Voddie Baucham's new website for the move to Africa

[hoipolloi]

He plans to move himself, wife Bridget, and their seven younger children there by the end of summer 2016 (launchthemove.com/).

Looks like that leaves Trey (a.k.a. Voddie III), the second-oldest after Jasmine, footloose & fancy free back in TX.

Quote

We have two distinct financial goals as we prepare for the big move. The first is an immediate goal related to the cost of the initial move. This goal includes needs like airfare (for me, my wife, and our seven youngest children), the ‘crate’ that will ship our belongings (this is the largest single need due to Zambia’s remote, land-locked location), vehicles, and other set-up costs.

IMMEDIATE FINANCIAL GOAL: $123,000.00 (ALMOST MET!)

The second goal is raise our monthly support. This need is based on cost of living in Zambia (food, fuel, rent, communications, etc.). Ironically, the cost of living in Lusaka is higher than the cost of living in Houston! This is due in large part to the expense of living in the capitol city of a land-locked, third world country.

MONTHLY FINANCIAL GOAL: $5,000.00

As you consider these goals, please make them a matter of prayer. First, consider prayerfully whether the Lord would have you participate through giving. Also, please keep these goals in mind as you encounter individuals and churches who may have interests and resources commensurate with these goals. And stay tuned for news as to our progress in meeting our financial goals.

Perhaps one should give him credit for thinking ahead, instead of taking the Shrader approach.

Nonetheless, it would be interesting to hear the thoughts of those FJ-ers who live/have lived in/know about Zambia.

[Palimpsest]

Thanks, hoipolloi!

Looks as though Voddie will not make his self-imposed 6th month deadline for the move to Zambia. For more context on Voddie's plans for Zambia and a compare/contrast between Shrader and Baucham, see this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=190&t=23959

[hoipolloi]

Thanks, hoipolloi!

Looks as though Voddie will not make his self-imposed 6th month deadline for the move to Zambia. For more context on Voddie's plans for Zambia and a compare/contrast between Shrader and Baucham, see this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=190&t=23959

Thank you!

Late last night, I was looking for that thread but, for some reason, it did not pop up on my searches!

[Palimpsest]

Hard searching through all the Voddie references. I finally found it by Googling: FJ Voddie and African Christian University together.

Speaking of ACU, they made an April Fool's day joke on Facebook:

April 1 at 11:24am ·

.

With eyes of faith we see this place teeming with students very soon!

It is a picture of a smallish pink house on a deserted street! Perhaps it is waiting for Voddie and family to teem with anyone. ACU seems to have made no progress on additional staffing, let alone setting up the first student class who were supposed to start building the campus their Biblical studies in January 2015.

[ViolaSebastian]

$123,000 seems like a staggering amount to me. How much did Shrader ask for before he left?

[socalrules]

Why is everyone going to Zambia? Is it the easiest African country for an American to get a visa to convert people from Christianity to fundy-Christianity?

[Palimpsest]

$123,000 seems like a staggering amount to me. How much did Shrader ask for before he left?

Shrader never said. He just gave percentages of how much he had raised, boasted about the Lord giving him high ticket items, and then asked for $$ towards specific pricy items like flying lessons and brand new troupies. At the last minute he asked for extra $$ because he was shocked at the cost of vax. It was never clear that the children did get vax before they left.

Voddie asking for $123,000 seems like a lot. However, it is probably in the ball park when you consider that he wants people to pay for: airfares (2 adults + 7 kids) the shipping crate(s) full of "necessities" and 2 cars (1 little one and 1 big enough for the whole family). Other "set-up costs" are to help him buy (not rent) a house in Lusaka. He is selling his old house, in theory, to help pay for some of this stuff.

Shrader has also never specified monthly expenses either, so Voddie is a step ahead on that.

The second goal is raise our monthly support. This need is based on cost of living in Zambia (food, fuel, rent, communications, etc.). Ironically, the cost of living in Lusaka is higher than the cost of living in Houston! This is due in large part to the expense of living in the capitol city of a land-locked, third world country.

The cost of living in Lusaka is undoubtedly higher than in Houston - if you want to live the same Westernized life-style as you do in the States* with lots of imported luxury goods and food items. I'm sure the locals involved in ACU live on less than Voddie is asking here.

*For John Shrader, I think his family's standard of living has actually improved in Zambia. All those new appliances and no longer living in a church basement or pop-up camper.

[Palimpsest]

Why is everyone going to Zambia? Is it the easiest African country for an American to get a visa to convert people from Christianity to fundy-Christianity?

Not everyone is going to Zambia. If you nose around IFB missionary clearing house sites (the ones they use to get non-profit status) there are plenty of people raising funds for missions elsewhere. We note that tourist areas are quite popular. So lots of African, S. American, and Asian missions, but also missionaries to Scotland, Canada and in the US. There is an IFB Mission in MA quite close to me. :lol:

That said, Zambia does seem to tolerate missionaries better than some other African countries, and getting a visa to proselytize seems comparatively easy. People don't have to pretend to be teaching ESL there.

I suspect that other attractions to Zambia are that it is comparatively:

- Stable. Far fewer risks than in a country experiencing a war or civil war.

- English speaking, in that English is the common language for educated Zambians.

- Already predominantly Christian and converting "wrong" Christians to "right" Christians is easier.

- Comparatively Westernized - at least in the big cities. Note that neither Voddie nor John wants to live in a rural area. Or the "bush" as John likes to call it.

[DGayle]

I'm sure he'd expect Mexicans who come to the US to get jobs. So why doesn't he get a job over there?

[PrairieGirl]

His job is winning souls and converting Christians to Christianity.

[GotCaughtDancing]

I bet Africa can hardly wait. Oi vey!

[formergothardite]

So is he starting a printing ministry? There are just so few people going to Zambia to print..... :wink-kitty:

[Palimpsest]

:penguin-no: :penguin-no: :penguin-no:

You cynical satan spawn just don't get it!

Voddie does have a job in Zambia! "President/Head of the Seminary at African Christian University (ACU)." Granted the job and "University" are merely a fancy website and a couple of buildings, at this point, but ...

If you advertise ACU they will come! And apparently be free labor to build the rest of the campus for a non-accredited fancy pants Bible College whose degrees are useless in the real world. :evil-eye:

[SoybeanQueen]

That $5000 a month could go toward a lot of education for people who otherwise couldn't afford it. Zambia doesn't need more colleges, let alone more unaccredited ones. They need better access to inexpensive/free lower education in the rural areas. But, you know, that would require leaving the relative comfort of a city and a whole lot of actual work.

Mr. Soybean is considering a project in Zambia. I guess I could go along so these yahoos can convert me from regular Christian to QF no pants Christian. I can take one for the team.

[DGayle]

His job is winning souls and converting Christians to Christianity.

That job wouldn't cut it for a Mexican immigrant.

Zambia has an official religion. Guess what it is....

[Trynn]

That $5000 a month could go toward a lot of education for people who otherwise couldn't afford it. Zambia doesn't need more colleges, let alone more unaccredited ones. They need better access to inexpensive/free lower education in the rural areas. But, you know, that would require leaving the relative comfort of a city and a whole lot of actual work.

Mr. Soybean is considering a project in Zambia. I guess I could go along so these yahoos can convert me from regular Christian to QF no pants Christian. I can take one for the team.

Just the way you put it.... Makes it sound like you plan on doing the no pants dance if converted..... NIKE!!!!

[Trynn]

That job wouldn't cut it for a Mexican immigrant.

Zambia has an official religion. Guess what it is....

Why, Satanism, of course.

[formergothardite]

So how far is Voddie going to be from Shrader and Rea(if he ever gets there)? I would love to see them try to convert each other's converts.

[Palimpsest]

So how far is Voddie going to be from Shrader and Rea(if he ever gets there)? I would love to see them try to convert each other's converts.

Kafue to Lusaka: 42 min (43.6 km) via Kafue Rd/T2

I'm sure John and Voddie will bump into each other in Walmart!

I think Rea is still going to Kafulafuta in the Copper Belt - a good 300 km from Lusaka. I'm not sure of the nearest city to Kafulafuta..

[hoipolloi]

Voddie Baucham was so emphatic in his blaming of Michael Brown (thegospelcoalition.org/article/thoughts-on-ferguson), you'd think he'd instead be moving himself and his family to an inner city in the US to help all of the godless ones living there by modeling godly family life and fatherhood:

Rest assured, I do believe there are systemic issues plaguing black men. These issues are violence, criminality, and immorality, to name a few. And all of these issues are rooted in and connected to the epidemic of fatherlessness. Any truly gospel-centered response to the plight of black men must address these issues first and foremost.

Why, he could even move to another part of Houston or back to his hometown of LA, and for a LOT less money.

So just how is this going to further Jesus' Great Commission, if indeed it's about that and not about Voddie's monstrous ego? I am genuinely curious.

[SoybeanQueen]

Just the way you put it.... Makes it sound like you plan on doing the no pants dance if converted..... NIKE!!!!

Won't they be surprised when that happens? :lol:

[16strong]

Does anyone else feel like we've been through this before? I'm getting a case of deja vu the headaches. :doh:

[16strong]

So how far is Voddie going to be from Shrader and Rea(if he ever gets there)? I would love to see them try to convert each other's converts.

I'm going to put in a vote for Voddie. He's only got one convert to convert. Assuming he's better at spreading the gospel than Shrader (which almost anyone is), he seems like the clear winner to me.

[SoybeanQueen]

Yesterday I was reading about a high school in Zambia (outside of the city, I think it was near Mumbwa) that is in such dis-repair it is said to be a death trap. Then I happened to see another story, a first-hand account of an elementary school in a more remote village and they've had the roof blow off with some regularity.

Imagine what Baucham's big bucks could do in places like that. It's a bit less glamorous, though, and not nearly as much ego stroking involved, so it'll never happen.

[DomWackTroll]

Trey and Jasmine have got to be heaving sighs of relief. I know I would be.