I am continually amazed at the pastors who defend Jack Hyles, denying that he was a moral reprobate as well as a dictatorial cult leader. But those who have left, the followers who have tried to leave, the outsiders, even the media (it was on 20/20 last year) recognize that it is clearly a cult. They are right back in the same trap.. If the members of the congregation were heartbroken about what was happening to their church, they didnt show it on this night. The saddest realization is that it has all been under the guise of Christianity. Every time we talked he would ask me if we kissed, and I would say yes, and he would ask me real intimate questions about when we kissed and what happened when we kissed. These are sharable. Despite two eyewitness accounts, Ballenger denied the charge, was released on bond, and returned to the church. In his 1979 book How to Rear Infants, he wrote: The parent who spanks his child keeps him from going to hell.. That experience didnt cause Mulligan to rethink his career choice, however. Hes never spoken of her in endearing terms. Linda Murphrey, one of his daughters, recently told the Post-Tribune that she was 2 years old when her family moved from Texas to Indiana. Schaap did not respond to an interview request made through Porter County Jail. Our home was so full of turmoil, hatred, stress, strife, and as a little girl, it was isolating, it was intense, and it was frightening. He was sentenced to a year of probation. Theres a world of difference between a cult of personality and a cult. You call him an adulterer. We thought to make him happy, we would hate her too. Then, his voice dropping to a guttural whisper, he said, Oh, oh, God. Let Us Prey: Big Trouble at First Baptist Church, 2020 Chicago magazine / A Chicago Tribune Media Group website, 51 Life Changing Jack Hyles Quotes - Inspirationalweb.org, All the Lights Were Flashing Red and They Still Are Y'all Qaeda Blog, Thoughts On Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theorists, Inspired by the Thomas Chantry Trial | Here's the Joy. Were there problems, particularly in the latter years? At first, Busby says, it really seemed like he wanted to help us. But soon Schaap was requesting numerous sessions with Busby alone. Mar 20 2013. It was a fine sermon, and the people around memen in suits and ties with neatly combed hair, women in tastefully modest dresses, children sitting quietly beside themsmiled and nodded. With God's help, I will make my life in California everything that He would have it be and, unlike you, will not fall. He hated my mom. Former pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church, Bristol, Tennessee, Convicted in 2000 of kidnapping and abusing a minor, 5. He promises that there will be no cover-up. About. It was going to be me and my big mouth that ruined my marriage, not Davids actions. Perhaps the saddest of all her statements was that the rest of her family will not likely admit that they were wrong. With your own insecurities and personal failures as your driving force, you have quite simply played havoc with an entire church, some of my dearest friends and worst of all, my family. Another occasion was the girl who was working at the cemetery. For over fifteen years I have watched and learned much from the circus that you have performed with the lives of those I love most in the world. First Baptist had become a nationwide phenomenon, dubbed a superchurch by Time. . She was never charged with a crime, nor was Hyles. Ohhhh! He pastored a church in Texas and was found to be having affairs with 14 different women. (The previous are excerpts from Dave Colemans Interview with Paula Hyles Polonco, first wife of Jack Hyles son Dave, November 1, 1989).THE TESTIMONY OF JACK HYLES OWN DAUGHTERThe following is excerpted from Linda Murphreys testimony at the TEDxOjaiChange event in Ojai, California, April 5, 2012. I, too, witnessed a lot of hypocrisy growing up in a Baptist church, but my unbelief and rebellion was my own fault and not something I could blame on others. 3. But it was wildly effective, says Kaifetz, in part because Hyles made soul winning a key criterion for moving up the church ladder orif you were a manfor being awarded a coveted staff job. They are so influenced by him that I think if he told them that he was a black man they would believe him. Summary: Articles about Linda Hyles Murphrey - The Jim Baumer Experience Walking away from fundamentalist Christianity was a pivotal event in my life. The fire-and-brimstone words of his mother burning in his head, Hyles then enrolled at East Texas Baptist College in Marshall, Texas, where he became a student pastor. . Hyles arranged for Jennie Nischik to work as a secretary in an adjoining office in the late 1960s, and she would not allow her husband to touch her by 1971. . The year was 1985. First, there was the expectation that the school provided some support for students when they arrived. Former pastor of Gospel Light Baptist Church, Walker, Michigan, Convicted in 2006 of molesting a five-year-old boy, 2. He said that he didnt know he had broken mans law but knew he had violated Gods law. With that, he entered a guilty pleaand was immediately escorted to Porter County Jail to await sentencing. Love Makes the World Go Round (RPM Sketch #2), A New City/A New Home (JimBaumerMe Newsletter), One Sheet for Living in Some Strange Days (indie rock). He was beyond the bounds of what was appropriate, says Brennan. In her first one-on-one interview about the church, Hyles's middle daughter, Linda Murphrey, a motivational speaker and coach in Southern California, remembers his followers as "zombies" who. And even to our adult years, he owned us. I mean when I was dating David, the books that Hyles has written on teenagers and dating, we never did one thing that he taught. Early in my life I learned that there was one thing that could kill a festive mood at a dinner party. Money poured into the church in other ways: the tithes collected each Sunday, a book-publishing arm, and various conferences and seminars. In a scene right out of some cheap romance novel, Hyles arranged for Vic Nischik to sleep in the basement of his own house and to pay rent to Jennie. The influx of cash enabled First Baptist to buy large parcels of real estate around Hammondand enabled Hyles to buy loyalty. After the divorce, Jennie moved into a brand new $150,000 condominium at Hyles generous behest. Her feelings of regret are understandable, but all of this is in God's timing. Things that we encourage you to share include the audio sermons, O Timothy magazine, FBIS articles, and the free eVideos and free eBooks. In passing, it is interesting to note that Hyles evidence against Vic is loose, unsubstantiated, secondhand, hearsay gossip from unnamed sources (Robert Sumner. Kindly, Linda Hyles Murphrey is a liar on many counts! I wish God would . So many hurting, scared, broken women who are so afraid, who dont know that theyre loved, who want grace, but they have only heard all the things they need to do. Instead, he spoke of doing more for the church, of stepping up, of trying harder. Its important to stress that even the people I spoke with who felt victimized by the church did not suggest that the majority of members are anything other than sincere seekers of Christ. Former pastor of Central Baptist Church, East Chicago, Indiana; current pastor of Grace Baptist Church, Miami, Florida, Convicted in 2009 of felony stalking of a 14-year-old, 6. He taught us that to please him we had to keep all the secrets. You may also post parts of reports and/or entire reports to websites, blogs, etc as long as you give proper credit (citation). He would just repeatedly talk about sex and repeatedly talk about women, how they were dressed and body parts . There should have been a cry against him from every Bible-believing Baptist pulpit in America. After Nischik went public with the dirty business, Hyles tried to blacken the mans reputation and turn attention away from his own deeds in a self-serving letter he mailed to 60,000 pastors. It probably is one the most significant (and difficult) decisions Ive ever made since. It operated and still operates under the guise of an independent fundamental Baptist church. When he entered, we would all stand on the pew and sing, We love you, Preacher. The spokesman for the church, Eddie Wilson, did not return numerous calls requesting an interview. In 2001, he died of complications from heart surgery at age 74. We could never even tell our best friends what went on in our home, because we might be the cause of the destruction of his ministry. In the beginning1959, in this caseJack Hyles arrived at the First Baptist Church of Hammond as a skinny, charismatic Bible thumper with a Southern-fried drawl and a couple of cheap suits. They need to know that there is help. He began calling himself an Independent Baptistuntethered to any dogma or ritual he didnt cotton to, unaccountable to any ruling body or person beyond himself. Craig Sisson, 52 Today her name is Linda Murphrey and it appears from this testimony that she has rejected biblical Christianity because of the hypocrisy she witnessed growing up in the home of the man who said God had given him "the steering wheel of fundamentalism" and who boasted that his church "was the greatest church in the history of Christianity." Traffic guards directed cars into a gravel parking lot. There were references to secret meetings with him in different places (Nischik. Our home was so full of turmoil, hatred, stress, strife, and as a little girl, it was isolating, it was intense, and it was frightening. When he walked out on the stage of those chapel services, youve never seen anything more over-the-top expressivethousands waving the Bible in the air, screaming, shouting, whistling., In the beginning, Schaaps preaching was standard Hyles: emotional denunciations of the flock for not doing enough to please God. A link to the original report is very much appreciated as the reports are frequently updated and/or expanded. Another philosophy of his is that he doesnt want to hear anything, because then he doesnt have to deal with it. THE TESTIMONY OF JACK HYLES OWN DAUGHTER. He told us she was crazy. Victoria I told his dad about that. 25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. We hated her. boymom August 11, 2012 at 11:11 am Right back at ya, babe. He died a multi-millionaire. You are a self-proclaimed giant, sensationalist, exhibitionist, and 'big-time spender' grasping for every expression of love, admiration and loyalty that you can get your filthy little hands on. Eddie Lapina is the one controlling the pastor. He moved the bottom of the stick near his groin and angled it away from himself. This was not merely a simple local church issue. I attended at least 12 Pastors Schools. Jack Hyles wouldnt live to see Mulligans conviction. That decision and my close friendship with your ex-daughter-in-law (you remember her, don't you?) You could see their family from our back door. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward" (1 Timothy 5:18). Nevertheless, the story of First Baptist is epic enough to rival the most sordid Old Testament tale. It was going to be me and my big mouth that ruined my marriage, not Davids actions. Walking away from fundamentalist Christianity was a pivotal event in my life. I was embarrassed and humiliated that he said that, because David had kissed every other girl in the church, too, and they were all sitting there laughing. There was no question who would succeed him: Hyles had been grooming his son-in-law Jack Schaap ever since his own sons prospects had plummeted. until the child is crying, not tears of anger but tears of a broken will. They should leave stripes if need be. On the basis of Dr. Hyles own admissions, I rest my case about the massive cover-up of sin under his leadership. I remember hearing once that it is not wise to put anything in writing that one would not want the entire world to see. God will hold a metaphorical knife to your throat (as Schaap would illustrate by holding a steel blade against a twig the way an assailant might press on a jugular). Offering: Offerings are welcome if you care to make one. My 21-year-old radar told me he was a fraud. My dad pastored a church that evolved into a 50,000-member cult. I dont care how overbearing he was. Linda Murphrey is one of the daughters of the late Jack Hyles. He really does have that kind of influence on those people. Local papers, from the Hammond Times to the Chicago Tribune, featured the story, as did the tabloid TV news show A Current Affair. Hyles had deacons come forward during Pastor Schools and would order them to sit down, stand up, sit down, stand up repeatedly to demonstrate his unquestioning power over them. . Further, this was not just one pastor. He lifted a stick in his left hand and a silver cloth in his right. . In facthe turned to Johnny Colsten, one of the men on the stage with himId like for you, if you dont mind, to drink this.. He got up in front of a staff meetingin front of the whole staffand shared all kinds of confidential stuff that never should have been shared. [This was before Jack Schaap got caught in adultery with a teenager.] There are still many, many victims out there, says Busby, herself involved with a group of former First Baptist members who have their own abuse stories. Way of Life's content falls into two categories: sharable and non-sharable. Fourth, our attitude toward sin reveals the condition of our hearts. He returned to the Chicago area, to Bolingbrook, moving in with a woman named Brenda Stevens. He will abhor that which is evil (Rom. But thats what it is. THE TRUTH is that all the property belonged solely to the First Baptist Church of Hammond. Jack Hyles was the cult leader and he . When I think of him sitting in a jail cell right now, my heart can hardly handle the ache. Ive never been able to say the c-wordand anyone from the church who reads this will take great offensebut thats what it was like.. Much of our material is available for free, such as the hundreds of articles at the Way of Life web site. The Biblical Evangelist, a magazine devoted to historic evangelical fundamentalism, published a series of articles accusing Hyles of a years-long romantic affair with his secretary, Jennie Nischik, who happened to be the wife of a church deacon, Victor Nischik. There should have been a cry against him from every Bible-believing Baptist pulpit in America. Also, the girl whom Schaap counseled across state lines was 16 when the abuse began. The surrounding blocks bustled with activity. (He says he is not familiar with the details of First Baptist.) 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