Hurst
SAVANNAH — The Rev. Edward B. Hurst, 89, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Sunday, September 6, 2026, at Memorial Health in Savannah.
He was born November 16, 1936 in Brantley County to the late Harvey and Effie Howell Hurst. Rev. Hurst att ended Brantley County schools in Nahunta and Hoboken having graduated from Brantley County High School in 1955. He graduated from Norman (Baptist) Junior College, Norman Park, Ga., in 1961 with an Associates of Arts degree, Valdosta State College in 1963 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and from New Orleans (La.) Baptist Theological Seminary with a Master of Theology degree.
Rev. Hurst grew up working on the family farm, and worked a brief period for Satilla Lumber Company in Nahunta. He was also formerly employed by CSX Transporation and Gibson-McDonald Furniture Company in Waycross. He was employed by Gibson-McDonald from June 1956 to September 1959, beginning in city delivery and progressing to salesman, a position he resigned to enter college full-time. As a seminary student, he worked as a clerk for Sands Motel in New Orleans from October 1963 until December 1965.
Rev. Hurst grew up in a non-Christian home with parents who were good moral people. When he was about 13 years old, his father began taking his family to church. Within a few months, his father accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior. His primary burden then became the salvation of his two older sons. A few months later, on a Monday night revival meeting, Rev. Hurst received Jesus Christ into his life as his Lord and Savior. Other than accepting Jesus as his Lord and Savior, the greatest decision of Rev. Hurst’s life was surrendering his life by telling Jesus, “he would go wherever He wanted him to go and do whatever He wanted him to do provided He would be with him.”
In 1953, at the age of 17, Pleasant Valley Baptist Church licensed Rev. Hurst to preach. In 1955, he became the pastor of Riverside Baptist Church in Waycross, and at their request, Pleasant Valley ordained him to the gospel ministry. Rev. Hurst served as the pastor of Riverside from December 1954 until October 1955 as a high school senior. Rev. Hurst served as the pastor of Pine Ridge Baptist Church, Brunswick, from December 1983 until his retirement on June 11, 2006. He also served as pastor of Central Baptist Church, Americus, January 1974-November 1983, First Baptist Church, Fort Valley, Ga., January 1969December 1973, First Baptist Church, Lake Park, Ga., December 1966- December 1968, Hebron Baptist Church, Bush, La., December 1965- December 1966, Cherry Creek Baptist Church, Valdosta, October 1961-August 1963, Pineview Baptist Church, Waresboro, October 1959-October 1961, and Youmans Chapel Baptist Church, Blackshear, December 1956-September 1959.
Rev. Hurst served as interim/ transitional pastor at Calvary Baptist Church, Waycross, September 2013-September 2014, Pineview Baptist Church, Waresboro, October 2011July 2012, Waynesville Baptist Church, Waynesville, October 2010April 2011, Pineview Baptist Church, Waresboro, October 2009-September 2010, Ruhamah Baptist Church, Kingsland, June 2009-September 2009, First Baptist Church, Homerville, January 2009-March 2009, Central Baptist Church, Waycross, October 2006September 2008, and Pleasant Valley Baptist Church, Waycross, February 2015-July 2017.
Some of the special areas of ministry in which he feels God called and gifted him to serve was as a transitional pastor, interim pastor, supply preacher and as a Bible teacher, doing Bible conferences (studies) dealing with The Sermon on the Mount, the books of James, Hebrews, Acts 1-2, the Disciples Prayer and Study of Forgiveness, and as leader/facilitator of studies entitled “Understanding Church Membership,” “Understanding Spiritual Maturity,” “Discovering Your Ministry,” and “Share Jesus without Fear.” He taught in the Seminary Extension Center in Valdosta and in the Mercer Extension Centers in Warner Robins and Americus. He also taught in the Education Extension Center in Brunswick.
Rev. Hurst has been involved in the work of associations in the communities where he has ministered having served on the Church Revitalization Team in the Piedmont Okefenokee Association, the Valdosta Baptist Association as Sunday School Director, the Rehoboth Baptist Association as chairman of the Missions Committee and chairman for the World Missions Conference, the Friendship Baptist Association as chairman of evangelism, as chairman of the Baptist Student Union Committee, as chairman of the Director of Missions Search Committee, as member of the Constitution and By-Laws Committee, as chairman of the Committee on Order of Business and as moderator, and as president of the ministers’ conference, the Southeastern Baptist Association as chairman of the Nominating Committee, as Stewardship chairman, as president and vice president of the Ministers’ Conference, as moderator, and as a trustee of Azalea Corners Assisted Living facility, six terms as trustee of Baptist Village Retirement Communities, two years as president of the board of trustees, and as Stewardship Director at the invitation of the SBC Foreign Mission Board and Georgia Baptist Rev. Hurst and his wife, Juanita, had the privilege of going to Nigeria for two weeks in May, 1978 to lead stewardship seminars for Nigerian Baptists. The two also went to Panama at the request of the Stewardship Department of the Georgia Baptist Convention and led stewardship conferences in 1990.
Rev. Hurst has served in other communities and volunteer involvement. He was a member of Rotary International and served as Chaplain for the Americus Club and for the State Rotary Club Convention. He served as the Executive Secretary for a Clyde Dupin Area Wide Crusade in Americus and Brunswick, as Publicity Chairman in one campaign and General Chairman in the other. He was actively involved in campaigns against mixed drinks in the city of Americus and in Sumter County. Rev. Hurst has also “gone to jail” as a fundraiser for charitable organizations.
Rev. Hurst’s hobbies include gardening, woodworking and raising goats.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by grandparents, Lettie Dowling Howell, Elias Howell and Tempie Hurst Highsmith; one sister, Lettie Tempie Luveine Hurst; and two brothers, Donnie Hugh Hurst and Ronnie Harvey Hurst.
Survivors include his wife of 70, Juanita Hilton Hurst, (married April 7, 1956) daughter of the late Jesse and Thelma Carter Hilton, Sr. of Folkston; two daughters, Rhonda Elaine Baker (Mark) of Acworth, Ga., and Gloria Anne Carden (Al) of Easley, S.C.; grandchildren, Jason Edward Jones (Abbi), James Robert Jones (Mallory), Kristi Michelle Jones, Brandon Allen Jones (Hayleigh), Sarah Katherine Jones, Thomas Andrew Carden (Jenny Bloodgood) and Phillip Medara Carden (Fran); great grandchildren, Lily Raven Carden, Hayden Cross Carden, Colin Medara Carden, Bryce Andrew Carden, M.J. Moore, Cooper Moore, Mabry Moore, Jayden Mendenhall, Blake Mendenhall, Rylee Jones, and Waylon Jones; step-great grandchildren, Skylar and Gracie Bloodgood; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, September 10 at Central Baptist Church. Burial will follow in Greenlawn Cemetery. The family will receive friends beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday at the church.
Sympathy may be expressed by signing the online guestbook, or by viewing the video tribute and funeral service recording at www.musicfuneralhome. com.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Piedmont- Okefenokee Baptist Association, 2104 Alice Street, Waycross, 31501.
Music Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
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