Sunday Essay: Voddie Baucham, The Minister of Defense

Voddie defended the faith like a man who had “been with Jesus.” And now he is.

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NOTE: My friend Voddie Baucham died a week ago at the too-young age of 56 (I turned 56 on Friday). He was a lion, and we all miss him terribly. My friend Mark Coppenger here writes a powerful eulogy for Voddie, true to the man’s courage and willingness to pay the price, which originally appeared at the Center for Baptist Leadership. Please read it, and follow both Mark and the Center. — RDM

by Mark Coppenger
October 5, 2025

In the early 2000s, I’d fly down to Louisville to teach some courses at Southern Seminary, and I’d often find myself in the airport shuttle with that day’s chapel speaker, both of us headed home. On these twenty-minute rides, I enjoyed the range of cordial and interesting conversations. In some cases, I was familiar with the speaker from previous contact or exposure to their work.

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