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Jack Hyles

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File:Jack Frasure Hyles FBC Hammond.jpg

Jack Frasure Hyles (September 25, 1926-February 6, 2001) was a leading figure in the Baptist movement. He pastored the First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana from 1959 to his death. Jack Hyles built a church of fewer than a thousand members to a membership of 100,000, with an average Sunday attendance of 20,000. He was a leading innovator in the church bus ministry. Hyles was criticized for alleged scandals and doctorinal views.

Ministry

Beginning in 1969, and continuing for several years, First Baptist Church of Hammond received recognition for the size of its Sunday School. Elmer L. Towns wrote one of several books in which he analyzed FBCH's Sunday School in 1969.[1] He presented a plaque to Jack Hyles in 1971, naming First Baptist Church of Hammond the nation’s largest Sunday school.[2] In 1972, and for several years following, Christian Life Magazine proclaimed First Baptist Church of Hammond to have "The World's Largest Sunday School."[3]

Jack Hyles co-founded Hyles-Anderson College (an institution that never sought accreditation) with Russell Anderson to specialize in training Baptist ministers and school teachers in 1972.[4] He later received an honorary doctorate from the Midwestern Baptist College, a bible college for budding pastors, missionaries, evangelists, and Christian school teachers.

One of the most noteable aspects of Jack Hyles' ministry is his church bus ministry. 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 (the church had an active membership of 22,000), pushed the church to a record attendance of 30,560 on March 16, 1975, thanks to a boisterous contest between two bus route teams.[5] In that year, according to the Time article, the First Baptist Church of Hammond bus route ministry consisted of 1,000 workers using 230 buses to ferry as many as 10,000 people every Sunday. The population of Hammond at the time was 107,983.[6]

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. [7]

Hyles wrote over fifty works in his lifetime, including 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 fundamental 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."[8]

Controversy and criticism

Teachings

The Richmond Times quoted ex-Hyles follower and later critic, Robert Sumner, who said "Jack Hyles, runs his church in an authoritarian, almost 'cultist,' manner." [9] Sumner, like most others with strong independent religious views, disagrees with a number of doctrinal issues with Hyles. Sumner, who has a personal website which he publishes and edits himself, called The Biblical Evangelist, was also quoted criticizing Hyles in another newspaper. This newspaper documented disputes that Sumner had with Hyles. Each of Sumner's charges were refuted by Hyles, who termed the accusations as "lies'.[10] According to the Richmond Times Sumner's article had over 100 allegations of abuse.[11]

Personal conduct

Allegations of misconduct were first made public in the "Godfrey Letter," sent by Evangelist George Godfrey to several hundred graduates, pastors, and former students of Hyles-Anderson college[12]

On May 25, 1989 The Chicago Tribune reported that Victor Nischik, a former deacon of the First Baptist Church, accused Hyles of committing adultery with Jennie Nischik, Nischik's wife and Hyles' long time assistant. On May 28 the Tribune repeated this and added Nischik's allegations of questionable financial dealings.[9] Hyles replied by saying the charges were "false" and indicating that "he has given 'hundreds of thousands' of dollars to needy friends over many years but has kept no records of the transactions." Hyles was not ever charged with a crime. [10]

Controversies involving the First Baptist community

Hyles has been a target of occasional criticism during his nearly 34 years at the helm of the independent First Baptist.[13]

1,300 supporters of Hyles gathered to listen to Hyles as he branded the news reports linking him to a nationwide pattern of sexual molestations and abuse as "ridiculous assumptions and malicious lies". He said the reports were really an attempt to end Sunday school "bus ministries" operated by his church and others like it.[13]

There is one instance where a member of First Baptist was found guilty of a crime of abuse. Daniel Lehmann of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote, "In March, 1993, a deacon at First Baptist, A.V. Ballenger, was found guilty of one count of child molestation dating from 1991."[13] Furthermore, "a church worker reportedly witnessed the act and removed the girl from the room, police said."[14] During the criminal trial Jack Hyles "told the child's parents that Ballenger 'just liked little girls,' and, 'You don't have a case.'"[14] The parents later filed suit for one million dollars against Hyles and his church."[14] Ballenger was found guilty of molestation and sentenced to five years.[12]

Lehmann reported that in May 1993, a Detroit, Michigan area news team, did a story called Preying From the Pulpit where it followed up on allegations of child molestation. The Sun-Times series said it found seven U.S. churches - all with ties to Hyles, it said - involved in sex scandals.[13] However, Lehmann noted that "the Lake County (Ind.) prosecutor's office said it did not have any current cases involving Hyles or the church, and the Hammond Police Department confirmed a statement of last month that 'there is no investigation' of the church or Hyles". [13]

Lehmann remarked that Hyles "disputed the latest reports point by point in a speech to Midwest ministers and businessmen, brought together by COMPASSION - Churches Organized & Mobilized for Preservation and Safety for Sunday Schools in Our Nation." Hyles also claimed out that those people said to have attended Hyles-Anderson College had not really attended the school.

On December 8, 1997 Christianity Today reported that Hyles and his church, the First Baptist Church of Hammond, were being sued for "for negligence in connection with alleged sexual assaults on a mentally disabled church member over a six-year period"[15] The lawyer for the woman, Vernon Petri, "says Hyles is a defendant because he failed to protect the woman", such that "Controls have to be set to be sure things are conducted appropriately..."[15] However, Christianity Today pointed out that no criminal charges were ever filed in the case.

Also, Hyles denied the allegations that either he or his church were negligent in the care of the woman in an October 12 advertisement in the Hammond Times. Hyles pointed out that his church had a long-standing outreach program to the handicapped and underprivileged of the Hammond area, ministries that Hyles said "are a financial liability. This is especially true in the case of the educable slow. We get nothing from them but the satisfaction of helping them."[15]

In the article, Hyles also said the church does "not believe that the events described in the allegations occurred." Hyles said the church preaches against and detests "any form of sexual misbehavior." In a news report, Hyles indicated that the church had no record of the woman's attendance at Sunday school since 1991.[15]

Seeing eye dog controversy

On July 6, 1984, The Associated Press reported, Donald Baker "a man blind since birth says he's been told he cannot attend his church with a guide dog he acquired in February."[16] Baker "was told by the church's pastor that he could not attend services with his dog Casey because it "would disturb others."[16] Rev. Jack Hyles, was unavailable for comment, but the Rev. Keith McKinney "confirmed Baker no longer attends First Baptist but said he could make no official comment."[16]

References

  1. ^ 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)
  2. ^ "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)
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference FCB1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "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)
  5. ^ "Superchurch". Time. Retrieved April 30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ "Population Trends for Indiana Counties, Cities, and Towns 1970 - 2000" (PDF). Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP). Retrieved April 30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ 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)
  8. ^ "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)
  9. ^ a b "Ed Briggs. Fundamentalists' House Displaying Widening Cracks" Richmond Times - Dispatch. Richmond, Va.: Jul 22, 1989. pg. A-9
  10. ^ a b "Charges All Lies, Hammond Pastor Says," Chicago Tribune, May 28, 1989.
  11. ^ Ed Briggs. "Fundamentalists' House Displaying Widening Cracks." Richmond Times. Richmond, Va. Jul 22, 1989.
  12. ^ a b "AV Ballenger," South Bend Tribune, August 30, 1996.
  13. ^ a b c d e Lehmann, Daniel J. "Pastor Linked to Sex Abuse Lashes Out," Chicago Sun-Times, June 2, 1993. pg. 5
  14. ^ a b c "Church leaders sued in sex-abuse case," Chicago Tribune, Oct 16, 1991.
  15. ^ a b c d "Baptist Megachurch Faces Sex Suit". Christianity Today. 2006. Retrieved 2006-05-01.
  16. ^ a b c "Blind Man Says Church Bans Him, After He Gets Guide Dog," The Associated Press, July 6, 1984.

Bibliography

External links

Hyles Ministry

Criticism

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