One Legacy of Faithful Service

Faithful ServiceFaithful Service One Legacy of

When Oskar Bucher arrived on the campus of Northwest Christian College in 1984, he never dreamed that he would be here long enough to retire, but the same Lord that brought him to NCC has been faithful to renew that calling for thirty-five years. In fact, Oskar remembers walking by the Banquet Room in Burke-Griffeth a few years before being hired and wondering what it would be like to work for a Christian employer like NCC. Though he did not know at the time, Oskar now sees God’s hand clearly guiding him towards what would be his future career. Oskar will retire on March 6, 2020, just a few weeks after his 65th birthday. Not only has Oskar made a lasting impact from a facilities standpoint, he has also impacted the lives of students, faculty and staff through his work ethic and ministry perspective.

Oskar has been a beloved fixture during his tenure at NCU. Hundreds of students have worked on his crew over the years, including President Joe Womack '89 and NCU Library Director Steve Silver '87.

When reflecting on his time at NCU, Oskar chuckled as he described the state of campus when he arrived. The bushes were overgrown out to the sidewalks and many of the houses were in disrepair. The interior of the Goodrich Building was painted green and brown and in desperate need of a refresh. Resources were sparse, but Oskar was committed to doing everything he could to better the experience of students, faculty and staff. While he had full support from the administration, there were so many projects to do, he didn’t know where to begin. One of his first major projects was to repaint the ceiling of the Ross Evans Chapel. Steve Silver remembers cutting his hands on a falling window and then fainting, waking up in Oskar’s arms. Steve said, "I’ve never seen him look so pale. He was more concerned for me than I was.” Steve recovered in time for his wedding just a few weeks later, but he remembers Oskar as a supervisor who took time to connect with his workers, and who made sure the work was done well. Alumni who have visited campus over the years have surely seen the results of Oskar’s hard work. Slowly over time, Oskar and his team have made significant differences in every building on campus, whether improving appearances with a fresh coat of paint, completing major

renovations of the Ross Evans Chapel and Kellenberger Library, or facilitating new building projects such as the Morse Events Center. Oskar’s role is to maintain and strengthen the physical campus, but his focus is on the student. His goal has always been for the campus to reflect the quality education that NCU provides to students. Even now, Oskar admits to prioritizing work on student spaces whenever possible because he sees students as the most important By Emily Johnston, M.A.

resource on campus. This student-focused perspective is shared by faculty and staff throughout campus, but Oskar embodies it in his work.

While it is easy to see the changes in the physical campus, what most people don’t see is the work God has done in and through Oskar over the years. Recognizable by his navy blue jacket and signature fedora, Oskar’s no-nonsense style belies a heart that God has been softening over the years. He says that his time in the NCU community has cultivated a love for people that he didn’t expect. Coming from a steel fabricating plant, Oskar didn’t anticipate the relationships he would build with students on his crew. At first, he was surprised when they would ask him for advice or come to him with problems, but he soon saw it as a ministry opportunity. As he nears the end of his tenure, Oskar is a better Christian, husband, father and minister because of his time at NCU.

In preparation for his retirement, Oskar spent much of the past year putting things in order to pass the torch to a new Plant Manager. Oskar approaches this as he does everything with humility and hope rather than a fear of change. He is truly excited to hand over the reins to the person who will move NCU forward into the future. While he doesn’t know exactly what is next for him in retirement, anyone who knows Oskar knows that his next season will be just as active as the last. He is simply not ready to slow down yet. He is anticipating more involvement in ministry through his local church as well as more time spent with family and friends and in God’s creation. God has used NCU in Oskar’s life and the Lord has certainly used Oskar in the lives of countless NCU and NCC students in the past thirty-five years. Oskar Bucher leaves a legacy of hard work, service and excellence at NCU.

*Editor’s note: For those of you who know Oskar, you wouldn’t be surprised to know that finding pictures of him was a challenge. He has successfully evaded nearly every photographer on campus for over 30 years!