Georgia Baptists' first lady and mother - Janice White

J. Robert White, executive director of the Georgia Baptist Convention, is a free man - free, that is to serve the Lord and provide leadership for Georgia Baptists. He is free to fulfill his role as leader, preacher, ambassador, counselor, missionary, writer and administrator because he married well and has in his wife, the former Janice Gail Goodlet, a godly woman who lovingly and efficiently tends to matters at home.

Janice is the consummate wife, mother and grandmother and loves her role as the matriarch of the J. Robert White family. It is difficult to picture her without a grandchild in her arms or without her interacting with her daughters in some meaningful way.

Furthermore, people love to hear Georgia Baptists' executive director speak of his wife, because he does so with such love and affection. The Whites not only have an effective ministry that extends to every corner of the state, but they maintain a family life that is a model for all Georgia Baptists.

Janice grew up in a wonderful Christian home with loving parents who were devoted to establishing a healthy and wholesome family life. Though born in Birmingham, Ala., Janice's family moved to Hialeah, Fla. when she was three years old where her father assumed responsibilities as clerk of the city of Hialeah.

 

A mother's influence

The Goodlet family became a part of Miami Springs Baptist Church in a suburban community just south of Hialeah in the greater Miami area. Janice reminisces, "My mother had a profound influence on my spiritual development and frequently talked to Jeannie, my sister, and me about our personal relationship to Jesus."

Consequently, Janice, who was eight years old at the time, and Jeannie made their professions of faith on two successive Sundays and were baptized together by Bill Culbreth, who was pastor of the Miami Springs Church at the time.

 

Following footsteps

Thelma Goodlet was extremely involved with the Woman's Missionary Union of the church and influenced her daughters to become involved in the missionary programs of the church. Janice, following hard in her mother's footsteps, worked diligently on her steps in Girls' Auxiliary to become a Queen with Scepter and was personally engaged in mission projects.

"Often on Sunday afternoons our family would go out to visit with the Seminole Indians who lived along the Tamiami Trail," recalled Janice. "Our GAs were frequently involved in mission support efforts to help the Indians. We provided items to enhance their quality of life. The Indian ladies would sit in their open-air houses doing their sewing, beadwork and cooking, but the highlight of the afternoon for me was watching the men of the tribe enter the alligator pit, wrestle with the 'gators' and put sand on their stomachs and put them to sleep."

The executive director's wife admitted to growing up in a typical nurturing home of the 1950's and 1960's. Family times were important to the Goodlets and the two daughters were taught the importance of integrity, character and excellence.

Janice attended Hialeah High School and originally planned to go to the University of Florida, but at the last minute decided to go to Samford University in Birmingham, where she met the young man who was to become her husband.

The initial encounter occurred when Bob White approached Janice's table in the university dining hall where she was seated with some of her sorority sisters. The debonair freshman introduced himself and asked the sorority girls if they would vote for him for vice president of the freshman class.

Janice promised Bob that she would support his candidacy and asked him to repeat his name. He said, "My name is Bob White. You know, like the bird."

Janice gave an assuring smile, but admitted to having no idea what he was talking about. As he walked away, she asked her sorority sisters, "What is a bob white?"

They all started laughing and said, "It's a bird!"

 

A courtship begins

Janice commented, "I guess I've never seen a bob white bird." However, she never forgot the Bob White she met that day.

The second semester of Janice's junior year she joined the Baptist Student Union choir, where Bob was the assistant director. After choir rehearsal one night he invited her out to Shoney's Restaurant for strawberry pie. That was the first date and the beginning of a courtship that resulted in an April engagement the following year.

Consequently, wedding bells rang at Miami Springs Baptist Church in August following the bride and groom's senior year at Samford. Bob's father, Dr. J. R. White and Janice's pastor, Hankins Parker, conducted the wedding ceremony.

The newlyweds honeymooned through the Smokey Mountains on the way to Louisville, Ky., where Bob entered Southern Seminary. Janice lent her endorsement to the education of her beloved and her financial support of the marriage by teaching the fourth grade at Greenwood Elementary School in Jefferson County, Ky.

 

Becoming a pastor's wife

The summer after the White's first year at the seminary, Bob accepted a call to serve as pastor at Dabney Baptist Church in Holton, Ind.; and at the age of 23 Janice had her first experience at being a pastor's wife.

Upon graduating from the seminary the ministerial pilgrimage of the Whites' took them to Montgomery, Ala. where Bob served as associate pastor at First Baptist where his father was senior pastor. During the time in Montgomery Bob took a leave of absence from First Baptist to return to Louisville to finish the course work for his doctor of ministry degree.

Upon completion of the work required for this advanced degree the Whites returned to Montgomery where Bob continued his ministry until God called him to serve as pastor of the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Carrolton and after seven years in Carrolton the Whites moved to Paducah, Ky. were Bob assumed the duties of pastor of the First Baptist Church.

In each church, Janice served in vital roles. She sang in the choir, taught children's Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Mission Friends, G. A.'s and Acteens. For nine years she taught in the weekday preschool program at First Paducah.

Bob and Janice became parents during the Montgomery years. With great gratitude for the privilege of being a mother Janice recalls the birth of her firstborn child, Kathy. Janice reminisced, "The church family in Montgomery surrounded us with love and support as we became parents for the first time."

Georgia Baptists' premiere mother astutely surmised, "Having a baby in the house changes everything. The baby becomes the focus of your attention. You sleep when the baby sleeps. You don't sleep when the baby doesn't sleep. Hot meals are a rarity! Chaos reigns!"

Janice continued, "After several months of adjustment, you begin to feel like you have your life back again and you settle into living together as a family. Bob and I would enjoy just sitting for hours watching Kathy through the various stages of development. I read everything I could get my hands on about child development. I remember being concerned that Kathy had not rolled over by the time the book said that she should. I mentioned this to Bob and he calmed my fears by saying, 'I can guarantee you that by the time she goes to college, she will be rolling over.'"

During the Tabernacle years God blessed the Whites with two more daughters, Karen and Jennifer. Janice appreciatively remembers, "The church family was very supportive during the birth of our daughters. They brought meals for our family, babysat our children, and remembered them at birthdays and special seasons through the years. They wanted us to succeed in our ministry to the church, but also as a family."

 

Ministry from the church

When Jennifer, the third daughter, was born prematurely, the Carrolton church responded to the White's needs by essentially taking over the operation of the household. Janice explained, "They came in and washed clothes, prepared meals, ran errands, took care of Kathy and Karen. The sweet Christian ladies who cared for our every need made the difficulty that we endured and the regaining of my strength so much easier."

Then came the Paducah experience that Janice nostalgically recounts, "In that nurturing congregation our girls became involved in practically every organization designed for their age group. The church literally impacted every aspect of our children's lives. Then as our girls began to leave home to go to college the transition was difficult, but it was also affirming to see them become outstanding Christian young women."

The White daughters performed admirably in college, married fine young Christian men and began establishing their own homes and having children, thus making Janice and Bob grandparents, a designation that sets both of them aglow.

 

A rewarding role

In this coveted role as grandmother Janice declares, "I don't think anything has been so exciting and rewarding as having grandchildren. I will never forget the feeling that I had as I held that first grandbaby in my arms and that same feeling has been there as I have held each new grandbaby. We now have six grandchildren: Meaghan and Hannah Curtin; Ryan and Ben Lillard; and Lauren and Jake Millage."

 

Focused priorities

Mary Cox, wife of Frank Cox, pastor of North Metro First Baptist Church in Lawrenceville, where the Whites are members recently stated, "Because of our special friendship I have been privileged to observe Janice White up close and personal. She is a woman of focused priorities. The most important goal in her life is being the wife and mother that God would have her to be. "To know her is to know her devotion to her husband, her daughters and grandchildren."

Cox added, "When Janice speaks of her family she speaks with great love and compassion. The virtuous woman is worthy of praise - so is Janice for her example as a wife, mother and grandmother."

Georgia Baptists should rejoice in the testimony of their first lady as she declares, "My quiet times are very special to me. During those times I pray for Bob and what he faces every day. I pray for all the members of my family and I pray that God will give me wisdom and discernment in facing whatever happens in my life."

She insists, "There are no perfect families or perfect parents, but we can all strive to instill Christ-like characteristics in the lives of our children and grandchildren."