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Jack Frasure Hyles (September 25, 1926-February 6, 2001) was a leading figure in the independent Baptist movement. He pastored the First Baptist Church of Hammond from 1959 until his death. He was also well-known for being an innovator of the church bus ministry that brought thousands of people each week from surrounding towns to Hammond for services. Jack Hyles built First Baptist up from fewer than a thousand members to a membership of 100,000. In 1993 and again in 1994, it was reported that 20,000 people attended First Baptist every Sunday, making it the most attended protestant church in the United States In 2001, at the time of Hyles death, 20,000 people were attending church services and Sunday school each week.

Over the course of his nearly 50 years as a church leader, Hyles was occasionally criticized for his doctrinal views and for alleged scandals. His literal interpretation of the Bible often put him at odds with other Christians -- even with other fundamentalist Baptists.

History

His early life and beginnings of his ministry

Hyles was born and raised in Italy, Texas, a low income area just south of Dallas, Texas. Hyles often described his less-than-ideal upbringing which, he said, included distant parents. At 18 years of age, Hyles was drafted into the United States Army and served as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II. He and his wife, Beverly, were married during the war.

After the war was over, Hyles completed his college education at East Texas Baptist College. He also attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. After his graduation from East Texas, Hyles started preaching at several small Texas churches, after which their membership grew. These churches included: Marris Chapel Baptist Church, Bogata, Texas; Grange Hall Baptist Church, Marshall, Texas; and Southside Baptist Church, Henderson, Texas. After receiving his education Hyles pastored at the Miller Road Baptist Church in Garland, Texas for about six years. During this time the congregation grew from 44 members up to 4,000 members. Hyles said he was "kicked out" of the Southern Baptist denomination because he was too conservative for them. Hyles then ran Miller Road Baptist Church as an independent preacher for a while.

The move to Hammond, Indiana

In 1959, Hyles moved to Hammond, Indiana and became the pastor of First Baptist Church of Hammond. When he arrived, the church had a membership of around 700 people, said to be mostly "high-society types." About a third of the members left the church after hearing Hyles preaching style, which was much different than what they were used to. Hyles then led the Church to its status as an independent Baptist church -- freeing it from its ties with the American Baptists. Hyles started his bus ministry and soon shepherded the church from a congregation of several hundred to more than 20,000. In the early 1990s a national survey ranked First Baptist as the largest church in the nation, by average weekly attendance figures.

Beginning in 1969, and continuing for several years, First Baptist received recognition for the size of its Sunday School. In 1969, Dr. Elmer Towns wrote a book called The Ten Largest Sunday Schools and What Makes Them Grow which analyzed First Baptist's Sunday School. Towns presented a plaque to Jack Hyles in 1971, naming First Baptist Church of Hammond the nation’s largest Sunday school. In 1972, and for several years following, Christian Life Magazine proclaimed First Baptist Church of Hammond to have "the world's largest Sunday School".

In 1972, Jack Hyles and Russell Anderson founded Hyles-Anderson College, an unaccredited bible college, to specialize in training Baptist ministers and Christian school teachers. Hyles-Anderson College never sought accreditation because Hyles insisted school accreditation would undermine his ability to control how the college ought to run, and for various other reasons outlined in a sermon entitled, Accreditation.

The ministry of Hyles

One of the most notable aspects of Hyles is his church bus ministry that he helped innovate. As early as 1975, Time magazine described the phenomenon in an article titled, "Superchurch." The Time article notes that First Baptist Church of Hammond Sunday School, which regularly ran almost 14,000 people, pushed the church to a record attendance of 30,560 on March 16, 1975, thanks to a boisterous contest between two bus route teams. In that year, the First Baptist bus route ministry consisted of 1,000 workers using 230 buses to ferry as many as 10,000 people every Sunday. In 2001, a fleet of over 200 buses was regularly ferrying 7,000 to 15,000 people from throughout northwest Indiana and the Chicago, Illinois area.

Hyles was also a leader in the Independent Baptist movement through his speaking at 'The Sword of the Lord' conferences with John R. Rice and his own annual "Pastors School". The school continues to attract as many as 7000 visitors to the Hammond area.

Hyles wrote approximately fifty works in his lifetime with over 14 million total copies in circulation, including the popular Is There A Hell?, based on a sermon he preached at a National Sword of the Lord Conference. Another work, Enemies of Soul Winning tackled many issues considered controversial in fundamentalist and evangelical circles, which include the doctrine of repentance, Lordship salvation, and the role of the church in soul winning. The Calvary Contender wrote, "Hyles will be remembered as a one-of-a-kind, ever controversial leader whose ministry touched the lives of multitudes."

Jack Hyles was better known as "Brother Hyles" to his tens of thousands of congregants.

Honors, awards, accolades, and praise

Hyles has been the recipient of much praise, honors, and other accolades throughout the course of his life, and even continuing on past his death.

Hyles received an honorary doctorate from Midwestern Baptist College, an unaccredited bible college for budding pastors, missionaries, evangelists, and Christian school teachers.

In 2001, the Hyles' boyhood home, a 384 square foot shack in Italy, Texas (30 miles south of Dallas, Texas) was purchased for a planned museum to honor Hyles. The home was shipped from Texas to Hyles-Anderson College. The home was planned to house Hyle's writings, photographs, and other relics on the 2,700-student campus. Ray Young, a close friend of Hyles, said, "We have 5,000 to 7,000 independent Baptists who come here each year for conventions. Reverend Hyles was very much adored by independent Baptists across the country. It should be a major attraction for them."

Hyles' commitment to poor children grew out of his own childhood. He was raised in poverty by a single mother during the Great Depression. Hyles is given recognition for his commitment to the poor, mostly black and Hispanic children from Chicago's inner-city neighborhoods, whom he has bussed to private Christian schools in Hammond every day.

Hyles was known as a "great preacher" among the fundamentalist preachers. The Washington Post compared the meek preaching style of Jerry Falwell to the "spit and fire" of Jack Hyles. The Post suggested that after you heard a preacher like Hyles, "you knew that you'd been preached to".

The Chicago Sun Times wrote about Hyles on the occasion of his death, "When he chose the interests of poor, inner-city kids over millionaire church members, they said he'd never keep the doors of his church open. In more than 50 years of ministry, the Rev. Jack Hyles, pastor of mammoth First Baptist Church in Hammond, Ind. proved them all wrong. In the process he built one of the largest congregations in the country, a college, six schools, and a vibrant ministry that will now have to survive without him."

In the same article, the President of Hyles-Anderson College was quoted as saying Hyles is "a tremendous man of integrity, business acumen, leadership ability, organization. You didn't have to do everything his way. But after you experimented, you usually found out his way was the best way".

Matthew Barnett, while discussing his work at an inner-city Los Angeles ministry, explained how he learned from Jack Hyles. He explained how he and his dad learned the whole bus ministry and bus captains idea from Hyles during a conference. Barnett also expounded on how Hyles was a tremendous soul winner, and how Hyles had great influence throughout the entire Chicago area.

The Rev. Jerry Falwell, chancellor of Liberty University, said that "Hyles will be remembered as a leader in evangalism through the local church." Falwell also said, "He inspired me as a young pastor to win others to Christ through Sunday school, the pulpit, and personal witnessing. He made a great contribution to the calls of Christ".

The mayor of Hammond, Illinois, speaking of Hyles, said, "He had a tremendous following at his church, but when other people where moving out of downtown Hammond, the reverend decided to stay. Many of his congregation lived in Hammond, so I would say he had a very important impact here."

Hyles was honored in Hammond, Indiana with a huge portrait of Hyles and his widow, Beverly, dominating the skyline of the town. He is also honored in Founder's Park at his college, where they laid 30,000 bricks as flooring for life-sized statues of Hyles and his widow.

Controversy and criticism

Allegations by Nischik, Sumner, and Glover

In May 1989, Victor Nischik, a former deacon of the First Baptist Church, accused Hyles of being a "cult leader" who committed adultery with Nischik's former wife and Hyles's long time assistant, Jennie Nischik. Nischik, a church accountant, also accused Hyles of questionable financial dealings. Hyles said, "Everything that I am charged with is a lie," and claimed Nischik was an "immoral man" that Nischik's wife supposedly found Victor "alone in his pajamas with another woman." Hyles also responded to the charges of financial impropriety by pointing out that his salary was only $18,308 in year. He said, "I'm not a wealthy man...I could have been, but I have chosen not to be." Hyles pointed out that the Nischiks and other workers and needy friends regularly received many gifts from himself, including new cars Hyles said that he received "love offerings and honorariums" from his nationwide speaking engagements and he said that gifts given to him he shared with others, especially those that worked with him. Hyles said that "money doesn't mean anything to me" and that he has given away "hundreds of thousands of dollars to needy friends" but he doesn't keep records of all the gifts he has given out over the years.

Robert Sumner, a Baptist evangelist and an author, accused Hyles of running his church in an authoritarian, almost 'cultist' manner in an article called The Saddest Story We Ever Published in Sumner's The Biblical Evangelist newsletter. Sumner detailed Nischik's charges and contended that Rev. Hyles has strayed from biblical teaching and into cultlike mind control. Sumner's article had over 100 separate allegations of wrongdoing, including one that alleged that Hyles had "sex satellites" in Petersburg, Beaumont, Texas; and Anniston, Alabama. Hyles responded to Sumner's accusations by calling them "all lies".

In 1991, Voyle A. Glover, a local government attorney and former member of First Baptist Church of Hammond during Jack Hyles' ministry, published a book called Fundamental Seduction: The Jack Hyles Case, in which he recounts Sumner's 1989 allegations of "moral laxity, doctrinal heresy and financial impropriety" by Hyles. Glover tried to distribute his pamphlets at the First Baptist Church of Hammond, but church members told his distributor that he could not enter the church and an off-duty Hammond police officer working for the church advised that the man could be arrested for disorderly conduct and trespassing.

Sexual molestation at First Baptist

In March 1993, a deacon at First Baptist, A.V. Ballenger, was found guilty of one count of child molestation dating from a 1991 incident in which a church worker reportedly witnessed Ballenger molesting a 7-year-old girl during a Hammond Sunday school class. In 1991, Hyles and First Baptist were sued for $1 million by the girl's parents who believed that Hyles and the church should have done more to protect their daughter. The parents said that the molestation was brought to Hyles' attention when it happened, but Hyles did nothing about it, so they finally reported it to the police. The parents claimed in the lawsuit that Hyles told them that Ballenger "just liked little girls," and "you don't have a case." The lawsuit against Ballenger and the church was settled out of court in 1994. Ballenger was sentenced to five years in prison in 1993, but he remained free on appeal until August 19, 1996, when he was finally ordered to report for prison. The Northwest Indiana Times criticized Hyles because he allowed Ballenger to continue working at the church and have contact with children during Ballenger's appeal. Hyles and his followers insisted that he always believed that Ballenger was wrongly convicted, but the leading prosecutor in the case said the church maintained "a conspiracy of silence" by closing ranks behind Ballenger.

In May 1993, WJBK, a Detroit, Michigan area news team, did a six-part story called Preying from the Pulpit where it followed up on allegations of child molestation at area churches. The news report said that seven U.S. churches with ongoing molestation controversies all had preachers that attended Hyles-Anderson College. The WJBK report linked the abuse cases to Jack Hyles and it also accused him of running a cult. The news station "recapped a sermon in 1990 in which Hyles pretended to pour poison into a glass and asked an associate pastor, Johnny Colsten, to drink from it. Colsten said he would." Furthermore, "The WJBK report said the sermon has the "ring of Jonestown to it - the mass suicide in Guyana in 1978 by followers of cult leader Jim Jones." The mini-series also "showed footage during its report of" Hyles "brandishing a rifle form the pulpit, along with "people with guns and walkie-talkies patrolling the outside of the church at times."

In response, on May 19, 1993, the Northwest Indiana Times ran a story entitled Baptism by innuendo, which criticized the stories that ran on WJBK-TV and later on WLS-TV in Chicago. The Times also suggested that the May ratings period, which is traditionally known for such similar sensationalized stories, was not a good enough excuse to make up for the poor journalism the stories displayed, concluding that the stories were "a monstrous overreach". Hyles spoke to 1300 supporters in which he disputed the latest reports point by point and he branded the recent news reports as "ridiculous assumptions and malicious lies". During that speech, Hyles claimed some people in the report had not even attended the school to destroy the bus ministries operated by his church and others like it. Several hundred followers signed a statement supporting Hyles' in an advertisement placed in the Tuesday June 1, 1993 Chicago Sun-Times.

After the WJBK news report, the FBI was asked to look into accusations that minors were taken without parental permission from Michigan churches to events at the First Baptist Church of Hammond where they were then allegedly abused. The FBI concluded there was insufficient evidence of any federal crimes and turned the matter over to local authorities. On Friday, May 19, 1993 Sgt. Charles Hedinger, a Hammond police detective, described the Hyles investigation as "open-ended." Jack Hyles said that he welcomed an investigation and he attended a meeting with city officials to discuss it. Hyles emerged from the meeting saying that there was no investigation. Confirmation of this came on Wednesday, May 24, 1993, when the Chief of Police detectives, Capt. Bill Conner and the prosecutor's office stated that it did not have any cases or investigations involving Hyles or his church.

Hyles and church sued for negligence

In October 3, 1997, Hyles and his church were sued by an attorney of a mentally disabled woman and her sister for negligence in connection with sexual assaults alleged to have happened over a six-year period. The lawyer said Hyles was sued because he failed to protect the woman, in 1996, from being raped by two or three males while another church member stood watch. Earlier, in 1991, a teacher at First Baptist had reported to the police that the same woman was abused by someone at the church.The "civil suit filed in Lake Superior Court in Gary claims the Chicago woman was "induced by agents" of the church in 1991 to ride a bus to attend Sunday."

Despite the rape and abuse claims by the woman's lawyer, it doesn't appear that any criminal charges were filed in the 1991 case or the 1996 case. Hyles denied the allegations that the woman was abused after 1991 in newspaper advertisements and pointed out that his church has costly missions devoted to helping the disabled. Hyles alleged that church records showed that the girl had not even attended the church since the 1991 abuse incident.

Works by Hyles

Books

• Seeing Him Who Is Invisible -- Sword of the Lord Pub (1960) ISBN 0-87398-754-3
• How to Boost Your Church Attendance -- Zondervan (January 1, 1961)
• Let's Build an Evangelistic Church -- Sword of the Lord Pub (1962) ISBN 0-87398-502-8
• Kisses of Calvary and Other Sermons -- Sword of the Lord Pub (1965) ISBN 0-87398-479-X
• Let's Hear Jack Hyles (Burning Messages for the Saved and Unsaved) -- Sword of the Lord (1972) ISBN 0-87398-504-4
• Hyles Church Manual -- Sword of the Lord Pub (November 1982) ISBN 0-87398-372-6
• Church Bus Handbook -- Hyles-Anderson (1970)
• How to Rear Children -- Hyles-Anderson Pub (January 1, 1972) 193 pgs.
• How to Rear Infants -- Hyles-Anderson Pub (January 1, 1979) 143 pgs.
• How to Rear Teenagers -- Revival Fires! Publishers (January 1, 1998) 155 pgs.
• Blue Denim and Lace -- Hyles-Anderson Pub (1972)
• Let's Go Soul Winning -- Sword of the Lord Pub (January 1980) ISBN 0-87398-503-6
• Hyles Sunday School Manual -- Sword of the Lord Pub (November 1982) ISBN 0-87398-391-2
• The Blood, the Book and the Body -- Hyles-Anderson Pub (1992)
• Enemies of Soul Winning -- Hyles-Anderson Pub (1993) 148 pgs.
• Please Pardon My Poetry -- Hyles-Anderson Pub (January 1, 1976) 123 pgs.
• Logic Must Prove the King James Bible. -- Hyles-Anderson Pub
• Is There A Hell? -- Hyles-Anderson Pub
• Jack Hyles Speaks on Biblical Separation -- Hyles-Anderson Pub (1984) 112 pgs.
• Salvation is more than Being Saved -- Hyles-Anderson Pub (1985) 150 pgs.
• Teaching on Preaching -- Hyles-Anderson Pub (1986) 153 pgs.
• Grace and Truth -- Hyles-Anderson (January 1, 1975) 222 pgs.
• The Miracle of the Bus Ministry -- Ray Young Publications (1996)
• Fundamentalism in My Lifetime -- Hyles Pub (2002) ISBN 0-9709488-4-0
• What Great Men Taught Me -- Berean Publications (2000)
• Truman Dollar, Jerry Falwell, A.V. Henderson, & Jack Hyles Building Blocks of the Faith (Foundational Bible Doctrines, Special Faith Partner Edition) -- Fundamentalist Church Publications (1977) ISBN 0-89663-006-4

Other

• Introduction to the Dino J. Pedrone book What is It All About? Sword of the Lord (2000) ISBN 0-87398-932-5
• Introduction to the Beverly Hyles book Woman, the Assembler (Making Your Hasband a Leader) Hyles Publications (1995)

References

1. ^ Janega, James Rev. Jack Hyles; Led bus ministry Chicago Tribune, Feb 9, 2001
2. Lehmann, Daniel J. "Fundamentalists Shun a Society They Try to Save" Chicago Sun-Times, June 6, 1993. pg. 5
3. ^ Lehmann, Daniel J. "Pastor Linked to Sex Abuse Lashes Out," Chicago Sun-Times, June 2, 1993. pg. 5
4. ^ Chalfant, H. Paul, Religion in Contemporary Society (3rd Edition), Itasca, Illinois: F.E. Peacock Publishers (1994); pgs. 363-364
5. ^ Falsani, Cathleen Brother Jack Hyles of Hammond dies at 74 Chicago Sun Times, February 8, 2001.
6. ^ "First Baptist Church. . . Helping People for 116 Years, and Counting!" (PDF). The Voice of First Baptist Church. Retrieved May 1. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
7. Towns, Elmer. "The Ten Largest Sunday Schools and What Makes Them Grow" (PDF). Baker Book House. Retrieved May 1. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
8. "Megachurch Pastor Jack Hyles Dead at 74". Christianity Today. Retrieved April 2. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
9. ^ Superchurch Time Dec 1, 1975 (retrieved Jun 4, 2006)
10. Zabroski, Steve (2006). "Faithful flock to Hammond". Northwest Indiana Times. Retrieved March 24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
11. "Jack Hyles Succumbs To Heart Attack". Calvary Contender. 2001. Retrieved May 1. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
12. Associated Press Texas childhood home of prominent minister planned as Indiana museum Schererville, Ind. November 6, 2001
13. Harrington, Walt What Hath Falwell Wrought? Washington Post July 24, 1988, pg W19
14. High hopes: Matthew Barnett's secret is to inspire others to dream what God can do--and dream big The Leadership Interview from Leadership Journal Jan 1, 2005
15. News briefs Illinois edition: Dedication to unveil college founder Oct 20, 2001 Northwest Indiana Times
16. Victor Nischik. The Wizard of God: My life with Jack Hyles. Buchanan, Mi.: Sychar Pub. Co., 1990."
17. ^ "Charges All Lies, Hammond Pastor Says," Chicago Tribune, May 28, 1989.
18. ^ Ed Briggs "Fundamentalists' House Displaying Widening Cracks" Richmond Times. Richmond, Va.: Jul 22, 1989. pg. A-9
19. Michael Hirsley, "Pastor denies adultery, 2 other charges." Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Ill.: May 25, 1989. pg. 1
20. Voyle Glover. Fundamental Seduction: The Jack Hyles Case. Schrerville, Indiana: Brevia Publishing, 1990.
21. Gruszecki, Debra Church's alleged acts questioned. Local lawyer charges Northwest Indian Times October 22, 1991
22. "Church leaders sued in sex-abuse case," Chicago Tribune, Oct 16, 1991.
23. ^ Amanda Beeler. One step closer to the end. Northwest Indiana Times March 31, 1996
24. "Church leaders sued in sex-abuse case" Chicago Tribune. Oct 16, 1991. Pg. 3
25. Mark Kiesling Convicted of molestation, ex-deacon to go to prison Northwest Indiana Times August 28, 1996
26. Baptism by innuendo Northwest Indiana Times May 19, 1993
27. Ed Evans and Mark Kieslong. Church deacon guilty. Northwest Indiana Times March 27, 1993
28. "7 accused of abuse linked to preacher." The Grand Rapids Press. Grand Rapids, Mich. May 17, 1993. pg. B.2
29. "Preacher has links to molest suspects" The San Diego Union-Tribune. San Diego, Calif.: May 17, 1993. p. A.7
30. ^ Debra Gruszecki.Hyles: I'm no dictator. First Baptist leader defends Northwest Indiana Times May 28, 1993
31. ^ Debra Gruszecki FBI won't continue with church sex abuse probe. Not enough Northwest Indiana Times" May 19, 1993
32. Cite error: The named reference No Investigation was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
33. ^ Debra Gruszecki Suit claims rape at church Northwest Indiana Times October 4, 1997
34. ^ "Baptist Megachurch Faces Sex Suit". Christianity Today. 2006. Retrieved 2006-05-01.

External links

Hyles Ministry

• The Jack Hyles Home Page -- books, sermons, & links
• Hyles Publications -- a publisher of books and bibles including many by Jack Hyles
• JackHyles.net - An unofficial Jack Hyles site with archival copies of books and sermons and links to discussion groups

Criticism

• Biblical Discernment Ministeries criticism of Hyles
• The Jack Hyles Story by Robert Sumner

• Sex scandals
• 1926 births
• 2001 deaths
• Baptists
• Religious scandals