Hurston Ministries - John Hurston's Legacy

Photo of Dr. John Hurston My Father's Legacy:
Meet Dr. John Hurston

Dr. John Hurston has a prestigious reputation as a church planter and church growth authority. In more than 60 years of ministry, he has founded and established churches in Liberia West Africa, Korea,
and Vietnam.

Photo of John and Maxine Hurston Dr. Hurston and his wife, Maxine, ministered in Korea for 17 years, where Dr. Hurston was co-founding pastor with Dr. Yonggi Cho of the second stage of what has become Yoido Full Gospel Church, the largest congregation in history, now with nearly 800,000 members. Dr. Hurston later returned to Korea as executive director of Church Growth International. From 1976 to 1981 that organization held more than 100 seminars including more than 40,000 pastors and church leaders on 5 continents.

During the past 20 years, Dr. Hurston has been president of Melodyland School of Theology and served as associate pastor of such churches as California's Bakersfield First Assembly, Dallas, Word of Faith Family Church, and Fort Walton's Abundant Life Church. Throughout this time, he traveled and ministered in pastors' seminars, in college level Bible school courses, and in churches both in America and abroad.

Dr. Hurston is now retired and resides in Gulf Breeze, Florida. Dr. Hurston's wife and Karen's mother, Wanna Maxine Hurston, died on May 29, 2005. You may access her memorial web site.

HIGHLIGHTS OF MINISTRY

1956	Knighted by Liberia 's President Tubman into the Humane Order of African Redemption after leading a highly effective nationwide Inaugural Salvation-Healing Revival under the sponsorship of the President.
1961-70	Co-founder and co-pastor with Dr. Yonggi Cho of Seoul, Korea 's Full Gospel Central Church, which became Yoido Full Gospel Church, the world's largest church. First went to Korea in 1958, when Dr. Hurston held six tent crusades in major cities throughout Korea. When Dr. Cho was drafted in the Army, Dr. Hurston served as interim pastor of Cho's tent church before founding and co-pastoring the second stage of that church in the central part of the city known as West Gate, Sodaemoon.
1971-75	Director of the Assemblies of God Mission in South Vietnam, a post that included church planting, relief activities, and a youth drug rehabilitation.
1976-81	Executive Director of the Church Growth International, the Yoido church's outreach to foreign pastors and church leaders, with 100 seminars involving 40,000 pastors and church leaders.
1982-85	President of Melodyland School of Theology, now known as American Christian Theological Seminary.
1985-93	Church Growth Consultant in Dallas, Texas, Word of Faith Family Church and various churches in U.S., Canada, and overseas.
1993-2004	Co-founder with Dr. Karen Hurston of Hurston Ministries, now retired.

MINISTERIAL BACKGROUND

1943	Graduated from Central Bible College
1944	Ordained with Georgia District, Assemblies of God
1946	Pastor, Olive Road Assembly of God, Augusta, Georgia
1947	State Youth Director, Georgia District
1948-57	Appointed Missionary to Liberia, West Africa
1948-52	Evangelism and church planting in Liberia, West Africa
1954-57	Pastor, Monrovia Assembly of God
1955-57	Superintendent of the Liberian Assemblies of God
1956	Led nationwide Inaugural Salvation-Healing Revival under sponsorship of Liberia 's President, William V. S. Tubman
1958-59	Conducted Salvation-Healing meetings in South America and Korea
	Young Cho and Hurston with elderly woman healed of blindness in a tent crusade
1960-70	Appointed Missionary to Korea
Mar 1961	Interim Pastor of Taejo Dong Full Gospel Church
Oct 1961	Co-founding Pastor with Dr. David Yonggi Cho, Full Gospel Revival Center in Seoul, Korea
1962-70	Missionary advisor to the Full Gospel Central Church in Seoul, Korea, which later become Yoido Full Gospel Church
1963-64	President of Full Gospel Bible College, ministry school of the Assemblies of God in Korea
1967-68	Founder and Director of Night Division of Full Gospel Bible College
1967-70	Director, International Correspondence Institute and literature program of Korean Assemblies of God
1971-75	Director of the Assemblies of God Mission in South Vietnam, a post including church planting, relief activities, and drug rehabilitation for the youth of Vietnam
1976-81	Reappointed missionary to Korea. Executive Director of Church Growth International, Associate Pastor of Full Gospel Central Church, now Yoido Full Gospel Church
1978-81	Executive editor, World of Faith magazine
1979-81	President, Full Gospel Bible College
1980-81	President, Korea Extension of California Graduate School of Theology
1982-85	President, Melodyland School of Theology, (later known as American Christian Theological Seminary) in Anaheim, California
1982-83	Superintendent of the newly formed Korean District of the General Council of the Assemblies of God, U.S.A.
1984-85	Church growth consultant and Pastoral Care Director, First Assembly of God Bakersfield, California
1985-1992	Director of Ministerial Department, Word of Faith Family Church, Dallas, Texas
1987-1992	Associate Pastor, Hispanic Department, Word of Faith Family Church, Dallas, Texas. Sent to various Word of Faith Family Churches throughout the United States
1992 - 2004	Co-Founder with Karen Hurston, Hurston Ministries.
1994 - 2006	Consulting Pastor, Abundant Life Church, Fort Walton Beach, Florida

SPECIAL HONORS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

1946	Married the beautiful Maxine Poston, his dedicated lifetime partner and the love of his life
1956	Decorated for distinguished ministerial service by President of Liberia, His Excellency William V. S. Tubman, who made him Knight Official in the Humane Order of African Redemption
1976	Southeastern University of the Assemblies of God conferred a Doctor of Divinity on John Hurston for his outstanding ministerial service
1977	Co-authored with daughter Karen, Caught in The Web, concerning home cell system of Full Gospel Central Church
1981	California Graduate School of Theology conferred a Doctor of Letters on Dr. Hurston for his outstanding ministerial service
1981	Appointed lifetime 'Honorary Pastor' of Full Gospel Central Church, Seoul, Korea
1998	During the 1998 40th anniversary of Yoido Full Gospel Church, Dr. David Yonggi Cho presented Dr. Hurston a plaque of meritorious service for his "dedication and commitment to the development and growth of our church."

2003	Authored book, Divine Desperation, with Karen and Maxine Hurston. This book is the life ministry of Dr. John W. Hurston and Maxine Hurston. Forward is by Dr. David Yonggi Cho.