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Hyles-Anderson College
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. 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.

The partially-wooded 100 acre (40 hectare) campus includes a lake, football field, bowling alley, and a variety of school and entertainment resources.

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

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.

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. "Maybe you wouldn't like..." Hyles-Anderson website March 2006
6. "Maybe you wouldn't like..." Hyles-Anderson website March 2006
7. Hyles-Anderson College Doctorinal Statement" Hyles-Anderson College May 2006
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. Becky Campbell. "Experts say Combs child abuse case unusual," The Associated Press, April 7, 2000.
11. Becky Campbell. "Experts say Combs child abuse case unusual," The Associated Press, April 7, 2000.

Alumni

• Jack Schaap - (BA 1978; MA, 1979) - Chancellor of Hyles-Anderson College

See also

• List of unaccredited institutions of higher learning
• School accreditation

External links

• Hyles-Anderson College– Official Web Site

• Unaccredited institutions of higher learning
• Unaccredited Christian universities and colleges
• Religious scandals