Victor Oltrogge

Life

Born in Tripoli, Iowa, Oltrogge graduated from Moody Bible Institute. He often preached in Denver, where he married Electa Murel Zehr (1906–1981) in April 1927 and became acquainted with William Ford. A short time after Ford started a new Brethren assembly, he invited Oltrogge to join them, which he did. Oltrogge was also a very able speaker and attracted many new people to the assembly. But tensions developed between these two powerful personalities.

In the early 1940s, Oltrogge and a number of families left the Ford Assembly and started meeting in the Oltrogge home. After a short time, they began meeting in the Trevino Mortuary at Alameda and South Logan, and after that rented a church building in the 2100 block of South Milwaukee. They called their assembly the Bible Fellowship Chapel. This church was also very evangelistic. As were those in the Ford meeting, they were active in Jewish evangelism, and had a program of visiting prisons on Sunday afternoons. The meeting had about 60 or 70 in fellowship at its largest.

Oltrogge had preached in Baptist and Presbyterian churches in Denver and became well known for his abilities. In 1948, Rev. Eugene C. Eymann, who was serving in leadership with Arizona Bible Institute (which was associated with Biola University), suggested that the Board contact Oltrogge about accepting Presidency as one who would adequately represent the growing institution. A meeting was arranged and Dr. Oltrogge accepted the call.

During the summer of 1949, Oltrogge did much traveling, presenting the work of A.B.I. in the Midwest. Many students enrolled that year and in the years to follow. Mrs. Oltrogge describes their introduction to the work as follows:

"Vic and I prayed earnestly, during that summer, the prayer of Moses (Exodus 33:15) 'If thy presence goeth not with us, carry us not up hence'. Well, the Lord surely must have wanted us at A.B.I., for He graciously led us there. In August Vic and I, leaving two older children in Colorado and taking our two younger ones with us, drove to Phoenix. What an experience! To leave cool Colorado and arrive in Phoenix in August. The new five acres campus, at that time a mile west of the city limits, was indeed a blessing – but it did need some improvements. There was a small 85-year-old farmhouse which came with the land. It served as our home, teachers offices, mail distribution center, and so on. Such limited quarters together with the 'heat', cactus, sudden dust and rain storms, and various desert varmints gave the Oltrogges the feeling that we were living on a foreign mission compound. Grass would grow right up between the boards of our living room floor, I would cut it off with scissors! Scorpions, cockroaches, lizards congregated here and there, especially in the bathroom. Frequently with shoe in hand, I'd turn on the bathroom light and quickly swat as many cockroaches as possible before they fled into the cracks. 'Big game hunting in Arizona', 1949, ... and 'without a license'."

Dr. and Mrs. Oltrogge taught in the Institute and did much conference work. He also had a wide writing ministry and in 1949 became an associate editor of Prophecy Monthly Magazine of Los Angeles. Dr. Keith L. Brooks was the founder and editor. Dr. and Mrs. Brooks became staunch supporters of A.B.I. and did much to publicize the school through the magazine. From 1949 until his death in 1959, Dr. Oltrogge wrote at least 10 and sometimes 15 or 16 articles a year for this publication. He also wrote a number of tracts and a textbook titled A Manual of Secular Subjects in Bible Light.

During the summer of 1950, while taking special English courses at Wheaton College, Mrs. Oltrogge composed the school hymn. She states:

"Dr. Hubbard had asked me to attempt this project, basing the lyrics on A.B.I.'s motto from Colossians 1:18, 'That in all things HE might have the pre-eminence'. Over a period of six or seven weeks, the Lord aided me in the study of many related passages, I finally brought words and music together. This hymn, titled 'Our Pre-eminent Lord', in no way praises our school – only the Lord of our school". (Electa Zehr Oltrogge: We Praise Our God and Father, 1952)

In August 1950, while on a speaking tour in behalf of the school, Dr. and Mrs. Oltrogge were involved in a serious automobile accident. The injuries sustained in the accident caused Dr. Oltrogge's health to steadily fail during the next four years. Recurring heart attacks and strokes frequently incapacitated him. Yet he was able to carry on and Arizona Bible Institute continued to grow. New buildings, increased enrollment, and larger graduating classes were encouraging signs. Rev. John Van Kommer, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Draper, Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Mishler, and others were added to the faculty and staff. Very important in the spiritual life of the school was the annual Bible and Missionary Conference inaugurated in April 1951; it has continued to the present without interruption.

In 1957 the 450-seat Brooks Memorial Chapel was dedicated in memory of Dr. Keith L. Brooks who had died in 1954. Thus the daily chapel services, missionary conferences, and commencement exercises could be attended by many friends in the Phoenix area. A list of the people who ministered on these occasions includes Dr. Charles E. Fuller, J. Sidlow Baxter, Vernon Grounds, Corrie Ten Boom, Charles Feinberg, Carl Armerding, Laura (Mrs. K L.) Brooks, J. Vernon McGee, Cameron Townsend, Dawson Trotman, Elias Zimmerman, Louis Talbot, John Walvoord, and many others.

In June 1954, Dr. Oltrogge resigned as President because of his physical disabilities and the Board of Directors bestowed upon him the honorary title of "President Emeritus". He continued to serve in various capacities until his death in 1959. Dr. John H. Woodward was appointed President in 1954, and Mrs. Oltrogge became a full-time member of the faculty, to serve as head librarian and to continue teaching the Missions and English courses. Mrs. Oltrogge also edited the Voice in the Desert, a quarterly news bulletin concerning school and alumni activities. This was issued regularly from 1954 to 1970.

Articles by Victor Oltrogge