A Global Life: Dr. Karen Hoffman’s Journey Toward Cross-Cultural Collaboration

By Rev. Joshua Blake

You might have heard it said that you can change the world for the better. That you could leave a lasting impact. Churches desire such change, yet many are unsure of how to reach impactful results. Do we send more money, or plan more mission trips? Do we work with organizations, or try to do it ourselves? If you are looking for advice on where and how to make a global impact, Karen Hoffman is a great person to start with.

A Life of Service and Learning

Karen Hoffman is a retired professor and nurse from Indiana Wesleyan University, where she held many roles, such as teaching in the nursing division, working in the dean’s office, leading study abroad trips, and now teaching an online doctorate. She has traveled extensively over the past 30 years, whether that be for personal reasons, study abroad opportunities, or mission-related travel. She has been to more countries than she can remember, and has been to every continent except Antarctica.

The Heart for Zambia

The country that has her heart, though, is Zambia, where she and her late husband, Ross Hoffman, led fundraising efforts to drill wells in multiple villages. She said that they had first felt a desire to serve globally and wanted to work with College Wesleyan Church and the mission organization World Hope International. They were then faced with the question of where to start. When they had spoken with Dr. Jo Anne Lyon (founder of World Hope International and General Superintendent Emeritus of The Wesleyan Church), they learned that Zambia was in desperate need of clean sources of water. Karen’s nursing background made her a perfect advocate for the need for clean water in these communities. They felt like God was calling them to use their gifts to make a difference in Zambia.

Witnessing the Need

After raising funds for well-drilling, they travelled to Zambia on a trip to see a well being drilled. Karen was shocked by the poverty, the lack of water, the sickness (including AIDS), and the many households led by young children, due to the parents having passed away at a young age. Many young girls and women would have to walk for miles to the nearest well, often in the dark, with a jar over their shoulder. This put them at huge risk for attacks from wild animals and dangerous people, not to mention the sheer exertion of energy it would take to get there and back before the heat of the day. The need for a well inside the village was not solely for good drinking water, but for safety and hope of a future.

She remembers one of the nights prior to the drilling of the well, the villagers were huddled together, sitting in the mud, singing worship songs. One song in particular was “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms,” and though she could not speak their native tongue, she sang the words in English and joined in their chorus. Moved by seeing these people, completely decimated by AIDS, singing their hearts out to God was not only inspiring, but also convicting.

“Jesus, what do I know about You that is true in this moment for these people, that is also true in my privileged life back in America?” Karen would ask. She would never be the same again.

A Changed Perspective

She discovered during her time there that she had to get rid of a lot of things that she thought were about God, that really were not, and to realize that the most important things about God were the things that were true in Zambia also, and were true for other people in the world. “I was a changed person because I had seen the world,” Karen said.

She and her husband began putting more effort into meeting global needs. Karen joined the outreach team of her church, and her husband Ross had many meetings with organizations and pastors to see what could be done to continue helping these villages, and other countries as well. Their experience in Zambia affected their view on finances and family life, and they brought their children and students into their global approach for impact, many of whom are still serving in global capacities today.

Guidance for Church Leaders

When asked what advice she would give to church leaders desiring to make a difference in the world, she shared that it begins with getting out there.

“See it, experience it, and let it change you,” she reflected.

As you let those experiences change you, Karen then shares that pastors should:

“Think outside the box, don’t keep yourself in the traditional missionary model of global ministry, rather work with other organizations, who are already making a difference in those locations.”

Though missionaries are vital to the great commission, Karen saw that too few churches were focused on helping meet any of the physical needs of the people through local relief and sustainable collaboration.

Conversely, she mentioned examples of some churches that would bring a team to help the community, but instead of joining in the work already being done in those locations, they would seek to do their own thing for the short period they were there.

Seeing, Learning, Investing

Similar to Karen, by seeing the world, and inviting God to expand your faith through that experience, and by following that perspective with investment of your time, energy, attention, and resources, you can begin to have an impact that goes beyond your home and can reach the world.