Local minister triumphs over cancer, goes on ‘Jeopardy!’

WEST BLOOMFIELD — The Rev. Elizabeth Hurd, pastor of United Methodist Church in West Bloomfield, fulfilled a lifelong dream by appearing on the game show “Jeopardy!”

Hurd fell in love with the iconic show, where the questions are the answers, when she was a kid. She was a contestant on the episode that aired Feb. 26.

Hurd recalled how her fascination with the show grew over the years. 

“It was around the time when Ken Jennings was getting all the attention for his (74-game win streak) that I started to watch it more frequently with my family,” the minister said.

That was in the mid-2000s, and she has been a loyal viewer ever since. 

She prepared for the show by studying online trivia games and archived episodes of “Jeopardy!” The pastor read through old clues and tried to memorize world capitols and presidents, noting these topics appear often.

“The knowledge base is a mile wide but an inch deep,” Hurd said. “So, you have to know a little about a lot of things.” 

Her journey to the show started by taking the online “Anytime Test,” which applicants can try whenever they wish. However, they can typically only attempt it once per year.

If they pass the test, they can be randomly selected for an audition on the video messaging app Zoom, where they type in their answers. From there, they may be eligible for the “Game Play” — essentially a screen test, Hurd said. Applicants once again conference over Zoom, and verbally answer game questions, as well as questions about themselves. 

Hurd first took the test in July 2025 and took her next series of tests later the same month. She was summoned to Los Angeles that August and the show was to be taped in October, but she had to decline that first opportunity because the day prior, she received a diagnosis of stage 1 papillary thyroid cancer. 

“That’s a very scary thing to walk through, and then also having the uncertainty of not knowing what my October would look like post-surgery and with treatment,” Hurd said. “It really recentered me because it reminded me if I went out (to tape the show) and lost, it would still be OK because I would still have the experience. I was putting a lot of pressure on myself that … I wanted to win, (but the cancer diagnosis) allowed me to step back and take a breath.” 

Hurd declined the October invitation and concentrated on her treatment. When all was well with her health, she contacted the show and was invited back in December 2025, setting up an episode that was recorded in early 2026. 

Jo Anna Risk, Hurd’s administrative assistant, was in the office when the pastor received the call from “Jeopardy!”

“They really wanted her to participate, because they called her back,” Risk said. “I was ecstatic for her.”

Hurd, a longtime admirer of Jennings, was happy to finally meet him. 

“He was wonderful,” Hurd said. “I only met him in the context of his hosting. He came out and greeted all the contestants.”

During their chat, she shared she had been doing improv comedy as a hobby for four years.

“I took a class and fell in love with it,” Hurd said. 

She said improv helped her on the show, and that it has also helped her as a minister, allowing her to think quickly and keep calm. 

Hurd described the game show producers and staff as “wonderful.” 

“They were so encouraging of everybody there,” Hurd said. “They were so excited about us just being there playing.”

The pastor came in second place and won $3,000. Although her screen indicated $5,000, Hurd explained that “Jeopardy!” treats the amount of money a contestant earns in the game as points on a scorecard, and only the winner receives that amount in money. The second and third place winners are always awarded $3,000 and $2,000, respectively. 

Hurd gathered at the church with around 100 people for a watch party Feb. 26. 

Ruth VanderSande was among those present. She has known Hurd since they were kids attending the same church. They then reconnected when they were both studying to be ordained ministers in the United Methodist Church. 

“The watch party was a really neat mix of the many people in her life, from congregants to clergy, colleagues, her improv group and friends,” VanderSande said. “It’s not all the time you get to see someone achieve a dream like that. It truly shows her dedication and perseverance in making it come true.”

With this lifelong dream fulfilled, Hurd is preparing for her next chapter. 

She has been with the United Methodist Church in West Bloomfield for four years but will be leaving this summer for a church assignment in Berkley.

 “Pastor Elizabeth is a beautiful person, inside and out,” Risk said. “Her interests, her experience and knowledge are such that her tenure here as our pastor has been wonderful. We have all learned a lot from her.”