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Wendy Healy, 203-744-6367
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METROPOLITAN NEW YORK SYNOD OF THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA APPOINTS PASTOR TO MINISTER TO LOWER MANHATTAN IN WAKE OF SEPT. 11

NEW YORK, N.Y. – May 2 -- The Rev. Dr. Robert A. Hoffman has been called by the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to serve as its pastor to lower Manhattan, including the redevelopment zones around Ground Zero. This new position was created in response to the spiritual needs of the people who live and work in lower Manhattan in the wake of Sept. 11.

Funding for his position is through Lutheran Disaster Response of New York (LDRNY), a joint ministry of the Metropolitan New York Synod and the Atlantic District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, to aid those affected by Sept. 11.

In his new role, Pr. Hoffman will represent the Metropolitan New York Synod and connect with neighborhood organizations involved in the rebuilding of lower Manhattan. He will also develop a new congregation in the neighborhood around the former site of the World Trade Center. “From the very beginning, LDRNY saw itself as more than just a relief agency,” said Pr. Hoffman. “It is part of the broader ministry of the Lutheran Church, and as such, it helps in the name of Jesus and invites and encourages people to respond to God’s love.”

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Pr. Hoffman has a bachelor of arts from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, a Master of Divinity from The Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, and a Doctor of Ministry from The Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He has also done advanced study in family systems’ theory at The Center for Family Process in Bethesda, Maryland, and served two parishes in southern New Jersey.

Prior to his new role, Pr. Hoffman was stewardship specialist for the ELCA’s Division for Congregational Ministries, serving as a stewardship consultant and resource person to 425 congregations in the Metropolitan New York and New England synods. He has also taught stewardship courses and workshops throughout the country, was a consultant for the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut, and is a founding member of The New England Ecumenical Stewardship Council.

He and his wife, Karen, live in Weston and have two grown daughters, Sarah and Deborah, who live in New Orleans. The Hoffmans are looking for an apartment in lower Manhattan.