Voddie Baucham GoFundMe raised $1.4M for Florida pastor’s heart surgery before deceitful fundraiser claims

Voddie Baucham Jr. was an evangelical pastor, theologian, and author who died from a medical emergency on September 25, 2025, at the age of 56. Baucham is identified with preaching, authorship, and a commitment to biblical family discipleship.

Yet the Baucham reputation was also attached to a $1.4 million GoFundMe campaign that funded a life-sustaining heart surgery for Baucham in 2021 and led to a controversy that lasted a number of years.

In February 2021, Baucham disclosed that he was experiencing severe heart failure and needed immediate treatment. His case was so dire that afterward, he said himself being “an hour or so from death” when he finally sought care at the Mayo Clinic in Florida.

We are saddened to inform friends that our dear brother, Voddie Baucham, Jr., has left the land of the dying and entered the land of the living. Earlier today, after suffering an emergency medical incident, he entered into his rest and the immediate presence of the Savior whom he… pic.twitter.com/mwVSAS55E8

— Founders Seminary (@FoundersSem) September 25, 2025

In response to requests for his medical expenses related to surgery and treatment, Founders Ministries president Tom Ascol started a GoFundMe called “Voddie Baucham’s Medical Expense Fund.”

The movement quickly took off among Christians, soon raising more than $1.4 million in a short amount of time. Supporters from all over the world gave money, all citing Baucham’s ministry that had touched their lives and a desire to support him and his family during a time of health crisis.

That same year, Voddie Baucham had quadruple bypass surgery, despite having already received treatment for serious arrhythmias as well. His recovery was viewed by many as a testimony to the generosity he received.

Voddie Baucham blamed for misuse of the funds and complex history

Questions arose afterwards, however, regarding how the funds had been used. In December 2024, The Roys Report received an anonymous email stating the cost of Baucham's surgery should not have cost more than $300,000,

The email also asked "What happened to the other $1.1 Million?" The email also suggested parts of Voddie Baucham's bestselling book Fault Lines were written by a ghostwriter.

Later it came to light that Josh Buice, ex-president of G3 Ministries, was the source of the anonymous emails. Buice eventually confessed to producing phony accounts to propagate allegations, and later apologized to the public, describing his claims as "unsubstantiated" and "sinful."

.@G3Conference Fndr Josh Buice used a fake email account to send allegations of financial misconduct against @VoddieBaucham to TRR last Dec.

The email claimed a 2021 GoFundMe raised $1.4 million for Baucham's medical expenses, which only cost $300K 1/https://t.co/6BOVJdSYce

— Julie Roys (@reachjulieroys) May 16, 2025

Buice took back his accusations, but transparency still existed. The Roys Report and other voices in the evangelical world continued to pressure Baucham and Ascol to provide documents detailing how every penny was spent. Neither of them provided receipts or financial documentation, and that created some doubt in certain places in the faith community.

The discussion around the fundraiser did not detract from Voddie Baucham’s greater influence, but it did bring up difficult questions of responsibility in religious fundraising.

Supporters contend that the pastor used the funds responsibly and the accusations are unwarranted, while there are still individuals pressing for greater financial accountability in high-profile campaigns.