Elisha Hoffman

7 May 1839—25 November 1929

REV. ELISHA A. HOFFMAN, former well-known Benton Harbor pastor, is dead in Chicago. He died Monday at the advanced age of 90 years after a ministry that had lasted for more than 60 years. Rev. Hoffman was the father-in-law of Barratt O’Hara, former twin city and Chicago newspaper man and now engaged in the practice of law in Chicago.

Rev. Hoffman was widely known in ministerial circles as a writer of church hymns. Over two thousand of these songs came from his pen. There’s hardly a church hymnal that doesn’t contain one or more of his writings. Some of his most notable church songs were “I must tell Jesus,” “What a wonderful Savior,” “Washed in the blood,” “Down at the cross,” and “Leaning on the everlasting arms.”

Rev. Hoffman was pastor of the First Presbyterian Church here for 13 years. During that time, he was one of several Benton Harbor pastors who became prominent in church and civic affairs, including the late Rev. George Simon of the Baptist church, the late Rev. Sahlin of the Universalist Church, Rev. W.P. French, now retired, of the Methodist Church, and Rev. W.J. Cady, Congregationalist, now retired and living at Oberlin, Ohio.

Several years ago, when Dr. Hoffman was 83, he made a return visit to the city and renewed acquaintances with a host of friends and admirers here. Until the last, he enjoyed remarkable physical and mental vigor. He had been ill at his Chicago home for about a week.

Dr. Hoffman’s father was also a pastor and the two established the same record—served in the ministry for more than 60 years. A native of Orwigsburg, Pa., Dr. Hoffman was trained in the East Pennsylvania conference of the Evangelical Association. He was graduated from Union Seminary in 1860. Dr. Hoffman built the Grace Congregational Church in Cleveland, Ohio, and established that city’s first Bohemian mission in 1881. He was a pastor of Presbyterian churches at Vassar and Benton Harbor, and Cabery, Illinois. Since his retirement in 1922 he has been honorary pastor of the South Shore Presbyterian Church of Chicago.

Dr. Hoffman was married in 1865 to the daughter of Bishop W.W. Orwig, and after her death was married a second time to Miss Emma Sayres Smith of Philadelphia, who survives. Dr. Hoffman had three children, two sons, Orey and Harry, who are engaged in newspaper work and writing, and one daughter, Florence, who married Mr. O’Hara.

Scores of the older residents of the city, and many members of the Presbyterian Church, will recall Dr. Hoffman’s ministry here. Both as a pastor and as a citizen, he was highly regarded and esteemed.

The News-Palladium
Benton Harbor, MI
25 November 1929

Featured Hymns:

I must tell Jesus
Leaning on the everlasting arms

Manuscripts:

Hope Publishing Company Archives (Carol Stream, IL).

Related Resources:

A.J. Showalter, “Rev. Elisha A. Hoffman,” The Best Gospel Songs and Their Composers (Dalton, GA: A.J. Showalter, 1904): Archive.org

J.H. Hall, “Rev. Elisha A. Hoffman,” Biography of Gospel Song and Hymn Writers (NY: Fleming H. Revell, 1914), pp. 162–165: Archive.org

Charles H. Gabriel, “Rev. E.A. Hoffman,” The Singers and Their Songs: Sketches of Living Gospel Hymn Writers (Chicago: Rodeheaver, 1916), pp. 78–79: Archive.org

“Rev. Hoffman, former local pastor, is dead,” The News-Palladium (Benton Harbor, MI: 25 Nov. 1929). pp. 1, 15.

“Elisha Hoffman, noted as writers of hymns, dies,” Chicago Tribune (26 Nov. 1929), p. 24.

Robert R. Ebert, “The Reverend Elisha A. Hoffman: Ministry, Music, and German Heritage,” Journal of German American Studies, vol. 13, no. 4 (1978).

Melvin Wilhoit, “Elisha Albright Hoffman,” A Guide to the Principal Authors and Composers of Gospel Song of the Nineteenth Century, dissertation (Louisville: Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1982), pp. 143–155: SBTS

Robert S. Wilson & Mel R. Wilhoit, “Elisha Albright Hoffman,” The Hymn, vol. 35, no. 1 (Jan. 1984), pp. 35–39: HathiTrust

Harry Eskew, “Elisha Albright Hoffman,” Handbook to the Baptist Hymnal (Nashville: Convention Press, 1992), pp. 366–367.

Elisha Hoffman, Hymnary.org: https://hymnary.org/person/Hoffman_Elisha

Collections of Hymns:

The Living Epistle (periodical, 1869–1907)
Hoffman’s Musical Monthly (periodical)

Jubeltöne für Sonntagschulen und den familienkreis (1871): Archive.org
The Evergreen: Songs for the Sunday School (1873): Archive.org
Songs of Faith (1876): Archive.org
Happy Songs for the Sunday School (1876): Archive.org
Spiritual Songs for Gospel Meetings (1878): Archive.org
Temperance Jewels (1879): Archive.org
Sunday-School Songs (1880): Archive.org
Andachtsklänge: Eine Sammlung gewählter Gesänge für gottesdienstliche Uebungen (1881): WorldCat
Gems of Gospel Song (1881/4): WorldCat
The Beacon Light (1881): Archive.org
Spiritual Songs for Gospel Meetings, No. 2 (1883): Archive.org
Gospel Melodies (1884): WorldCat
Songs of Promise (1886): Archive.org
New Spiritual Songs (1887): Archive.org
Bells of Victory (1888): Archive.org
Temple of Praise (1888): WorldCat
[New] Voice of Praise (1889): WorldCat
Liederperlen für Sonntag-Schulen (1889/1899): Archive.org
Song Jewels (1891): WorldCat
Best Hymns (1894): Archive.org
Favorite Gospel Songs (1894): Archive.org
Pentecostal Hymns, No. 1 (1894): Archive.org
Sunday School Chimes (1894): WorldCat
Christian Endeavor Hymnal (1894): WorldCat
Christian Endeavor Echoes (1895): HathiTrust
The World for Christ (1895): WorldCat
Bells of Heaven (1895): WorldCat
Triumphant Hymnal (1898): WorldCat
Pentecostal Hymns, No. 2 (1898): Archive.org
Best Hymns No. 2 (1899): WorldCat
Peerless Hymns (ca. 1899): WorldCat
Harvest Bells (1900): Archive.org
Pentecostal Hymns, No. 3 (1902): Archive.org
Tears and Triumphs No. 3 (1902): WorldCat
To His Praise (1903): WorldCat
Best Hymns No. 3 (1903): WorldCat
Songs of Matchless Love (1904): Archive.org
Jubilant Voices (1905): Archive.org
Pentecostal Hymns, No. 4 (1907): Archive.org
Best Hymns No. 4 (1907): WorldCat
Local Option Campaign Songs (1909): WorldCat
Anti-Saloon Campaign Songs (1910): Archive.org
Woman’s Christian Temperance Union Campaign Songs (1910): WorldCat
Prohibition Songs (ca. 1910): WorldCat
Pentecostal Hymns, No. 5 & No. 6 (1911): Archive.org
Hymns for the People (1912): WorldCat
Songs of the New Crusade (1916): Archive.org
Battle Hymns of the Church (1920): WorldCat