The Lutheran Community Mourns...

The Lutheran Community mourns the death of one of its beloved clergyman. Here's a little bit of history about Dr. Hoffman and what he did as a Lutheran preacher to impact both our American nation and the world for Christ.

OHSCO Namesake Oswald Hoffmann Dies at 91
Rev. Dr. Oswald Hoffmann (’32), namesake of the Oswald Hoffmann School of Christian Outreach (OHSCO) at Concordia died Thursday, Sept. 8, 2005. He was 91. Hoffmann dedicated more than 60 years to his lifelong mission of teaching, preaching and sharing the Christian Gospel across the U.S. and throughout the world. A 1932 graduate of Concordia University, St. Paul, Hoffmann is the namesake of the Oswald Hoffmann School of Christian Outreach (OHSCO) at Concordia. OHSCO was founded in 1984 as a center for evangelism and mission studies where students are trained for professional outreach ministries. It is the only school of its kind in the Concordia University System to train Director of Christian Outreach students.

Hoffmann was widely known as the speaker on the weekly radio broadcast “The Lutheran Hour,” a post he held from 1955 until his retirement in 1988, earning him the moniker as a “Sunday morning institution.” He launched his career as a pastor and college educator. From 1948 to 1963, Hoffmann served the LCMS as director of its newly created department of Public Relations, establishing offices in New York, Washington, D.C., and St. Louis, Mo., and supervising 350 volunteer public relations representatives across the U.S. He was recognized for his manifold service to the church by numerous awards and honors. He was named “Clergyman of the Year” and later was inducted in 1999 into the National Religious Broadcasters Hall of Fame. He was an author and gifted speaker who, nearly 20 year into his retirement, continued to fulfill a steady stream of preaching and public speaking engagements. In his latest public appearance, Hoffmann addressed the 88th international convention of the International Lutheran Laymen's League, held July 28-30, in Topeka, Kan., taking part in an event kicking off a yearlong celebration of the 75th anniversary of "The Lutheran Hour,” where he told convention-goers about his 33 years of service, "I didn't do anything special. I just told the Good News. I'm still willing to do that. I look back with great thanksgiving -- for myself and for all of the other people who benefited from the Good News of the Gospel."

The public memorial for Hoffmann will be held on Friday, Sept. 16, at 11 a.m., at Concordia Lutheran Church in Kirkwood, Mo. Details about a memorial service to be held locally will be provided as they become available. The family requests that memorials in Hoffmann’s honor go to Lutheran Hour Ministries or Concordia Lutheran Church (Hoffmann’s home church).