About Derrick
Pastor, writer, perpetual student of what actually works.
Senior pastor of Living Word Galena in Galena, Ohio. I’ve spent more than two decades in pastoral ministry trying to figure out what it looks like to build something that actually lasts — in a congregation, in a life, and in the people you lead.
The story
Where I’ve been and what it’s made me.
I came to pastoral ministry the way most pastors do — with more conviction than competence and a sense that God had something specific in mind that I hadn’t fully figured out yet. Twenty-plus years later, I’m still figuring it out, but I’ve learned enough to know what questions actually matter.
I’ve served Living Word Galena for years and watched it grow from a small congregation into something that regularly asks harder questions than I have easy answers for. That tension — between what the church is and what it’s called to be — is what drives most of my thinking and writing.
I’m married — 26 years — with two grown sons and a teenage daughter. We own 13 acres outside of Galena where I raise chickens, garden when the season cooperates, and spend too much time and money restoring a 1986 Dodge truck that has no practical justification whatsoever. These things are not unrelated to the work. They teach you patience, humility, and the value of knowing when something needs to be torn down to the frame before it can run right again.
Married
26 years
Congregation size
~195
weekend worshippers
Email subscribers
499
Property
13 acres
Galena, Ohio
What I believe
The convictions that shape everything.
The Gospel is the point.
Everything else — strategy, leadership, growth, coaching, writing — is downstream of this. Lutheran theology has given me a framework for holding Law and Gospel in right relationship, and that framework shapes how I preach, lead, and think about everything else.
The church is meant to go, not just gather.
I’ve become increasingly convinced that the greatest threat to the local church isn’t opposition from outside — it’s the slow drift inward. Churches that exist primarily for the people already in the room have quietly traded the Great Commission for a much smaller story.
Leaders need honest outside voices.
Pastoral ministry is uniquely isolating. The higher you go, the fewer people can speak plainly to you. I believe every pastor needs at least one person outside their context who will tell them the truth — about their leadership, their blind spots, and the gap between what they say and what they do.
Eternity shapes Tuesday mornings.
The tagline I’ve carried for years — living for eternity today — isn’t just a brand. It’s the lens I use for everything. What does it look like to make decisions, lead people, and spend your one life as if the things that will last forever actually matter most right now?
The work
What I do and where to find it.
Weekly blog
Writing on faith, leadership, and the life that actually matters. Published most weeks at derrickhurst.org.
Read the blog →
Sermon messages
Expository preaching through the Gospel of John and other texts from Living Word Galena.
View messages →
3 Minute Thoughts
A short weekday podcast. One idea, three minutes, no padding. Available on Apple and Spotify.
Listen →
Pastoral coaching
1:1 and group coaching for pastors and ministry leaders who want a direct, honest outside voice.
Work with me →
Want to connect?
Whether it’s about coaching, a question from something you read, or just to say hello — I’m reachable. I read everything and try to respond to most of it.