Memories of Dr. Hoffmann

Share Your Memory of Dr. Hoffmann
(Scroll down to the bottom for the latest memories)

Dr. Hoffmann was the embodiment of the mission of The Lutheran Hour, Bringing Christ to the Nations. He proclaimed the message of Christ to millions around the world - a message of salvation through Christ alone that was as unmistakable as the boldness of his voice. He served as an ambassador for Christ to humble listeners around radios, to crowds in churches and auditoriums, and to civic and religious leaders worldwide.

Now, at the time of his death, our prayers and sympathies are extended to his family and all who mourn. His presence will be missed among us. But his zeal for the mission of Christ and His church will not be forgotten. We give thanks to God for the life and ministry of Oswald Hoffmann. "Well done, good and faithful servant."

- Dr. Gerald Kieschnick, president of
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod

About two years ago, Dr. Hoffman was in the Louisville, Kentucky area as guest speaker for the circuit-wide Reformation Service. My wife, Wanda, and I were privileged to have Dinner with Dr. Hoffman on Saturday evening. We carried on a nice mealtime conversation. I mentioned to him that in 1969, I was a member of the graduating class in the USAF Academy. I told him that he had been the guest preacher for the baccalaureate service. We asked him if he remembered doing this service. Not only did he remember, he proceeded to tell us many stories from his visit. His stories included amazingly accurate details of his visit including the names of the Air Force generals and chaplains with whom he had come into contact. Even in his late 80s, he had an amazing recall of details. Wanda and I thoroughly enjoyed this meeting and will always remember it.

- Greg Walts, Indiana District First Vice President

Dr. Hoffman was the greatest! I feel honored to have met him. What a voice! What a mind! What a gift! I sang in the Chamber Singers of Concordia--Milwaukee. He preached at the dedication of a new wing at Bethesda and we sang. He spoke at the Northern Illinois District teachers' convention in 1976 when I was fresh out of college. I am now an ordained pastor in the ELCA. He's was the best I've ever heard. I am saddened that he is gone.

- Rev David Williamson

When I was a child growing up in Northeast Missouri, I remember listening to Dr. Hoffmann on KFUO radio. I was so inspired, that years later after I had gotten married and finally met Dr. Hoffmann, I got to say to him, "You were the one reason that I became a Christian." Thank you Lord for sending Dr. Hoffmann to minister to hurting people and give a message of hope to those that are wanting.

- John DiSherlia

Having worked with Dr. Hoffmann as his personal assistant for about 30 years, I not only feel this as a personal loss but a loss to the religious community. He delegated responsibility to me and we worked well as a team. He and his wife, when she was alive, had become an integral part of our family including celebrations for most holidays, our daughter's weddings, etc. So, we will all miss him personally.

He loved his job as preacher on The Lutheran Hour for 33 years and he touched the lives of millions of people all over the world through this broadcast. Since his retirement as speaker he still continued to go all over the country preaching and spreading the Word. His last appearance was at the end of July for our 88th international convention to kick off the celebration of the 75th anniversary of The Lutheran Hour.

Most of all, he was a tremendous preacher of the Gospel, and you could always count on him to be true to the Gospel. He was well known for this in the ecumenical world, through serving on the boards of many organizations, including the American Bible Society, and as chairman of its translations committee for many years, as president for 12 years of the United Bible Societies (the worldwide association of national Bible societies), and also during his attendance as the Lutheran representative of the Second Vatican Council in Rome. He was a very popular preacher for the Billy Graham Schools of Evangelism. Just to hear his name evoked respect and enthusiasm for the faith from people all over the world. People learned of the Lord Jesus Christ when he preached or shared. He was welcome in the White House, met with kings, world leaders and presidents, and yet how caring a person he was for each and every one, great or small. He would visit the friend of a friend in the hospital! A person who gave many dollars for the mission, or a person who gave a few cents received the same kind of thank you letter from him. He was honored to have the Oswald Hoffmann School of Christian Outreach at Concordia University--St. Paul, Minnesota named after him, but the mission they carry out was most important to him.

Dr. Hoffmann enjoyed the times he spent with the military all over the world, including four times with the troops in Vietnam at Christmastime, and he was very popular with them. There is a little story of how he and Bob Hope crossed paths on one trip. While taking a picture together he said to Bob Hope, "Say something funny," to which Bob replied, "Bing Crosby!"

It's been a joy to work with him in sharing the Good News of Christ, and I am going to miss him and his always-upbeat personality!

- Gaylene LaBore, long-time executive assistant to Dr. Hoffmann

Dr. Hoffmann was a member of the Board of Directors of Aid Association for Lutherans from 1962 to 1983. He was a forceful advocate of changes that would be in the best interest of AAL members. He conducted devotions at the opening of Board meetings. AAL employees were able to share those devotions when they were asked to set aside their work for a few minutes as the devotions were broadcast. He was helpful friend to me personally and to the many AAL field representatives he met in his travels. We will miss him and his good humor.

- Henry Scheig, former president AAL

After I brought Dr. Hoffmann to speak to a singles conference in 1976, and while I was having dinner with him I was asking a view questions about the LLL. This is all it took to get me involved in this organization. He invited me to attend the Int'l LLL convention in Denver to learn more about the organization. I have been attending every one since then. I had a goal back then to slowly get involved. All the involvement I have had speaks for itself. To me this has truly been a blessing.

- Gregg Kremkow, Information Chairmen for the Michigan district.

There will be many stories told about Pr. Hoffmann. I use the term "pastor" because he was my pastor. While still an elementary school student I recall asking him to explain the Epistle for the day, Galatians 4: 21 ff. "What was all this about the free woman and the slave women?" Patiently he explained the text to this inquiring young girl while Mrs. Hoffmann waited with Sunday dinner.

Few people know that during the time the Hoffmann's lived in NYC, he spent every Christmas Day at a large city home for the elderly. He loved to sing and direct choirs almost as much as he loved to tell jokes. His Christmas Day "choir" was made up of Walther Leaguers from various congregations who went from ward to ward singing carols and distributing home made cookies.

Above all Dr. Hoffmann had a pastoral heart

- Marie Meyer

We are so blessed to have had Ozzie travel with us for 166 'Celebration of Christmas' concerts over an 11-year period of time. Every year I would drive our van and Ozzie would ride "shotgun" and he and I (mostly he) would talk non-stop for two weeks. I was the only one in our troupe who was the most interested in church history, theology, his history, Vatican II (where he was the official Lutheran delegate not only because of his position, but because he was fluent in Latin and Vatican II was conducted in Latin), and all the people he has known. The radio was never on. Ozzie was "on". I asked him one time as we passed by a huge mall and saw the J.C. Penney store, "Ozzie, how well did you know J.C. Penney?" Then I got to hear about his very close relationship with Mr. Penney (not a Lutheran; but a Lutheran Hour supporter). The next year, I would ask him the same question just so I could hear the story all over again. Every year I would hear the Golda Meir story. We heard all the funny stories year after year and we laughed harder each year.

When Ozzie wrote his book, we became a chapter in his book and I can't imagine being more honored than being included in the story of his life!

Marcia Hoffmann was buried on a Monday and he joined us on the following Saturday; I met him at the Buffalo, NY airport. I put my arms around him and he just wept. I said, "Ozzie, we get to be your family for the next two weeks". And we did. We became the Oswald Hoffmann support group and we treasure those days more than all the other days we spent together.

On one tour--in the Southwest--we drove a lot of miles out of our way between concerts so he could see the Grand Canyon. I arranged a helicopter flight across the Canyon for him. He talked about that experience for years. As soon as we got off of the helicopter he called Marcia back in St. Louis and gave her a view-by-view description.

On the tour just after Marcia died, I will never forget his saying, "I can't call Marcia any more". We both cried. We just loved Ozzie and will cherish our friendship and ministry together.

- Dave Anderson

At the Synodical Convention in New York sometime in the l970s, the French Lutheran Hour Speaker, Dr. Gallache died of a heart attack at the convention. He and Ozzie were close friends and the history of establishing The Lutheran Hour in France is itself a fascinating story. Gallache was trained as a Roman Catholic priest and served in that capacity until the beginning of WWII, when he joined the French militia and became a senior officer in the French Army. He received the Croix de Guerre or Grand Cross, one of only a few French officers to receive this award--comparable to the U.S. Medal of Honor. Gallache became very good friends with a U.S. Army Master Sgt., Les Kath, when he and his family lived in France. This Master Sgt. (LCMS from Iowa) was one of the most outstanding leaders I have ever met. He eventually transitioned to become an officer and retired as a full "bird colonel."

The history of Gallache becoming a Lutheran is a fascinating story but he was "re-ordained" as a Lutheran shortly after the war. He began "mission work" in Paris by showing movies, having musical programs in outdoor venues, etc. Army Sgt. Kath and his family helped Gallache with these endeavors. Eventually, Gallache became known to "Rudy" Berterman and the next generation of Lutheran Hour speakers, especially Ozzie. (Les, BTW, organized the first LCMS choir tour in Europe but I'm not positive what choir it was...think it was Springfield with Fred Precht.) With the influence of Les Kath--who at that time was working with the U.S. Command in France--Rudy Bertermann, Lawrence Acker and a few others, the French Lutheran Hour was born and Gallache was the speaker. Les Kath eventually became a Sr. Officer in NATO, stationed in Brussels.

Les and family retired from the Army and settled in his wife's old plantation home near Raleigh, N.C., which they totally restored to its 19th century grandeur. I was pastor of the only LCMS church in Raleigh at the time and Gallache would always stop in at Raleigh when he came to the U.S. and St. Louis for Lutheran Hour meetings. My wife and I had many fine evenings with Gallache and his wife, the Kaths (who were then members of my parish) and often other guests. So when Gallache died, the family wanted him buried in the U.S. and in Raleigh. Ozzie preached and I did the liturgy.

THE FUNERAL was the most unusual funeral I've ever be part of and attended. It was a "fun" funeral. Ozzie's 30-minute sermon was 30 minutes of humor by a very skilled orator and stand-up comic...but all of the humor had fantastic meaning with many levels of spiritual connections. I remember just about every story of that funeral, over 35 years ago.

An example would be the story of THE RACE. Ozzie told about a time when he, Gallache and Rudy Bertermann (Lutheran Hour exec) were having dinner at a Paris restaurant. They were all in very good spirits, possibly because of the good wine. When the maitre de brought the check, Gallache suggested the three of them have a foot race outside and the loser would pay the bill. They all agreed. Readers will know that Ozzie was never a small man and Rudy Berterman was on the generous side of portly, as was Gallache. But they all went outside and agreed to a distance they would run and solicited the maitre de and other waiters to serve as judges. As Ozzie tells it, the restaurant sort of emptied out and all the French folks came outside to watch the big race. The distance was about equivalent to half a normal city block....to the end of the street. At the appointed start signal, the three "elephants" rumbled down the street to the amazement and amusement of the crowd. Ozzie said he came in first, Gallache second and Rudy was the big loser so Rudy paid the bill. But the real "punch line" was Ozzie quoting Gallache's comment in one sentence when they came back to the restaurant for some more coffee or wine...Gallache kept saying: Zat Vas Really Sumting...Zat Vas Really Sumting!

Ozzie kept repeating that phrase every time he made a major point. He would talk about Gallache's heroism in the war and then say Zat Vas Really Sumting. He would talk about Gallache's undaunted vision to establish a Gospel Radio Ministry, i.e. TLH, and then came the phrase Zat Vas Really Sumting!

At one point Ozzie told the story about Gallache being captured by German troops and sentenced to death by a firing squad. He was in the prison yard standing before three executioners ready to fire at the command just when a senior German Officer gave the command to lower rifles and they took him away. Ozzie said, I asked him, "Were you afraid?" Gallache's answer was: Yes, I was afraid. If you had three rifles pointing at your head wouldn't you be afraid? Then came the refrain: Zat Vas Really Sumting"

Ozzie would talk about the death of Christ...and then the refrain. Ozzie would talk about the resurrection...then the refrain. Ozzie would talk about our journey as THE RACE...then the refrain. But when Ozzie talked about life eternal...the refrain changed to Zat IS Really Sumting.

I also recall Ozzie's conclusion, which was: In the race that really counts, VE ARE ALL VINNERS ... AND DAT IS REALLY SUMPTING SPECIAL.

I guess if people can remember a sermon for 35 years IT MUST HAVE BEEN SUMPTING SPECIAL. For years later when I would see Ozzie, and we often would see him in Florida either at Boca Raton or some area churches and he and I would greet each other, it always would include a reference the BIG RACE, THE FUNERAL and The Refrain and Ozzie would have that big, deep and hearty laughter. -- Pastor Walt Volz, Plantation, Florida

When I talked to some LH staffers some years after his retirement, they voiced a wish that Ozzie was still at LH. He'd avoided the politics of synod, although I suspect he'd have been elected president, if he'd ever have run.

I do remember the times (only a few) when I entered his office in St. Louis. A couple of times were in regard to tours I led. He always took time to meet with groups or individuals. He'd always talk to the group in a personal way. I'd met him at an LYE Congress when I was Campus Coordinator at CC, Milwaukee. His most memorable line for me was from the LYE Congress. He was speaking of John 4 in terms of evangelism. Of the woman, he said, "She had to come to the well at noon. Women will talk, you know." He wouldn't echo the line now, but it did underline the oddity of Jesus' talking to the woman at all.

What a blessing from God was Dr. Hoffmann and his legacy always will be! May he truly rest in peace.

- Paul M. Dobberstein, Credentialed Intentional Interim Pastor (LCMS),
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Bridgman, MI

Growing up in Casper, Wyoming (Mt. Hope Lutheran Church, Rev. Wilbert Sohns), I remember our Sunday dinners listening to The Lutheran Hour. Dr. Hoffmann was an inspiration to me and I had hoped that I would be as good a preacher as he was someday. We continue to feebly struggle, while he in glory shines. Rest well!

- Sam McPeek, Lafayette, Louisiana

Who could ever forget Dr. Hoffmann's booming voice, and his powerful delivery of the Gospel message, especially the way he would say "GOD!" Some years ago, maybe in the 1970's, Dr. Hoffmann was in Kearney for a Lutheran Hour rally. At a pre-rally dinner for local rally organizers the night before the event, Dr. Hoffmann had everyone "in stitches" when, as he prepared to make some informal remarks, an announcement or page came over the internal PA system. Ozzie was not at all fazed by the interruption. Rather, he played with it, calling it the "voice of God." When another announcement caused a second interruption, he played the part even better and had us all with tears in our eyes from laughing so hard.

I was also privileged to fellowship again with Dr. Hoffmann in recent years during the Dave and Barb Anderson Fellowship Ministry Christmas tours in Kearney and in Lincoln, Nebraska...How beautifully he told the Christmas story! But most importantly, how powerfully he presented the Gospel during his years as Lutheran Hour speaker. No one who had the privilege of meeting Dr. Hoffmann will ever forget the experience. Praise God for his many years of faithful Gospel proclamation, even many years into his retirement years!

- Paul Wice, Kearney, Nebraska

#1 I was a freelance writer when the LHM offices were on Hampton Avenue. I was dropping off an article for the Laymen when Dr. Hoffman passed by me. He asked how I was doing. I replied that I was heading out of town to console a dear friend who was mourning a loss due to death. He asked me to wait a moment. He returned from his office with a cassette tape. He asked me to give this to my friend. It was a recording he had made dealing with grief. He could have very well just passed me by or just said a word of comfort to me. But, he was just not like that. He went out of his way to be of help.

#2 It was several years later and I was connecting with a flight out of St. Louis. I recognized him and his wife sitting waiting for the flight to leave. He asked me how long I was going to be here in St. Louis at the airport. I told him it would be about two hours. He invited me to follow him to the TWA Members Lounge where I could be his guest until my flight left. I thanked him for the offer and said I would probably just wander around the airport for a while. But again, whatever he could do to help someone, he gladly would go out of his way to offer. I can't wait to see him again in Heaven!

- Randy Wendt, Outreach Coordinator, Timothy Lutheran Church, Woodstock, GA

I worked with Dr. Hoffmann from 1971 to 1978 as assistant to the Director of Publicity and PR for the Int'l LLL. He was one of the most caring, approachable people I have every known. His door was always open, and his jovial booming voice seemed to brighten the room. He hobnobbed with presidents, and treated the people he worked with as if he or she was president. Dr. Hoffmann will be missed for his out spoken proclamation of the Gospel, but more important, for the way he lived the life of a Christian-with faith in his Lord and love for his fellow man.

- Bill East, Former Int'l LLL associate

It was in my teens that I first understood what Oswald Hoffman meant to me. My mother was a strong proponent of the Lutheran Hour and frequently we listened to his sermons on WMBI in Chicago. As a "kid" I always felt bored and didn't care for the boldness or authorities voice of Dr. Hoffman. However, one day in my teens I listened to a sermon (on my own choosing) in 1979 on the Lutheran Hour titled," Sowing and Reaping." It was message that struck me with bewildered awe that I sent in for the tape (which I still have today) and have listened to it annually. When I was in my late 20's I briefly met Dr. Hoffman in 1989 at a Lutheran Hour Christmas Rally and told him about all of the sermons on tape I sent away for, and had in my possession. I remember how explicit I was detailing every title and some of the excerpts of each tape. He looked up at amazement with a surprised (like, get a life!) look and asked me, why? I told him simply," that it was something that help fortify my faith." Never was a truer word spoken! Through Dr. Hoffman and the Lutheran Hour the Holy Spirit has opened the eyes of my heart to see, Jesus, in all HIS glory, high, and lifted up!

In one of Oswald Hoffman's last interviews he mentioned how quickly people are forgotten after they die, in which he said " ...and that's okay, because it not me who should be remembered, it's the ONE whom we proclaim should be remembered." And to that I say, "AMEN"

- David Mundt, Oak Lawn, Illinois

Dr. Hoffman came down to Trinity Lutheran Church at Hanover, Kansas - I forget the year. The Horseshoe Farmer's Band was playing for a church festival. This is a church band, which is still in existence. My father, Martin E. Meyer was the director of the band at that time. My father was so honored when Ozzie took the baton and directed a number the band played. My father never stopped talking about that special day. This man of God touched so many lives. We thank God for giving him such a long and special life. We extend our sympathies to the family.

- Delbert and Ann Meyer, York, Nebraska

I have many great memories of Dr. and Marcia Hoffmann. This goes back to the LHM office on Hampton. My office was close to the front door. I always knew when Dr. Hoffmann arrived. He would say something to the receptionist and his laugh was delightful and infectious. I was compelled to meet him as he passed the office as it lifted my spirits. Carol and I were privileged to be invited by Dr. Hoffmann for a number of years to travel with them to Frankenmuth for a special day prepared by Tiny Zehnder. At the airport they would always get on first. I don't know if it was because of the clerical collar or his age, but they did not question him. He insisted we follow as his helper. We would be picked up in Detroit by Marvin and Teddi Moser, go to their home for lunch, and than take Teddi's car to Frankenmuth. One time there was ice on the highway and I asked if he would like for me to drive. He made it very clear that he would drive and he did it very well. Marcia would sit in the back seat on the right and on other trips when the highways were clear she would comment on his speed as she could see the speedometer. It didn't faze him much. He was a good driver and didn't talk with his hands. I do want to tell you about an opposite incident. He spoke at a Lenten service at St. Paul's in Des Peres. When they left if was dark and they exited on Manchester. There is a concrete barrier of four inches or so and he didn't see it and drove right over it. Sparks flew from the bottom of the car and there were probably a few sparks on the inside of the car as Marcia made her comments. One of his last sermons was on June 12th at Heit's Point Fall Festival on the Lake of the Ozarks. He may have had difficulty getting to the podium but once he placed his hands on the podium he knew what to say. He had a great message. He spent two nights and after breakfast he sat there looking out over the lake and trees and commented about how beautiful and "pruned" the trees were. Of course the Lord pruned the trees. Dr. Hoffmann had a phenomenal gift to remember names and incidents. It was a joy to see him in a crowd as the people wanted to shake his hand and he could call them by name. I'm sure he worked hard to develop that gift. Dr. Hoffmann was a great blessing as a servant of the Lord and to the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and the Lutheran Hour Ministries. What more is there to say but Amen!

- Larry Lumpe, former Executive Director of Lutheran Hour Ministries

Dr. Hoffmann was a very good friend of Brasil. He visited us many times and he visited us at my home. This was, indeed, a man of great faith! LHM and all the church will have him in his memory forever. We will include the Hoffmann family in our prayers. -- Kindest regards and God's blessings.

- Paulo Warth, Director of LHM--Brazil

We regret the loss of Dr. Hoffman, brother in Christ and a servant of these ministries. At the same time, we trust that he enters the presence of God. Please let Dr. Hoffmann's relatives know that we are praying for them. The peace of Jesus be with you.

- Rev. Ismael Laborde Figueras, Bishop of the Evangelical Church United and Yamilka Hernandez, Coordinating Director of Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones (LHM-Cuba)

Sorry to hear about Dr. Hoffman. He was a very nice man and such an inspiration to listen to. Even as he became more frail, you couldn't help but see the strength he projected.

- God's blessings, Jerry Sonnenberg, former LHM employee

I had been trained by LHM for many years and Dr. Hoffmann had been in the core to proclaim His Words, which LHM's core Mission. We lost such a great man, yet his messages still lives on in each heart, who had listened to him speak, by various ways around the world. Peace be with you,

- Takashi Yuguchi, former director of LHM-Japan

My memories of Dr. Hoffman are many and varied. I remember him sitting in my parents' living room one New Year's day telling us all his favorite jokes. It began I was eating some peanut butter and it got stuck to the roof of my mouth.... I remember how he lead the LHM Christmas Choir, singing heartily and with gusto and giving us very detailed directions. We always sang "I Am so Glad When Christmas Comes." I remember my Dad telling me stories of his travels with Dr. Hoffman during the time they were working on his book "What More is There to Say Than AMEN. I remember one LHM chapel occasion-maybe my Dad's retirement service-when my whole family was in town. Dr. Hoffman looked at one of my brothers and said in his loud voice-Who are you? Do I know you? He (Dr. Hoffman) was always interested in the people who were around him. What a loving and strong Christian man Dr. Hoffman was. He has made quite an impact on all of our lives.

- Joy Last, LHM employee and daughter of the Rev. Ronald Schlegel

Greetings from India Lutheran Hour. This morning we received the sad news about the passing of Dr. Oswald Hoffmann in to the Heavenly Glory, yesterday at 12.30 p.m. We the staff of Christian Media Centre - India convey our sadness on this loss. I personally met him and talked to him and received his wonderful book 'What More Is There to Say but Amen' duly autographed by Dr. Hoffmann. Though he is not with us, the example of his love and devotion in the Lord's Ministry will strengthen us to march forward in the Ministry. Convey our heartfelt condolences to his family members and also to all the Lutheran Hour family. We are praying for his family on this difficult time.

- C.David and the staff of Lutheran Hour - India

It is with deep sympathy that we express our heart-felt condolences on Dr. Oswald Hoffmann's call to his heavenly home. He has gone to his eternal resting place to continue living with our Savior Jesus Christ. He was not only a pioneer but also a great asset and pride for the LHM ministries that served not only the great land but the whole world for several decades. I had opportunities listening and meeting the renowned religious broadcasting pioneer at the different conventions held in the United Sates of America. I also had the opportunity of reading his valuable books and writings. I remember, he once interviewed the late Ethiopia Emperor Haile Selassie and was also a good friend of him. May the good Lord keep the hearts of his families and all those who love and respect the great man of God. Please pass our condolences for his dear and near ones.

- Yours in His Service, Berhanu Moges, Director of LHM-Ethiopia

We are deeply saddened to learn of Rev. Dr. Oswald Hoffmann's passing. The Word of Hope, LHM Myanmar pays tribute to our distinguished founding father. We are proud and honored to be apart of his team, as we continue to follow his lead in sharing the gospel to our brothers and sisters in Myanmar. The exemplar life of Dr. Hoffmann will always be our guiding light and inspiration in our radio ministry. We convey our deepest sympathy to his family, friends and all our co-workers at LHM. We share in your grief at this time of sorrow.

- In His service, Word of Hope staff and members of Advocacy Group, LHM-Myanmar

Dr. Hoffmann and I met for the first time at a Laymen of the Year banquet in Detroit, Michigan. He was the main speaker at the event honoring Marvin Moser, now deceased. Following the event, Dr. Hoffmann stationed himself at the exit door and greeted people as they left. After we introduced, he asked me to stand next to him. As he continued to greet people, he introduced me to them as "his new friend". Needless to say, Dr. Hoffmann made me feel important. So important in fact, that I wanted to be a part of the Lutheran Laymen's League and have since been actively engaged in the ministry of the Lutheran Hour Ministries.

- Roy Schmidt, Int'l President 1988-1992

Dr. Hoffmann in 1965 gave a weeklong series of lectures at the Church of God Seminary at Anderson, Indiana. He made the stiff-necked students roll in the aisles every evening. After t he lecture each night, he, my pastor Rev. Ewald Lorenz of Christ, Anderson, Indiana and I would go to t he Holiday Inn for reuben sandwiches. I asked him why Synod was not helping more in the recruitment of pastors as I felt that in 30 years we would be in trouble. He said, "You do as you can and God will be there with you." I entered the ministry in 1988.

- Dr. Larry Hendricks

Five years ago my 20 year old son-in-law was murdered. He left behind 3 young sons. What a joyful suprise to see Dr Hoffmann and Dr Meyer at the service for him. Dr Hoffmann had never met Gary, but because I work for LHM he made the time in his busy schedule to comfort my daughter and myself. As time went on Dr Hoffmann often asked how my daughter and her young sons are doing. To think of all the more important things on his mind that he would remember us.

- In HIS service, Sandra Kay Morgan, LHM employee

I am so sad to hear about Ossie. I am praying for him., My youngest daughter, when she was only about 2 or 3, used to wake her brother and sisters on Sunday morning with "Hurry up, get up for Sunday school, God's already on the radio!" Blessings.

- Betty

I had the privilege of hearing Dr. Hoffmann when he was in Brazil. At that time I was speaker at the Lutheran Hour in São Paulo. In recent time, as President of our Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil, I met Dr. Hoffmann on a devotional at the headquarters of the Lutheran Laymen League. Now he is with our heavenly Father in peace. Pastor Rodolpho Warth, speaker of the Lutheran Hour in Brazil for several years, told once that here when we are preaching at the microphone we didn’t see nobody; but in heaven many, many people would come to greet us and say thank you, because they know Christ through our preaching through the radio. I am sure that Dr. Hoffmann is meeting many, many people that really know Jesus through his voice. In the resurrected Lord, in behalf of the Lutheran Church in Brazil, I send you greetings as you are saying good-bye to the body of Dr. Hoffmann, because he is with the Lord. This is our hope.

– Rev. Carlos Walter Winterle, President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil

I remember one Sunday when we were living in India the family was feeling a long ways from home.  We were trying to find something on the radio that would make us feel closer to home.  What did we find, but the voice of Dr. Hoffman and his beautiful message he had.  Home didn't seem so far away, thanks to Dr. Hoffman and the Lutheran Hour

– Leona Oppel

Thanks for informing us of Dr Hoffmann's death.  It certainly ends an era for our organisations.

He was such a positive force for sharing God's love in Jesus through media.

We will miss him.  However he now is sharing with other saints in God's presence. That is something for us all to look forward to. If you get the chance to pass on greetings in the coming days to his family please say that we in Australia are deeply thankful to God for all that Dr Hoffmann did through his broadcasts and his visits to Australia.  We remember him with a great deal of fondness.  May God add his blessing to the good work that he did as a faithful servant of Jesus Christ. I am sorry that I have not responded sooner but have just arrived back from leave and am sending this from home. Sincere sympathy and greetings in the name of our loving Lord Jesus.

–Richard Mau , Director of LHM-Australia

Back in 1966 when I was at the seminary, Dr. Hoffmann went with Dr. Precht and the seminary chorus to tour Europe for three weeks. It was a wonderful experience. We sang in many churches and had the privilege to hear Dr. Hoffmann proclaim the Good News about Jesus at every service. He was such a servant of God and was very outgoing. I am sure he had a great influence in helping these European churches grow.

– President David Bueltmann, Central Illinois District, of LCMS

On Thursday, September 8, dear Dr. Hoffmann had his personal Easter of arising into eternal life to be with his Lord and Savior forever and ever. Nothing could be greater, but from a human standpoint, it is always too early to have a loved one depart Planet Earth. His dedicated service to our synod, Lutheran Laymen's League, Lutherans, and other Christians is remembered by many around the globe. We definitely learned a lot from Dear Dr. Hoffmann, whom we were privileged to meet during Walther League days and at numerous conferences, synodical conventions, and during his visits to Frankenmuth. Dr. Hoffmann was of great help to us as we condensed a Christmas card message from Dr. Elmer and Virginia Witt into the motto of our business . . . "Enjoy CHRISTmas, It's His Birthday; Enjoy Life, It's His Way." Thanks to God for all that faithful servant Ozzie has accomplished in God's kingdom under the blessing of the Lord.

– In CHRISTian Love, Wally & Irene Bronner Family, BRONNER'S CHRISTmas WONDERLAND, Frankenmuth, Michigan

Bringing Christ to the Nations (BCTN) and Dr. Hoffman were a staple part of the Sunday morning routine in my home and my parents always made sure that I could fill them in on any of his messages that they might have missed. Thus I can truly attest to the fact that Dr. Hoffman's messages helped to mold me into the person I am today. The news of his passing is both a sad and yet a joyful occasion because it means that he is now present with his lord and master. This will only intensify my search for copies of my two favorite sermons of Dr. Hoffman aired on BTCN in the early 1980's "Parents: You Are Responsible" and What's Your Sign?: These messages left an indelible imprint on this teenager's life and have guided me along life's way. The messages are as timely now as they were then. If it is at all possible to retrieve copies of these messages from the archive I would be eternally obliged if copies could be sent to me.

– Robert A. Mathavious, MD/CEO, B.V.I Financial Services Commission, P.O. Box 418, Pasea Estate

Larry Backlund left a voicemail message to LHM to express his condolences. He said that he became acquainted with Dr. Hoffmann through his own employment with the Billy Graham School of Evangelism. Mr. Backlund said considered Dr. Hoffmann a dear friend and a special man of faith. With emotion evident in his voice, Backlund stated, "He will be missed."

I remember being in Germany in the early 80s and just about the time that things were looking grim and glum, his periodic letter to pastors would arrive unannounced and certainly unexpected. While there was always lots of "junk mail," his note to pastors always made sense and gave me a gospel boost when I needed it most. Nobody since then has duplicated that effort with the depth and care that he exhibited. He truly knew where to reach pastors in the trenches.

– Tom Decker, US Army Chaplain, 1969-2002

The Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod has never had a servant of the Gospel like Oswald C.J. Hoffmann. When I first received word that he had gone to "glory", I immediately thought of how he used to say that word "glory" with such a bellowing voice that it seemed like he had invented the word. Ozzie is of course now enjoying firsthand the glory of God that he was always anxious to share with any who would listen. His vibrant clairvoyant faith was just an anticipation of that glory in which he now basks. Ozzie did so much for our church and for Christendom beyond his role as Speaker on The Lutheran Hour. He was always passionate about the Gospel which God had called him to proclaim with his special mixture of humor, scholarship and genuine humility. If anyone ever had the credentials that merited arrogance, he did. But he never displayed even a hint of false bravado. And how could he, because he reveled so much in the grace of God in Christ and the Gospel. He prized that Gospel more than any churchman of his era. And he had an uncanny ability to recognize fellow servants of the Gospel. On May 13, 1981 I went into his office. I had just heard reports on the radio. The Pope, John Paul II, had just been shot in Rome's Vatican Square. His survival was now at stake. Ozzie immediately told me to get everyone into the chapel as quickly as I could. He said, "We have to pray for this man." There he led a brief service of prayer for Pope John Paul II. He seemed to sense with great clarity how important this young pope was going to become for all of Christendom and all of our rapidly changing world. Among my favorite memories of working with Dr. Hoffmann involved going into his office after he had returned from one of his numerous meetings as the head of the United Bible Societies. The United Bible Societies are the collective international mission organizations of which the American Bible Society is but a part. It's goal then and now has always been to achieve the widest possible effective distribution of the Holy Scriptures and to help people interact with the Word of God. Ozzie followed the Archbishop of Canterbury in that esteemed role. At each of their meetings, the United Bible Societies would bring in a missionary scholar or two who were working on translating the Bible into a new language for one of the national Bible societies. These scholars would explain a chapter or two of their works in progress. Ozzie was such a master of Greek that he always came away highly stimulated by this voluntary work, and because of his scholarship with the Greek New Testament, he was an apt teacher even in those august settings.

He would return after those trips energized to the International LLL offices on Hampton Avenue. He pipe would burn with that wonderful blend of cherry tobacco as he sat at his desk filling the offices like a sweet incense. No one ever complained to him about his smoking. There behind his desk after greeting his secretary Sue or Gaylene, he would personally respond to whatever correspondence that had been piling up on his desk. As the Manger of Domestic Radio Programming, there were usually a few small things that I would need to share with Dr. Hoffmann about one of the programs that we were working for The Lutheran Hour. I would enter his office with the intent of spending maybe five minutes or so in discussing and decision making. But I never left that quickly because Ozzie always wanted to share a half hour to forty five minutes worth of insights into the Holy Scriptures which he had just enjoyed while chairing one of those United Bible Society meetings.

Ozzie was a man comfortable in his own skin because he knew the grace of God in Christ was the most powerful force in the universe. This awareness helped him keep his bearings, even when confrontation flared around him in the church or in the world.

In the early 1980s, I traveled with him to East Germany to produce a couple of programs as specials for Christmas season broadcasts on The Lutheran Hour. While there we met many several key leaders of the quiet spiritual revolution that was being headed in East Germany by Evangelische pastors. One day as we stood in the town square of a small East German town, he said something prophetic that I didn't believe at the time. We were watching people standing in line wanting to buy bread. There wasn't much else in the stores for people during that era in that communist regime. I asked Ozzie, "Do you think communism will ever end?" He responded without even missing a breath. "Of course," he smiled. "Think about it. Look at them lined up there. This is a regime controlled by a very few. These people pray for freedom." Then Ozzie paused for a breath as he collected his thoughts a little further. "One day," he said, "there will be a meeting in a small room attended by probably less than a dozen people. There the decision will be made to let these people live in freedom. When these changes come -- and they will come -- things will happen so fast it will make the world's head spin." Before the decade was out, I would be serving no longer as the producer of The Lutheran Hour. By 1986, I had moved on to serve on active duty as an chaplain in the US Army. In 1989, I would be assigned to an Army unit serving on the East German border. There I would watch the Iron curtain fall just as quickly as Ozzie said it would. Mikhail Gorbachev would make a decision not to roll out tanks to stop the bleeding of the Soviet Empire as hundreds of thousand of people crossed the border for freedom from Hungary into Austria. Later, Gorbachev would come to this country for a period of time and be given an office complex at the US Army Presidio in San Francisco.

Over lunch at an officers club, the former head of the Soviet Union would explain to a young Army chaplain why he was never afraid of Christians. His grandmother was a Christian, although he hadn't become one. As a young boy he had heard her talk often about her faith. As he grew through the years, he could never understand how anyone could be afraid of his grandmother or anyone else's for that matter. Christians didn't scare him one bit. Ozzie wouldn't have scared him either. But Mikhail would have been impressed by him. Of all the men I have met in my lifetime, none was greater than Ozzie Hoffmann. Because he knew that the Gospel could never be overshadowed or surpassed, he always found extra energy in Bringing Christ to the Nations, even as the years mounted up. Enjoy the glory, Ozzie! Bask in it. You now know the grace of God even better than you did during all those years as a scholar, pastor, teacher, and dear friend of everyone who has ever called Christ Jesus their Lord. Amen!

- Kenneth H. Roberts, Pastor, Mt. Olive Lutheran Church and Preschool, Poway, California

I remember seeing Dr. Hoffman at Lutheran Hour rallies here in Iowa. I also saw Dr. Hoffman when his son Peter was installed in Chicago back in the early '70s. Dr. Hoffman was a great man and he served his Lord GOD while on this earth. He is now in heaven and still preaching the word of GOD. There will be no one again like him. GOD BLESS THE LUTHERAN HOUR!

– Sheil

a Rose Boggs, Odebolt, Iowa

Dr. Hoffmann started to come to South Dakota for pheasant hunting in the '70s He picked up a bird and said "God must have really had fun creating this bird. It is so beautiful." He truly enjoyed the potlucks held at the church. He was quite fond of the chocolate chip brownies and said they were like nectar. We attended a LH rally at Morris, Minnesota, and when he saw me, he asked if I had brought any brownies along. We were honored to have him as a guest in our home.

– Virgil and Arleen Heidenreich, Northville, South Dakota

IT WAS A COLD AND STORMY NIGHT---YES, it really was, that night in March 1962 when a small group of us met Dr. Hoffman's airplane at the Minneapolis/St.Paul airport. He was just amazed that we would be out on a night like that to greet the Lord's humble servant. Ossie was to be our church's dedication speaker the next day. Amidst the continuing storm that Sunday afternoon, Ossie's presence filled our new church with standing room only, preaching Christ crucified as only he could. We were privileged to here his last sermon at the 2005 convention. We will thank the Lord for his ministry forever.

– Forest and Jo Saemrow, Georgetown, Texas

Dr. Hoffmann had an incredible memory for names. The first time we met was many years ago as we were coming to an International convention and entering the hotel at the same time. Merle offered to help carry his luggage and of course, he asked our names and from that time on he always called us by name and we found that incredible since he knew so many people. He also remembered Merle as the "Paxico poet" from Kansas. He was a friend to all and his "Betsy " story told numerous times brought laughter each time even though everyone knew what was coming next. He was a wonderful speaker and friend and will be greatly missed. Praise the Lord he got to say his last "Amen" at the Intl. Convention in July here in Topeka, Ks.

– Merle and Norie Lietz, Paxico, Kansas

As Texas District Executive Director of Parish Services, I decided to attend the 1969 U.S. Congress on Evangelism in Minneapolis, hoping that I might pick up a few ideas to share with congregations in the Texas District. After all, it couldn't be all bad, with our own Dr. Hoffmann serving as chairman, and Billy Graham as honorary Chairman. The Evangelism congress became a life changing experience that would impact my evangelism leadership passion for the rest of my ministry. I was one among a limited number of Lutheran evangelism leaders among the thousands that attended, but there was one Lutheran present who, through the strong urging of friend Billy Graham, had agreed to serve as Chairman leader of the congress, Dr. Oswald Hoffmann.

In my opinion, the overwhelming majority of the non-Lutheran participants who were present at the start of the congress knew very little about Dr. Hoffmann; however, by the time the congress ended, had there been a vote to identify their favorite evangelism congress leader, I believe Dr. Hoffmann would have won by a landslide, even over Billy Graham. When Graham introduced Dr. Hoffmann at the beginning of the congress, he told the audience that, if they had never heard a sermon preached by Dr. Hoffmann, it was time for them to join him as a regular listener of Hoffmann on The Lutheran Hour. Graham than stated that Dr. Hoffmann's sermons were a major source of his crusade messages. At the conclusion of a Bible study led by Dr. Hoffmann, Billy Graham stepped to the mic and asked the audience if any of them recognized the Bible translation that Hoffmann was using when reading from the Old and New Testaments. After a pause, he told the audience that Hoffmann was reading directly from the Hebrew and Greek texts (I understand that Ozzie never used a translation when reading from the Scriptures). Following the congress, Billy Graham conducted one of his crusades in another location in the city of Minneapolis. The rally was late in starting, because the freeways were jammed with cars heading for the crusade location. When the crusade finally started, Graham announced that this was the first time that a crusade was forced to delay its start because of a traffic jam...and wondered if the reason might be that, for the first time ever, a Lutheran, Dr. Oswald Hoffmann, was on the platform with him (The audience broke out in laughter and applause).

Upon my return to Texas, I was determined that, if at all possible, the Texas District would sponsor an evangelism congress, with Dr. Hoffmann as our keynote Bible study leader, and some of the speakers from the Minneapolis congress serving as our speakers. Since the Texas District Professional Church Workers Conference was scheduled for 1975 in Ft. Worth, the conference planning committee was approached with the proposal to change this to a Professional Church workers/Lay Leaders Evangelism congress, with Dr. Hoffmann as our featured presenter, and with some of the North American Evangelism Congress speakers selected to be our presenters.

It would take a miracle to get approval for this proposal for three reasons: 1). This was supposed to be a scheduled, official district wide theological conference for professional church workers only; 2) A non-Lutheran presenter had never served as a speaker for a theological conference before, and 3) one of the proposed speakers was Tom Skinner, a black evangelist who had been the head of the toughest gang in Harlem with 21 notches on his knife prior to his accepting Christ as his Savior. The evangelism congress was finally approved, with Dr. Hoffmann as the proposed featured speaker being a deciding factor. The congress "CHURCH ALIVE IN 75" was an overwhelming success, with over 1200 professional and lay leaders in attendance. The participants were asked to rate the speakers between 1-10, with 10 being the highest rating. All the speakers received a rating of either a 9 or 10, with one exception: Dr. Oswald Hoffmann received all "10's" with one exception: one participant added another line and rated him an "11". God blessed the LCMS with one of the greatest leaders that ever served our church...and I...we....will miss him very, very much.

– Rev. Ray Schkade, founding pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church, Austin, Texas and Texas District Executive Director of Parish Services, where he served for some 30 years before retiring

As a retired General Secretary of the Bible Society in Lebanon I would like to present my condolences and express my gratitude to God for such a man who has been a great communicator of the Gospel Message in so many ways. He will continue to live in our memories and through so many of his achievements.

– Lucien and Huguette Accad, Beirut, Lebanon

When I was a student at Lutheran High South in the 1970s, it was my assignment to find a speaker for the National Honor Society gathering one year. I called everyone I could think of, but no one was available. I finally had the idea of calling Dr. Hoffmann and left a message at his office detailing my "problem." It never occurred to me that he would have anything else on his calendar! Later on that evening, he called me back and we chatted for a while. He expressed his admiration for the work we were doing and his dismay that he just couldn't be there for us. When we hung up, I was sure I'd done the right thing in calling him.

– Elise Sobe, Waterford, Michigan

Rejoicing in his home coming but sorry for your loss. I only heard Dr. Hoffman speak in person once at the National Religious Broadcasting convention in Nashville. Having been reared on Southern California evangelistic preaching I thought, "Why'd they pick this old guy?" Was I in for a surprise! As a speaker, he blew my socks off. His long life seemed to prove what the Holy Spirit will do given enough time in a yielded life -- fill them with unending joy! What an encouragement to see a man like Mr. Hoffman able to exemplify the fruits of the spirit.

– Ann Harrison, Fullerton, CA

My husband and I volunteered to help build a church in Sterling, Alaska in 1997. While there, Dr. Hoffmann visited the church. Then on Sunday, August 21, 1997, the church was dedicated. Dr. Hoffmann attended the morning worship service and had dinner with the volunteers and some of the members. The afternoon dedication service was attended by more than 100 people. Dr. Hoffmann was the guest preacher. He encouraged the congregation to praise God for His blessings! We both sang in the choir that afternoon. After the service we had the opportunity to visit with Dr. Hoffmann and his wife. As we are fisherman, we had much in common to talk about. We had met Dr. Hoffmann at other L L L gatherings prior to that and have since then been at gatherings where he was always a blessing to the group. He is missed by all who knew him as Lutheran Hour speaker, but the work of the Lord must go on.

– Mary E. Koch

I have a fond memory of Dr. Hoffmann that occurred around Christmas in 1969 while I was stationed in Long Bien, Vietnam (approximately 20 miles north of Saigon) with the 23rd Artillery. Dr Hoffmann accompanied the Bob Hope Tour that year (along with Neil Armstrong and many others), and we were fortunate to have his show perform at our base. We were allowed to arrive four hours early to achieve a good seating location which proved very beneficial in my meeting Dr. Hoffmann. When the show ended, I quickly made my way to the makeshift stage to meet and speak with Dr. Hoffmann who was a good friend of my grandfather The Rev. Dr. Frederick Niedner, retired minister of 40 years at Immanuel St. Charles, Missouri. During our brief visit, one of my base buddies took a picture of me shaking Dr. Hoffmann's hand which he later included in his book "What More Is There To Say But Amen." Meeting Dr. Hoffmann in Vietnam and having that picture of the two of us in his book is very special to me. I later found out when he returned to St. Louis he called my parents to tell them we had met at my base and that I was fine and well. What a GREAT and caring man, Dr. Hoffmann was a blessing to millions of people and surely he saved the souls of many. As Bob Hope would say "Thanks for the Memories."

– Bob Finck, Fenton, Missouri

Always eminently approachable, Dr. Ossie occasionally visited us at Grace Lutheran Church & School in Winter Haven, Florida, where I served from 1979-84 and again from 1995-97. Whenever he was in the area, our pastor, Dr. August Bernthal, would have him address the entire student body of the large parochial school. He would often pull out money from his pocket, and offer it to kids - but would rip it in half at the last moment, when a large number of them would suddenly rush from their pews to "grab the bill." His belly laugh could be heard all over the block. Kids of all ages loved him! Prior to serving in Winter Haven, I was for a number of years Director of Music at The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saint Luke, Chicago. Dr. Hoffmann's father was one of the early pastors of that world-renowned parish. I served there from 1970-79, & distinctly recall talking with elderly parishioners who remembered Dr. Hoffmann. The Rev. Dr. Adalbert Raphael ("A.R.") Kretzmann came as Dr. Hoffmann's assistant in 1927, remaining at Saint Luke until his death in 1989. The kindergarten teacher of Saint Luke School, Fraulein Gertrude Doederlein, who taught at the School for 68 years remembered "Ossie" as a schoolboy in the late 1920s (she started teaching there in 1925). Carl Schalk directed The Lutheran Hour choir many years ago, and I was in the first music theory class he taught at Concordia, River Forest, when he left St. Louis to teach at the college level. Personally, I was always entranced by Ossie's powerful voice - always welcoming, always evangelical. Our loss is heaven's gain.

– James H. Gladstone, Cantor and Director of Carmel Lutheran Church, Carmel, Indiana

The first time I saw Dr. Hoffman was at a Lutheran Hour rally. I think it was at Lake City Iowa and I was in the 7th grade. The gym was packed. I also saw him at another rally after that. When I lived in Chicago, I went to see his son Peter installed at a church on the Southside and Dr. Hoffman preached the sermon. Dr. Hoffman was quite a man of God. He was such a great speaker and he truly loved his God. Thank You, God, for letting us know such a great servant of yours. He truly spread your Word.

– Sheila Rose Boggs, Odebolt, Iowa

I remember the first time I got to hear Mr. Hoffman preach at our little church In Kenai Alaska. His booming voice and special charm in relating God's message to us was a message not only filled with the Holy Spirit it was also a message right from the heart. I can still see him hold his fist in the air and make a triumphant announcement "Jesus is Lord" with such authority it seemed to shake the whole building. At one of his many appearances at the Star of The North Lutheran Church he momentarily lost his balance and briefly stumbled backwards as the whole congregation gasps at the thought of this now very frail man falling near the Alter of our church. Ossie seized the moment and as soon as he regained his balance he blurted out " I bet most of you thought I was going to fall down ...Didn't you"? A man who repeatedly captured the hearts of all those who were fortunate enough to hear him preach or even better yet meet him in person. Ossie your going to be dearly missed here in Alaska but never forgotten as you were one of those gems God sends our way every now and then. My family and I thank God we were fortunate enough to have met you.

– John Perkovich, Soldotna Alaska

In December 1987 Dr. Hoffmann preached at the 100th anniversary service of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Garrett, Indiana. The local newspaper assigned a reporter to cover the event. He was the son of a Lutheran school principal, which is why we received coverage that took up three-quarters of the front page on two separate days! He also wrote an editorial, which I am sharing with you below.

"Meeting an authentic hero" by Lee Sauer

I walked in on Oswald Hoffman (sic) as he removed his pastor's gown. He stood in the office of Zion Lutheran Church in Garrett. There were windows to the office and anyone could watch. It's not embarrassing to watch a person remove a pastor's gown. They have their clothes on underneath. Still, I was surprised. When I was growing up, I prayed to the Father, Son and Oswald Hoffman. Not really. I guess I understood he wasn't God, but he was sure a close second in my mind. Scattered around our house were pamphlets with a picture of the world on the cover. Jutting out of the world was a mammoth steel tower with rays of energy coming out of it. The rays of energy reminded me of my favorite T.V. show, Superman.

If you had asked me as a seven-year-old what the picture of the steel tower and energy rays was, I would have told you it was Oswald Hoffman. Actually, the picture was (and maybe still is) a representation of the Lutheran Hour, a radio show Hoffman began preaching on in 1955. The mammoth tower in the picture was a radio antenna and the energy rays represented sound.

And here I was watching the man who made the energy rays as he took off the symbols of his office. After growing up (somewhat), I realized Hoffman was not a tower but a man. Still, I imagined him as 8 foot 4. Actually, he is shorter than I. My mental picture of him was a scowling, barrel-chested man with heavy sideburns. The scowl appears less often than a smile, the sideburns are gone and the barrel is smaller than it was, I'm sure.

I imagined there would be an aura around Hoffman. I expected him to travel with an entourage of secretaries, perhaps even bodyguards. As I stood in the church office, talking to him, Hoffman placed his rolled-up robe into a well-worn bag and I understood he had made the trip himself. I expected him to be somewhat unreachable, almost other-worldly, with fire darting from his eyes. Instead, he had a clear, steady gaze and seemed perfectly willing to take all the time necessary to answer my questions.

He seemed genuinely interested in finding out about me. That was a shock. I expected him to be brief, to the point, thoroughly practiced in handling interviews with a professional smile and an eye on the clock; a one-way stream of information. Instead, he handled the interview like a personal conversation. He answered questions and he asked questions. I felt like I was talking to a friend. A contrasting image formed in my mind. On Saturday night I had driven to Fort Wayne to hear another famous preacher. Mike Warnke is a Christian preacher well-known for his humor. The Embassy Theater was packed, mainly with teenagers. There was a feeling of anguished anticipation before Warnke appeared and cries of awe like those heard for a rock star when he finally walked on stage. In fact, there must be a problem with over-zealous fans because the person introducing Warnke warned that anyone who tried to climb onstage during the show would be touched by Jesus in a new and wonderful way. During the show there were amens, oohs, ahs, and I'm sure a few tears as Warnke gave an emotional message of people who desperately need Christ. At one point, Warnke asked the crowd to give Christ a hand of applause and I watched a young man jump from the front row and reach and look towards Warnke as he clapped. Warnke gave the fellow an askance look and I imagined him thinking the young man had missed the point. When the service was over, Warnke left an altar call in the hands of helpers (he said he didn't handle them himself because people tend to over-emphasize his importance) and he walked off-stage. Hoffman's message was meat and potatoes Gospel, no gravy. In the Lutheran tradition of rejecting frills for the core truth, Hoffman told Zion that all men are sinful and deserve hell, but redemption is available through Christ. In the Lutheran tradition, the congregation did not clap and I didn't see any tears except from the most recently baptized members as they squirmed in their parents' arms.

After the service, Hoffman walked the halls of the church with his scuffed bag in hand and a round cap bordered with braided twine on his head. He looked very much like a portrait I've seen of Luther. The famous preacher stopped and nodded and spoke to the members of the congregation who came up to thank him for his message. Anyone who wanted to could approach him. No, the god of my youth wasn't there on Sunday. Instead, a 74-year-old man showed up. The only power he held was in his message. I'm more mature now and don't make gods out of printed pictures and voices on radio. In fact, I've become cynical and mistrusting of a lot of things, including the church I grew up with. I hate hypocrisy and pretension. Oswald Hoffman was not who I imagined him to be. Yet in the real man, I found a genuine hero.

- The Auburn Even Star, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 1987

Dr. Oswald Hoffmann made a profound impact on the people of Garrett that weekend. We thank God for raising up this servant who proclaimed the Good News of our Savior in so many venues, and for using him to touch so many hearts in his personable and personal way.

– Rev. Herbert Schumm, Pastor, St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Millvale, Pennsylvania

A personal reflection: I first met Dr. Hoffman at the Billy Graham School of Evangelism at the Kansas City Crusade in 1976. Dr. Hoffman was one of the main speakers before the over 1600 pastors from many denominations attending the school. He was the third speaker schedule that day, the first was a methodist and the second a baptist. I was sitting with my roommate for the school, who was a baptist pastor. After the second speaker had finished, which both delivered great messages, my roommate leaned over and said, " I would hate to have to follow those two". To which I replied, "You have not heard the German Bull have you?" Ossie stepped forward and said, "First I have to correct not only the two previous speakers but all of you. Its not Amen, Its AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA MEN! With that deep bull voice, he took control and had the assembly in the palm of his hand. Also the speaker before him had spoken out against the use of resent translation of the Scriptures. To which Dr. Hoffman directed his comment, "For my text for today I will be using a recent translation, as a matter of fact I will be making it momentarily", as he opened his Greek New Testament and began to translate it into English. I must say that he made me proud to be a Lutheran that day. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA MEN! Ossie AAAAAAAAAAA Men!

– Pastor McIntyre, Immanuel Lutheran Church, ry Ridge, Kentucky

In April 1991, I had the privilege of hosting Dr. Hoffmann at St. Peter's in Big Rapids, Michigan at an evangelism festival. I then drove him 60 miles to Ludington Sunday afternoon where a small Mission Church was dedicating a brand new building which was a simple double-wide mobile home setup. The small church was packed for the dedication service and Dr. Hoffmann gave his typical humorous, but serious, upbeat sermon. I sat next to two men I had never met. Prior to the sermon, they told me they were members of the local Church of the Nazarene, which had graciously allowed the members of Peace Lutheran Church, Ludington, to use their facility while the Lutherans were building their own church. The two men were invited guests to the dedication of the new Lutheran Church. After Dr. Hoffmann finished his sermon, I looked over to the two Nazarene church visitors and saw them smiling and looking at each other. "Wow," the one man said to the other. "Is he ever a good speaker." In other words, Lutherans weren't the only ones who appreciated Dr. Hoffmann. I shared that story with Dr. and Marcia Hoffmann several times and Ozzie always gave me his typical smile. And every year while Marcia was still alive, he would see me, smile and say, "Hey Marcia, here's that sports writer from Michigan who drove me up to Ludington for that new church I spoke at. Hey, how's the church doing?" His memory was amazing. And my memory of him will last until my own final day on this earth.

– John Raffel, Vice President, LLL Michigan District

Share Your Memory of Dr. Hoffmann