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Close to a decade ago, I began seeking a deeper essence in my faith. I longed for wisdom and revelation, the kind Paul prayed for in Ephesians 1:17–21, a scripture I first encountered in Kenneth Hagin’s The Believer’s Authority. That prayer became my daily anchor. Faith, I discovered, is not a shield from life’s storms; life itself is a storm. What we need is a faith that carries us through.

At that time, my wife and I were waiting on God for children. But my turn to apologetics was not born of worry. I knew our times were in His hands, that God is never late, and that when due, we would not be deprived, as Bishop David Oyedepo once taught. Rather, apologetics became my pursuit as a man and father preparing to leave my children a legacy anchored on Christ, one rooted in transcendent truth in an age of postmodernism and relativism.

In that journey, building on the foundation already laid by my father in the faith, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya, who exemplified and taught me intimacy with my heavenly Father as a true father in faith, and with Kenneth Hagin, who deepened my grasp of prayer and the authority of the believer, God used different ministries, each carrying a unique grace. Joseph Prince unveiled the radical power of grace and the finished work of the Cross. Ravi Zacharias, along with Josh and Sean McDowell, equipped me with the tools of apologetics, while John Lennox helped me see that science and faith are not mutually exclusive, training me to defend the faith in a post-truth world. Erwin McManus stretched my imagination for creativity and culture. And then, I encountered Voddie Baucham.

Voddie’s ministry was different. His teaching was a revelation, piercing through cultural noise with biblical clarity. He redefined manhood, not as domination but as servant-leadership rooted in Christ. He taught that the first ministry is family. He showed that strength is for protection, not oppression. He called fathers to lead their homes in humility: to repent first, to apologize to their wives and children when they fall short, to model courage, and to disciple their households in daily worship. He reminded us that marriage is God’s ordained place to raise godly offspring, and that undermining Genesis undermines the entire authority of Scripture. Voddie’s life and message stirred men to embrace responsibility and fortified my own resolve to leave a Christ-centered legacy for my family.

I watched him leave the comforts of the United States to serve in Africa. I followed his health struggles and rejoiced in his recovery. His life and message fortified my own resolve to lead my family in Christ and to call others to do the same.

One of his most profound clips now circulates widely. In it, he declares:

“Don’t you believe it. Don’t you believe it when you hear a rumor that Voddie Baucham is no more. Because though I die, I will rise with Christ. It will not be the end of me because Christ is raised and I too will be raised with Christ.”

Today, as we mourn the passing of this servant, colossus, general, and inspiration, we also rejoice. For Voddie Baucham is not lost; he has only crossed over. His life reminds us that true hope is not in holding onto this world but in holding onto the resurrected Christ.

Rest on, General. The rumor of your death is only believed by the uninitiated