Janet Hoffman

Janet T. Hoffman served as the 20th president of WMU, SBC, from 2000—2005; the 17th woman to hold the position of WMU president. Before becoming president, Mrs. Hoffman served as WMU, SBC, recording secretary from 1996—2000. She also served as president of Louisiana WMU from 1991—1995. Mrs. Hoffman's husband, Harvey, is a retired minister and they have three children and four grandchildren; all her family is actively involved in missions.

Mrs. Hoffman is a native of Oklahoma; her WMU involvement began as a Sunbeam at the First Baptist Church of Tulsa. Throughout her ministry with her husband, in Texas and Louisiana, Hoffman held WMU leadership positions in the church, association and state WMU organizations. She has written articles for WMU publications, including Aware, Discovery, and Dimension (now Missions Leader); she has also written the books ChristLight: Reflecting the Image of Christ in the Real World; God Is Calling You: And Other Things My Granddad Taught Me; and The Pattersons: Missionary Publishers (in the "Meet the Missionary" Series).

In her 2003 speech at the WMU Annual Meeting, Mrs. Hoffman spoke about "answering the call," as she answered the call to be WMU president and as WMU members have been answering the call since 1888:

"God's call comes at every stage of life," she said. "We are never so young that He is not calling, and we are never too old for His call. . . . God's call is inclusive; no one is left out. God's call is also empowered. He will never ask people to do something without empowering them to do it. . . .There is no task before you so great as the power behind you."