Janet Thompson Hoffman, who served as president of national Woman’s Missionary Union from 2000 until 2005, died June 15 at the age of 90. She was born on July 12, 1935, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She trusted Jesus as Savior at age 11, a faith from which she never departed.
She earned a bachelor of arts from Baylor University in 1956 and a master of arts in Christian education from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 1993. She served as a secondary school teacher (English, Speech, Spanish) in Texas.
She was married to her late husband, Harvey W. Hoffman Jr., for 63 years and has been described as walking beside him with grace, resilience and unwavering commitment as he attended seminary and served as pastor of 10 Southern Baptist churches in Texas and Louisiana.
Showcased ‘wisdom and grace’
Hoffman gave generously of her time and energy to be a pastor’s wife while raising three children. She created a home where faith was not merely taught — it was lived. She treasured every moment spent with her children and later, her grandchildren.
She wrote articles and books with the latest being, ChristLight: Reflecting the Image of Christ in the Real World, published in 2004 by WMU. She held multiple roles within the Southern Baptist Convention through associations as well as state conventions. She served on the board of both WMU of Texas and Louisiana WMU.
Hoffman’s years of service on the executive board of national WMU coincided with that of Wanda Lee, executive director emerita and president emerita of national WMU. Hoffman and Lee were both members of the executive board — Hoffman representing Louisiana and Lee representing Georgia — before they served as national officers. From 1996 until 2000, Hoffman served as recording secretary and Lee as president of national WMU. Then from 2000 until 2005, Hoffman served as president and Lee as executive director-treasurer, a role Lee held until her retirement in 2016.
“Janet’s profound wisdom and grace were instrumental during many years of great change as she led with passion and a steadfast commitment to engaging the church in missions,” Lee reflected. “Janet was a tremendous blessing to me personally and to WMU. She provided the wise and seasoned leadership that WMU needed at that precise time. Hers is a life truly well-lived, a life that reflected a love for the Lord and for others.”
Missional heart
Hoffman inspired Christ followers to live missionally, challenged churches to prioritize the Great Commission and helped shape strategic conversations about the future of WMU ministry.
“My first encounter with Janet was a leadership lesson I’ve never forgotten,” reflected Sandy Wisdom-Martin, current executive director-treasurer of national WMU. “It was the summer of 1991 at WMU Week at Glorieta, New Mexico. During an evening session, participants were invited to visit with one another. Janet could have conversed with honored dignitaries nearby. She chose to invest her time in me. You can’t imagine how that made a brand-new state WMU staffer feel. Janet interacted with everyone without regard to position, prestige or platform. She had a gift for finding the one in need of her encouragement.”
Known for her thoughtful leadership and sincere love for people, Hoffman often reminded others that following Christ begins with intimacy with Him through prayer and His Word and overflows into faithful service to others.
In her own words
Reflecting upon her life, Hoffman once wrote:
God has blessed me with pray-ers and missions mentors all my life; and I have come to understand that He wants to use the gifts He has given me to bless others. He has used every experience in my life to prepare me for some kind of ministry opportunity which came later. His faithfulness through the valleys as well as the mountain tops has been constant. He uses my many weaknesses to reveal His might and power. I am just one willing vessel who is privileged to be a missions advocate and hopefully a relational bridge builder within WMU and beyond. As the beneficiary of prayers of our WMU family, I am blessed with the Lord’s incredible presence, peace and joy!
She enjoyed writing, painting, public speaking, drama, reading, counted cross-stitch, sewing, fishing and golf.
Hoffman is survived by three children and their spouses as well as four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Service details
A service honoring Hoffman’s life will be held at Evergreen Baptist Church, 1380 E. Evergreen Road, Bernice, LA 71222 tomorrow (June 18). Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. prior to the 11 a.m. funeral service. Burial will follow in Evergreen Baptist Church Cemetery under the direction of Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Homes of Ruston, Louisiana.
Memorials may be made to the Wanda Lee Joy Fund, c/o WMU Foundation, 100 Missionary Ridge, Birmingham, AL 35242.
