Reichenberg Fellowship

The Reichenberg Fellowship is a German ecumenical Christian community known in German as Offensive Junger Christen, or OJC e.V. It is based primarily at Reichenberg Castle in Reichelsheim in the Odenwald, with a further community and ministry presence in Greifswald. The fellowship presents itself as a form of shared Christian life that combines residential community, youth work, missionary activity, pastoral counselling, theological reflection, hospitality, education, and international cooperation. The community developed from Christian youth meetings organized by Horst-Klaus Hofmann, who had served as executive secretary of the YMCA in Mannheim. Together with Irmela Hofmann, he invited students to participate in family life at their home in Bensheim in the Odenwald. What began as an extended household gradually developed into a Christian community. The group later moved to Reichelsheim and acquired Reichenberg Castle, which became the fellowship’s principal center. Its emergence was associated with a Christian response to the social and cultural upheavals surrounding the protests of 1968. Since 1999, the community has explicitly described itself as ecumenical. The fellowship’s activities are organized around several physical and institutional centers. Reichenberg Castle includes an experiential or educational area, the Schlosscafé, and the Gothic St. Michael’s Chapel. The Reichelsheim European Youth Center supports local and regional YMCA youth work, international youth conferences, a youth hostel, trips, camps, and the program pub known as Jig. Other residential initiatives include the Wellhouse, where families and single members share community life, and the Felsengrund multigenerational house. Pastoral and educational work is carried out through a seminar for biblical counselling, counselling training, lectures, and the periodical Brennpunkt Seelsorge. The German Institute for Youth and Society, or Deutsches Institut für Jugend und Gesellschaft (DIJG), functions as a research, publication, and apologetics center associated with the fellowship. It has produced studies and publications on Christian counselling, social and religious questions, and related subjects, and has translated selected English-language materials into German. The fellowship also publishes Salzkorn, a periodical for friends and supporters, and Brennpunkt Seelsorge, focused on pastoral care and biblical counselling. Internationally, the fellowship’s supporting nonprofit association has developed or supported outreach work in several countries, including Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mexico, Pakistan, the Philippines, Fiji, and Honduras. Since 1993, it has organized international building camps in Germany and several other European countries. These programs have brought together young people aged approximately 16 to 26 from different national, denominational, and linguistic backgrounds for practical cooperation. The Reichenberg Fellowship is associated with the Evangelical Church in Germany, Diakonie, and the German Association of Youth Missionary Movements. Its youth center is described as a chapter of the YMCA. The community is primarily supported by donations rather than commercial revenue. Reference material identifies approximately 42 full members and names Prior Konstantin Mascher as its leader, although membership and leadership figures may change over time.

The Reichenberg Fellowship emerged from Christian youth and household-based community work in the late twentieth century. Horst-Klaus Hofmann, who had been executive secretary of the YMCA in Mannheim, organized Christian youth meetings in premises associated with the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary in Darmstadt. Together with Irmela Hofmann, he also welcomed students into the family home in Bensheim in the Odenwald. The arrangement developed beyond a conventional household as additional young people and participants joined the Hofmann family’s life and activities. This expanding network became a Christian community associated with the name Offensive Junger Christen, later commonly abbreviated OJC. Its formation was understood by its founders as a response to the cultural and political climate surrounding the protests of 1968. Rather than operating only as a congregation or an event organization, the group emphasized daily Christian fellowship, hospitality, discipleship, and practical service. The community subsequently moved to Reichelsheim in the Odenwald and acquired Reichenberg Castle, establishing the site as its principal center. At Reichenberg, the fellowship developed a broad institutional and residential structure. The castle provided space for educational activities, visitors, a café, and worship or reflection in the Gothic St. Michael’s Chapel. The group also established the Reichelsheim European Youth Center, which became a venue for youth ministry, conferences, camps, trips, and hostel accommodation. Residential initiatives such as the Wellhouse and Felsengrund extended the fellowship’s model of shared Christian life across different household and age groups. The organization gradually expanded its work beyond residential community. Its pastoral ministry included a seminar for biblical counselling, counselling training, lectures, and the publication of Brennpunkt Seelsorge. The German Institute for Youth and Society was created as a study, research, and publishing center connected with the fellowship. The institute addressed religious, social, family, identity, and counselling questions from a Christian perspective and circulated research, essays, and translated material. It also maintained relationships with a range of Christian and ecumenical organizations in Europe and North America. Since 1993, the fellowship has organized international building camps. These projects gave young participants, generally between 16 and 26, opportunities to work across nationalities, denominations, and languages. The camps took place in Germany and in countries including Macedonia, Croatia, and Russia. Separately, the fellowship’s supporting nonprofit association developed or supported international outreach and development-cooperation activities in countries in Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. The fellowship formally characterized itself as ecumenical from 1999. It has been associated with the Evangelical Church in Germany and with Diakonie, the German Association of Youth Missionary Movements, and the YMCA through the Reichelsheim European Youth Center. Its publishing program has included the supporter periodical Salzkorn and the pastoral-care journal Brennpunkt Seelsorge. Members and affiliated authors have also issued books and studies on counselling, mission, religious dialogue, social issues, and personal development. The community is donation-supported and operates as a nonprofit Christian association rather than a conventional commercial brand. Reference material describes roughly 42 full members and identifies Prior Konstantin Mascher as its leader. The DIJG director position was described as vacant in the cited material after the period associated with Christl Ruth Vonholdt. Because the fellowship’s structure and leadership can change, current institutional details should be verified against its official German-language website.

• 1999

  Fellowship adopts an explicitly ecumenical identity

  [1]Reichenberg Fellowshipen.wikipedia.org

  The community began defining itself explicitly as ecumenical.

• 1993

  International building camps begin

  [1]Reichenberg Fellowshipen.wikipedia.org

  The fellowship began organizing international building camps for young people from different countries, Christian traditions, and language communities.

• Christian youth meetings and household community begin

  [1]Reichenberg Fellowshipen.wikipedia.org

  Horst-Klaus and Irmela Hofmann developed Christian youth meetings and welcomed students into their household in Bensheim, creating the social foundation for the later fellowship.

• Community moves to Reichelsheim and acquires Reichenberg Castle

  [1]Reichenberg Fellowshipen.wikipedia.org

  The developing Christian community relocated to Reichelsheim in the Odenwald and made Reichenberg Castle its principal base.

An ecumenical Christian community positioned around intentional communal life, youth mission, pastoral counselling, theological and social research, hospitality, and international service. Its work is nonprofit-oriented and principally donation-supported.

• Christian retreat, education, and hospitality center

  Reichenberg Castle

  The fellowship’s historic principal site in Reichelsheim. Its facilities include an educational or experiential area, the Schlosscafé, and the Gothic St. Michael’s Chapel. The castle functions as a setting for community life, Christian formation, meetings, hospitality, and public-facing events.

• Youth ministry center

  Reichelsheim European Youth Center

  A youth-work center connected with local and regional YMCA activities. Its facilities and programs include international youth conferences, trips, camps, a youth hostel, and the program pub known as Jig. The center is described as a YMCA chapter.

• Research and publishing institute

  German Institute for Youth and Society

  The Deutsches Institut für Jugend und Gesellschaft, abbreviated DIJG, is the fellowship’s study, research, and apologetics arm. It produces studies and publications, issues the Bulletin, and has translated selected English-language works into German. Its work addresses Christian counselling and wider religious and social questions.

• Counselling education

  Biblical counselling seminar

  A training and educational program focused on biblical counselling. The associated activities include counselling instruction, lectures, pastoral-care material, and the publication Brennpunkt Seelsorge.

• Youth service and mission program · 1993

  International building camps

  International practical-service projects for young people, generally aged 16 to 26. Participants work together across national, denominational, and linguistic boundaries on building or development-related activities.

• Periodical

  Salzkorn

  A supporter and friends magazine associated with the fellowship. It presents community life, Christian reflection, and information about the organization’s activities and projects.

• Pastoral-care journal

  Brennpunkt Seelsorge

  A periodical devoted to pastoral care and biblical life counselling. It accompanies the fellowship’s counselling seminar and broader educational work.

• 1993International Building Camps

  Germany · Macedonia · Croatia · Russia

  The fellowship began international building camps that brought together young people from different nationalities, Christian confessions, and language groups for practical cooperative work.

  Outcome. The program became a recurring form of youth exchange, service, and cross-cultural mission activity.

  Source

1. 1Reichenberg Fellowshipen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Offensive Junger Christen official websiteojc.de