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Hyles–Anderson College

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Revision as of 00:54, 22 May 2006 by Arbustoo (talk | contribs) (merge single sentence into main paragraph although I see no need to even mention it has a football field; most colleges have several; all high schools have one, but if it stays it belongs in a paragra)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Hyles-Anderson College
HAC
Established 1972
School type Private/Unaccredited
President Wendell Evans
Location unincorprated St. John Township, Indiana, United States
Campus 8400 Burr Street
Crown Point, Indiana 46307
United States
Enrollment approximately 1700
Faculty 38 full time
Colors Green and White
Mascot Bagpiper
Homepage www.hylesanderson.com


Hyles-Anderson College is an unaccredited Bible college in unincorparated St. John Township, Lake County, Indiana that has never sought accredition. The college is operated by First Baptist Church of Hammond. It focuses primarily on training pastors, missionairies and other church workers. It also trains Christian educators to work in K-12 Christian schools. The partially-wooded 100 acre (40 hectare) campus includes a lake, football field, bowling alley, and a variety of school and entertainment resources.Hyles Anderson College is not accredited by any accreditation body recognized by its country. According to the US Department of Education, unaccredited degrees and credits might not be acceptable to employers or other institutions, and use of degree titles may be restricted or illegal in some jurisdictions.

History

Hyles-Anderson was founded in 1972 by the late Jack Hyles with financial support from Russell Anderson. The college states that it was established so that pastors, assistant pastors, bus directors, missionaries, music leaders, teachers, and principals may be better equipped to do the work of the Lord. The school was originally located on a campus known as Baptist City in Schererville, Indiana. HAC's former campus was turned into Hammond Baptist K-12 school. This school is also operated by the First Baptist Church of Hammond. After his death, Hyles, who was the school's chancelor, was succeeded by his son-in-law, Jack Schaap, a graduate and former vice president of the school.

Academics and accreditation

Hyles-Anderson College is not accredited by any agency recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation or the US Department of Education. The school claims that it does not want accreditation.

The college has 38 full time educators and administrators, who have received degrees from a diverse range of both traditional universities and colleges as well as bible colleges. Each of the faculty at Hyles-Anderson has at least one degree from Hyles-Anderson College.

The science programs the school offers include "music education," "marriage and motherhood," "pastoral assistantship" and "pastoral theology."


Policies

The school forbids students "to attend Hollywood movies, play cards, or participate in other questionable amusements." As for politics, "we do not fellowship with liberals, but instead take a strict separatist stand from the world and apostasy." In terms of sex, the school notes that "absolutely no hand holding or other intimacies are allowed between the sexes."

Students are required to go "soul-winning" each week.

HAC also offers free courses for wives of students taking more than five units at the college so that the wives "can learn to be a successful leader's wife."

Hyles-Anderson is a supporter of the King-James-Only Movement, using the KJV exclusively.

Controversy and criticism

1989-1993

On May 28, 1989 The Chicago Tribune reported "former associate Victor Nischik has accused Hyles (President of the college at the time) of having an affair with his former wife Jennie" and questionable financial dealings. Pastor Hyles replied by saying the charges were "false" and "he has given 'hundreds of thousands' of dollars to needy friends over many years but has kept no records of the transactions. The article also explained former deacon of the First Baptist Church, Victor Nischik accused Jack Hyles of committing adultery with Nischik's wife and Hyles' long time assistant, Jennie Nischik.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that in 1993, a Detroit, Michigan news team, following up on allegations in five different fundamentalist churches of children molested by church workers, traced each alleged perpetrator back to Hyles-Anderson college. This news team produced a 30-minute documentary called "Preying from the Pulpit" for the Detroit Michigan Eyewitness News program.

Combs' child abuse

Reverend Joseph Combs and his wife, Evangeline Lopez Combs were members of First Baptist Church of Hammond and Combs was also a professor at Hyles-Anderson College.. The two adopted Esther Combs, who "experts" say was "tortured" for nearly 20 years. "The 410 scars she accumulated from curling iron burns, baseball bat beatings and other abuse went undetected because she was in the care of a minister and his wife, who used a cloak of religion and home schooling to isolate her." While one babysitter testified "that they suspected Esther was mistreated but didn't want to contradict Combs, who had been their Bible professor at Hyles Anderson College."Furthermore, another babysitter testified she "reported her suspicions to the college president, but apparently nothing was done, she said." In 1986, Combs moved to Florida to start a church. After accusations of abuse, they moved to Tennessee. There they were charged in 1998 and convicted in 2000 of kidnapping, child abuse and aggravated assault.

Merrillville Homes

The Northwest Indiana Times reported three former Hyles-Anderson students where arrested for a burglary "rampage" in January 2004 after the President of the college helped obtain a confession from two former students. A realtor entered a Merrillville house she was selling only to find several times missing. She was later contacted by James Clement Jr., attorney for the First Baptist Church of Hammond, and said "he had received information about the Merrillville burglary from church officials." Two of the former students confessed to school president Jack Schaap. One of the former students charged in the crime was charged with rape with a fourteen year old, but the rape charge was dropped and he plead guilty to burglary.

References

  1. "Educational accreditation". US Department of Education.
  2. See accreditation database at CHEA
  3. Founder Jack Hyles asserted that the college remains unaccredited because the government would "take away our freedom."
  4. ^ Maybe you wouldn't like Hyles-Anderson website March 2006
  5. ^ "Charges All Lies, Hammond Pastor Says," The Chicago Tribune, May 28, 1989.
  6. "Pastor Linked to Sex Abuse Lashes Out," Chicago Sun-Times, June 2, 1993.
  7. Hyles: I'm no dictator. First Baptist leader defends Northwest Indiana Times May 28, 1993
  8. ^ Becky Campbell. "Experts say Combs child abuse case unusual," The Associated Press, April 7, 2000.
  9. Esther Combs faces the woman she called mother and asks: Why?. The Associated Press. 25 April 2000.
  10. ^ Deborah Laverty. Officials charge ex-Hyles students in burglaries Northwest Indiana Times April 22, 2004
  11. Deborah Laverty. Rape charges dismissed against former local student Northwest Indiana Times December 22, 2004

Alumni

See also

External links

Criticism

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