lake Charles, LA, where I saw a book called "The Ever-Loving Truth." written by Voddie. I bought it without hesitation and loved it.
I was delighted to learn that Voddie wrote many other books and embraced Reformed Theology. I kept up with many things in his ministry. My wife and I said, we wished were part of his church when he was pastoring in Houston, but it never happened. I am so grateful that God had used Voddie not only in the church he shepherded, but the entire body of Christ whether through his sermons or his books.
Voddie was a voice of reason when wokeism and critical race theory was infiltrating the church. I always pointed out his messages to those I knew personally that flirted with wokeness. As most of you know, I have shared a few videos of Voddie preaching in various topics on the blog.
I knew of his health issues and all I can do was pray. I was grateful that God brough him out of that situation. Yesterday, September 25, 2025, I saw the news that Voddie entered the presence of Christ due to an emergency medical procedure. As I write this, I do not know any more details beyond that.
We have had many deaths in church at large over the years, J.I. Packer, Jerry Bridges, R.C. Sproul, and, most recently, John MacArthur, but Voddie's is one that will hit many. I shared one social media that this one hurts and it truly does. While I will miss Voddie, I am thankful that he is with the Savior. He is no longer dealing with health issues.
While I did not have Voddie on speed dial or had his e-mail, I always hoped he would remember me when I saw him again. For this reason, while Voddie was not just a brother in the Lord, he was also my friend. I hurt not because the church lost a giant of a preacher, but I lost a friend. Please join me in praying for his family and for those he worked with at Founders Seminary.
Thank you, Father, for the life and ministry of Voddie Baucham.
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