I received a call awhile back from longtime Huntington Beach resident
Arline Howard asking if I would write more about the Reverend James
Hurst's days in Huntington Beach.
Hurst arrived in the city on Sept. 27, 1922, to minister to the needs of
the congregation of the First Christian Church, then known as the First
Church of Christ of Huntington Beach, at the corner of 8th Street and
Orange Avenue. The congregation thought Hurst's arrival was the biggest
event for them up to that time.
Hurst was born in Macy, Ind., and lived in Ohio before coming to
Huntington Beach.
While in Ohio, he met Martha Bell of Dayton. On Oct. 20, 1924, they were
married. From this union, a daughter, Dorothy Ann, was born.
Arline Howard told me Dorothy now lives in New Mexico.
In 1927, Hurst received USC's first master's degree in theology.
Hurst helped form the Pacific Bible Seminary, now known as the Pacific
Christian College, in Long Beach. In 1930, he became its first president
and, during his presidency, Hurst received an honorary doctorate degree
in divinity from Tennessee's Milligan College.
Howard told me it was Hurst who baptized her, and it was Hurst who
married the then-Arline Huff to Marcus Howard Jr.
The Hursts lived Downtown and later moved to 17881 Beach Blvd., where
they raised cocker spaniels, Howard said.
Hurst was very active in our local Masonic Lodge No. 380 and in our
Rotary Club.
After World War II ended, Huntington Beach saw an influx of new
residents, and the small church started filling to capacity. The elders
began looking around for a larger site.
Hurst delivered his Christmas message to his congregation on Dec. 20,
1953, and conducted an evening Bible and prayer service Dec. 23.
The next morning, Christmas Eve, Hurst left Huntington Beach forever for
a much greater reward. A fitting end for a man who dedicated 31 years of
his life in Huntington Beach to Christ.
* JERRY PERSON is a local historian and longtime Huntington Beach
resident. If you have ideas for future columns, write him at P.O. Box
7182, Huntington Beach 92615.
