Tory Baucum

Tory K. Baucum (born 1960 in Kansas)[1] is the director of the Center for Family Life at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas.[2] 

Tory Baucum
Personal details
NationalityAmerican
DenominationCatholic
OccupationBenedictine peace activities
ProfessionCenter for Family Life

Baucum was elected to the Polish Academy of Sciences in 2023, and appointed at the same time to the Copernicus Academy by Andrzej Duda, the president of Poland, in recognition of his leadership in peace and reconciliation, and in working to assist with the refugee crisis.[3]

Career in ministry

Truro Church

Baucum served as pastor of Truro Church, an Anglican church in Virginia, from 2007 to 2019.[4]

In 2006, the Truro Church left the Episcopal Church (TEC). This led to conflict and a long-running lawsuit over ownership of the church buildings and land. During his time at Truro, Baucum and Bishop Shannon Johnston of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia settled the conflict with an agreement that the Truro congregation could remain in the historic building rent-free with a commitment to maintain the property.[5]  The intrareligious dialogue between Baucum and Johnston was highlighted in the Catholic Journal, Commonweal[6] and featured in the Easter edition of the New York Times.[5][7]

In 2014, Truro was named as one of the Six Preachers of Canterbury Cathedral by Archbishop Justin Welby.[8]

Baucum resigned from his position at Truro Anglican Church in November 2019, following his conversion to Catholicism.

Conversion to Catholicism

Baucum served in various ministry and leadership roles in the Anglican church for roughly thirty years. He worked as a pastor, and as a seminary and university professor at Asbury Theological Seminary.[8] Then, in 2019, he and his wife converted to the Catholic Church.[9]

Baucum's conversion story was featured on the EWTN program "The Journey Home" in 2023. [10]

Peace ministry

Baucum's primary focus in ministry is on what he refers to as peacebuilding, which ties domestic and family life, to life in the community, to the broader horizons of war and peace.[1]

Baucum has cited the Reverend Eugene Rivers, Rabbi Marc Gopin and Bishop Shannon Johnston as influences.[11][12][13] He has also cited Mistero Grand, an Italian marriage ministry, and its founder Don Renzo Bonetti as key influences.[3]

Baucum participated in a reconciliation trip to Poland in 2022. The Polish government commended Gopin and Baucum and invited them to continue consulting and building up domestic church leaders to counteract the effects of Putin’s Christian Nationalist war on Ukraine.[14]

In February 2023, Baucum was inducted to the Copernican Academy In Toruń, Poland.[15][16]

References
  1. "Tory Baucum biography". Carter School at George Mason University. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  2. "Center for Family Life | Benedictine College". a-z-WGB-Front. 2021-09-24. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  3. "Catholic Leaders Weigh in On High Honor Given to Center for Family Life's Tory Baucum". Transforming. January 12, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  4. "Truro Anglican Parish Profile" (PDF). Truro Anglican. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  5. Paulson, Michael (2014-04-19). "Two Ministers Forge Friendship Across a Church Divide". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  6. "Contentious Christians | Commonweal Magazine". www.commonwealmagazine.org. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
  7. Weil, Julie Zauzmer (February 21, 2020). "Prominent Fairfax church seeks to explain rector's sudden departure". Washington Post. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  8. Michael, Mark (December 9, 2019). "Truro Anglican's Tory Baucum Resigns". Living Church. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  9. "Leading cleric in ACNA plans to enter Roman Catholic Church | Church News Ireland". CNI Church News Ireland. December 12, 2019. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  10. Burghart, Paul. "Leading Anglican's Powerful Conversion To Be Featured on EWTN". Benedictine College. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  11. "3 Million Refugees and No Refugee Camp? Thank Poland's Catholic Families". Benedictine College. July 13, 2022. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  12. Admin (2019-10-24). "Influential Mainline Church Partners with Communio to Strengthen Families in Fairfax, VA". Communio. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
  13. Bollig, Joe (2022-07-15). "Archdiocese announces partnership to strengthen marriages". The Leaven Catholic Newspaper. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
  14. "3 Million Refugees and No Refugee Camp? Thank Poland's Catholic Families". Ex Corde at Benedictine College. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
  15. "Catholic Leaders Weigh in On High Honor Given to Center for Family Life's Tory Baucum". Transforming Culture in America, Benedictine College. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  16. Hoopes, Tom (January 11, 2023). "International Honor Is an Unprecedented Opportunity for Benedictine's Baucum". Benedictine.edu.
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