D.V. Hurst Leaves a Legacy of Service

Duane V. Hurst, known to most as D.V., died Dec. 29, 2016, leaving a monumental legacy of service in the Assemblies of God and in the civil arena.

Hurst became an ordained minister in the Assemblies of God’s South Dakota District in 1946. Throughout his 15-year tenure at the Assemblies of God’s national office, he held various prominent roles including, assistant national Sunday School secretary, national secretary of Radio, and coordinator of the Spiritual Life Evangelism Commission. During this time, he wrote many books which had a profound impact on the AG, including: And He Gave Teachers and Ye Shall Be Witnesses, circulating over 70,000 copies each.

Millions of ABC Radio listeners became well-acquainted with Hurst’s voice, as he served as the announcer for the Revivaltime broadcast.

In 1966, Hurst became president of Northwest Bible College (now Northwest University) in Kirkland, Washington. Hurst would serve notably there until his retirement in 1990.

During his accomplished tenure at Northwest, Hurst saw the school nearly double in acreage. He oversaw 14 major campus construction or development projects — all while keeping the college in the black for 22 of the 24 years he was at the helm.

“Dr. D.V. Hurst made a monumental contribution to the Assemblies of God through his service at the national office in the Sunday School Department, Radio Department, and Commission on Spiritual Life Evangelism,” recalls AG General Superintendent George O. Wood. “His service as the long-term president of Northwest University not only heralded great advances for the school, his life touched many students and inspired them to follow the Lord in their life’s vocations.”

Hurst, however, held great influence beyond his positions with the Fellowship. He served as a Kirkland city councilman from 1976-1988 and as mayor from 1979-1983.

Notably, Hurst negotiated a 20-year lease to the Seattle Seahawks NFL team in 1984 on undeveloped land on the Northwest campus. The Seahawks built three fields and a 36,000-square-foot office complex. The NFL team remained at the facilities until 2008 when they moved to a larger facility in Renton, Washington.

D.V.’s nephew, Randy Hurst, serves as the Advancement director for AG World Missions. “Many knew what a competent leader and administrator my uncle D.V. was. What I wish more people knew, was what he was like in his personal life,” recalls Hurst.

“He was a great personal witness. It’s partly why he wore a cross in front of his tie — to open conversations about Jesus. He had time for people and took a genuine interest in their families," says Randy Hurst. "He truly believed in young people, saw their potential, and wanted to do whatever he could to help them progress in their life callings.”

In retirement, Hurst worked extensively with Bible schools in Asia Pacific region, including as president of Asia Theological Centre for Evangelism and Missions in Singapore.

“He never stopped learning, growing, and trying to improve the way he did things, always striving for excellence, says Randy Hurst. “His life made an incalculable impact on many people.”