How We Came to Be

The Genesis of Hur House:

I'm excited to share with you the vision behind Hur House, a place of respite designed to lift up the weary hands of those in ministry. The vision began while Paul and I were serving in Papua New Guinea where Paul was a professor and the chaplain at a teacher’s college. We had people in our home regularly, which I enjoyed since I love showing hospitality. We had also been refreshed by others on the field and on our furloughs back home. While we were in PNG, I felt impressed by the Holy Spirit, “Hope, one day you will have a place for missionaries and those in Christian leadership to come and be refreshed and encouraged. I call that my “God-dream”.

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After serving in PNG for 6 years we went to First Bible Church in Decatur, AL and served for 6 years in various capacities, until we went to Mexico for 3 years. We then returned to FBC and served for the next 16 years until June of 2024. Paul now serves as a workplace chaplain for Fite Building Company.

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Meanwhile, my dad, who was the CEO of South Carolina Christian Foundation, kept urging me to form a 501(c)(3). I just wanted to keep hosting missionaries and pastors in our home, but I pursued it. Right before Covid hit, I asked three friends to be on my board. Then…, Covid hit. During this time, I believe God gave me the name for the ministry—Hur House. I was reading in Exodus 17:10-13 where God had instructed Moses to fight against the Amalekites. As long as Moses held up his arms, Israel prevailed, so when his arms grew tired Aaron and Hur held up his hands. As his hands remained steady towards the Lord, Israel prevailed. That is really what we want to do for those in ministry, provide a kind of “fox hole” where they can reset, then go back to the fight with renewed vigor, strength, and hope! I did not yet have a chairman, and I felt Hur House needed a man's voice and perspective. So, we waited and prayed.

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About six years ago, our pastor asked Paul to shift over to ministry at the Madison campus of FBC. This move proved to be significant, because that was where we met the man who would become the Chairman. When he heard about our vision of Hur House, he showed us his parents’ home. They had not lived there for several years, and it was vacant. When Paul and I saw the 8.5-acre property, we couldn’t believe it was even a possibility. We sat on a bench outside the house, and I prayed this prayer: “God, if it would be good for us and good for Your kingdom, would You give us this home quickly? And would You make it so obvious that it was Your doing?” God gave us the property, and it was the deal of a lifetime! We bought it for less than we sold our 1-acre lot/home in Decatur. In addition to the main house, there is a pavilion and an office building, which we have transformed into a guest house--which IS Hur House. It has five bedrooms, two full baths, a kitchen/dining area, and a den where we hope ministry leaders will be able to find community as they share stories with others who understand the joys and challenges of the ministry.

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This 30-year-old dream has become a reality, and we can't wait to see what God is going to do next!