Nhung Hurst – Bethany Christian Services

Nhung Hurst’s journey to becoming general counsel for Bethany Christian Services is a story of faith, resilience and purpose. Her career, spanning diverse roles and disciplines, is driven by an unwavering commitment to serving vulnerable children and families. Hurst’s path has been anything but conventional, and her approach to both life and work is deeply rooted in her faith and personal history, making her uniquely suited to lead Bethany’s legal efforts during a time of profound challenges and change.

Nhung Hurst | Bethany Christian Services | General Counsel

Bethany Christian Services is a nonprofit organization serving children and families through various services, including adoption, foster care, family preservation, refugee resettlement, and counseling. Founded in 1944, Bethany operates with a mission to demonstrate the love and compassion of Jesus Christ by protecting children, empowering youth and strengthening families. The organization partners with communities to provide safe and loving homes for children in need, support for expectant parents and crucial resources for families facing challenges.

Bethany also advocates for systemic change to improve vulnerable populations’ welfare, ensuring every child can thrive. With locations across the United States, Bethany continues to be a leader in holistic, family-centered care.

“It’s one thing just to say what you do for work and how you do it,” Hurst says, “but for me, it’s essential to talk about the why behind my work. Christ is my why. I’ve had many opportunities throughout my career to be faithful to God and glorify his name while advocating for children and families.”

Fighting for faith-based freedoms

For Hurst, the greatest legal challenge facing Bethany Christian Services—and many other faith-based organizations—is the growing tension between operating in accordance with religious convictions and navigating the increasingly restrictive policies imposed by government agencies. Bethany, with its 80-year legacy of providing Christ-centered social services to the most vulnerable, is currently engaged in a legal battle with the State of Michigan to defend its First Amendment right to exercise its faith. This case, which Hurst describes as emblematic of a broader issue, highlights the precarious balance between preserving religious freedoms and meeting the demands of governmental oversight

She explains that the mission of faith-based organizations is not to challenge or amend existing laws but to work within them to serve communities in need.

“Federal law expressly permits faith-based organizations to receive grant funds on the same level as other organizations while maintaining our faith and beliefs.

For Bethany, the lawsuit is not just a fight for its own survival but also a stand for the principles that have guided its work for decades and its commitment to caring for the most vulnerable clients who need our services.

Hurst’s approach to legal advocacy is both strategic and deeply personal. She balances her responsibilities as the sole attorney in Bethany’s legal department with a long-term vision of building a robust Legal and Risk team. This vision is about scaling capacity and ensuring that every legal effort aligns with Bethany’s broader mission. Her leadership style is marked by intentionality and discernment. As a department of one, she must assess every incoming request against her existing workload and determine how best to allocate her time. Saying “no” to non-strategic tasks can feel counterintuitive in a service-oriented organization, but Hurst views it as essential to maintaining excellence.

Building for the future

Expanding her team is a crucial priority, and Hurst is looking for individuals who share her professional standards and her deep faith and commitment to Bethany’s mission.

“First and foremost, I am looking for a team member with a strong faith in Jesus Christ and confidence in their convictions,” she says.

Beyond technical skills, she emphasizes the importance of character traits like humility, compassion, integrity, and emotional intelligence. To Hurst, hiring the right people is about more than filling a role; it’s about fostering a culture where the organization’s mission and values are so compelling that people are naturally drawn to them.

The work Hurst has taken on throughout her career is not without emotional cost. She speaks candidly about the perpetual sorrow of serving children and families in crisis. From the trauma of foster care to the struggles of refugees starting over in a new land, the pain she witnesses is profound.

“The perpetual sorrow of this career path is the pain and suffering that children and people endure,” she says. “But when that harm is inflicted on children and the most vulnerable who cannot defend themselves, I am even more brokenhearted.”

Despite the heartache, Hurst finds hope and inspiration in the resilience of the people she serves and the dedication of her colleagues.

“I serve alongside selfless heroes of the faith in social work who wake up every morning choosing to invest in the lives of so many without expecting anything in return,” she says.

Hurst’s personal and professional lives are deeply intertwined, both shaped by her family’s story of resilience and sacrifice. Her parents, who fled Vietnam to give their children a chance at a better future, remain a constant source of inspiration.

“Serving in these ways allows me to honor the choices and sacrifices my parents made so long ago,” she says.

Her marriage to her husband, Tripp, and their life together with their daughter reflect a blend of faith, love and resilience that permeates every aspect of her life.

A reluctant lawyer

Hurst’s path to the legal profession was anything but linear. Born in a refugee camp during a time of immense upheaval for her family, she grew up acutely aware of the struggles faced by those fleeing persecution and seeking a better life. Her family’s journey from Vietnam to the United States shaped her worldview and instilled a deep sense of gratitude and purpose.

“I was born during the most painful season of my parents’ lives, but God allowed me to live in the U.S. where I and my family had access to food, healthcare, and education,” she reflects.

Despite her early interest in civics, inspired by a ninth-grade class on the U.S. Constitution, Hurst initially pursued a degree in creative fiction writing and dreamed of becoming a high school English teacher. She imagined a quiet life dedicated to storytelling, far removed from the legal battles and humanitarian crises that now define her career. But her faith led her down a different path. Feeling called to use her voice to advocate for the most vulnerable, she attended law school and began a career focused on child welfare and humanitarian aid.

“God’s plan for me was far greater than the one I ever planned for myself,” she says.