If you have not read The Legacy of Jack Hyles, I encourage you to do so.
David Hyles, son of adulterer Jack Hyles, once an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) pastor and a serial adulterer, has come out of the hole he crawled into (Hyles deleted his blog after it was publicized) over twenty years ago, and he telling all who will listen that he has been restored.
Restoration in the IFB movement is like a slum lord who remodels a house. The slum lord is only concerned about the rent money so he rehabs the house just enough to make it look acceptable and then he puts the FOR RENT sign in the window. Behind the paint and underneath the stained carpet is the same cockroach-infested house that existed before the slum lord rehabbed the house. So it is with restoration in the IFB church movement and in much of Evangelicalism.
David Hyles has found two preachers to help him rehab his life: Mike Johnston and David Baker. Johnston runs a ministry called Promise Ministries International Center for Biblical Studies (PMI) in Battle Creek, Michigan. PMI is a distance Bible and pastoral training ministry that focuses its efforts on people in prison.
David Baker, a graduate of Hyles-Anderson College, is the pastor of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Columbia, Tennessee.
What kind of church is Lighthouse Baptist? A screenshot from the church’s web page will tell us all we need to know:
David Hyles has found two pastors who hold to his dead father’s philosophies and beliefs to help him restore his life. Asking IFB pastors, especially those who hold to a perverted, truncated, cheap view of grace, to help you restore your life is like asking the town drunk to help you stop drinking.
I am all for people trying to turn their lives around. I am all for people trying to change their ways. However, I think to do so a person must own his past behavior, be honest about his actions, and not expect people to just forgive and forget.
David Hyles, by all accounts, was a serial adulterer. He had sex with numerous women in multiple churches. Some of them may have been underage. His sexual conquests are well documented. His father covered up his son’s perverse behavior and helped him get a fresh start at a new church. At the new church David Hyles repeated the same conduct that got him into trouble in the first place.
In 2007, the following expose of David Hyles appeared on The Conservative Babylon website (no longer active):
Claims to fame: Son of Jack Hyles; former Youth Minister, First Baptist Church of Hammond; ex-pastor, Miller Road Baptist Church (Garland, Texas); accused serial adulterer; divorcé; cohabitator; alleged child abuser; suspected child killer
Moral apex: As the story goes (we don’t know; we weren’t there), somebody at Hyles’s church discovered porn magazines containing ads for group sex which, they reportedly claimed, featured photos of Hyles having sex with church member Brenda Stevens (by some accounts, the daughter of a deacon). A story soon surfaced that Hyles had had extramarital sex with some 19 female members of the church.
Every one of these women was apparently stupid enough to think she was Brother Dave’s “one-and-only,” according to a voice on a taped phone conversation attributed to Dave’s wife Paula. And, as you can guess, it appears more than a few marriages where destroyed when the truth came out.
What happened next: It appears to outsiders that Miller Road Baptist threw him out, and his wife divorced him and took off with their two kids, and he started living with Stevens (out of — gasp! — wedlock) in Illinois.
Where it gets really tragic: Stevens had a small son, Brent. Dave Hyles was suspected of abusing the boy — who had suffered some eight or nine broken bones in his short life, which had never been treated. Brent was taken out of Hyles and Steven’s Illinois home and given to his biological father in Texas. Within a few months, for reasons beyond comprehension, Brent was returned to Stevens.
And then, in late 1985, 15-month-old Brent was found dead in his crib. Hyles, who had been alone with the child, claimed he found him not breathing, and called police. It has been suggested in a few online articles that Dave’s father Jack arrived before the cops did.
A coroner’s inquest into Brent’s death (at which Hyles took exercised his Fifth Amendment rights — and which the baby’s mother doesn’t appear to have attended) was apparently thwarted because the little boy had been embalmed and buried (reportedly the very next day after his death), before a proper autopsy could be performed. (An empty bottle of Actifed — for which a prescription had been filled only the day before Brent’s death — was found at the scene.)
Without any physical evidence of wrongdoing, Hyles was not indicted. The case remains open.
If those who follow the Hyles story are correct (waving at the Fighting Fundamentalists!), n the mid-1990s Hyles went to work teaching Sunday school at a Pinellas Park Baptist Church in Florida — which reportedly expelled him on charges of adultery. It’s also been reported that he was thrown out of the next church he attended (Berean Baptist Church in Orange Park, Florida), for “sexual misconduct” with three different women.
(One of those women is assumed to be church secretary Joyce Phaneuf, who appears to have been arrested for prostitution in 2003. Assuming this is the same Joyce Phaneuf, her mug shot and arrest report — which notes the tattoo on her right-upper thigh, reading “David’s Girl” — are available at everybody’s favorite finger-wagging site, The Smoking Gun.)
Just when you think it can’t get any more tragic: Hyles, it’s said, finally married Stevens and they had their own child together, a boy named Jack David. In March, 1999, when the child was five years old, Stevens was reported to have run over him with her car, killing him. According to news reports, she claimed he must have fallen out of the vehicle, and she didn’t know it….
What does David Hyles say to reports like the one on The Conservative Babylon? He ignores it and refuses to directly confirm or reject the behaviors he is accused of. Instead, in a blog page titled, David Hyles: My Story (page no longer available), Hyles writes:
Others may be reading this book merely out of curiosity. You heard of me and read many of the horrible stories about me. Now you want to know what I am going to say in defense or in explanation. I trust you will not be too disappointed, but this is not a tell all book. I have no intention of defending myself nor do I plan on trying to separate the truth from the legion of lies. I do not believe it would bring honor to God for me to try and explain what is and is not true. Explanation often leads to excuse or blame and I desperately fear that. You do not need to read about my sins. You just need to know that whatever I did do when I was away from the Father, God in His rich mercy and grace has restored me to HIMSELF. This is a book about grace. I trust that God’s grace and not my sins will be glorified.
In other words, whatever Hyles did or didn’t do, he ain’t tellin’. God has forgiven him, it’s under the blood, time to move on. Time to move on meaning, I have written a book I want you to buy.
Hyles has some sharp words for his critics:
First you are hurting the lost. Several years ago I worked with a young man who knew I was a Christian. This young man was searching. He had dabbled into several religions in his search. He respected me and began to question me about Christ. God was working in his life and I felt he was very close to accepting Christ as his Savior. Someone, in an attempt to hurt my business began circulating an email through my workplace and he received it, anonymously, of course. He never again listened to me and eventually our paths parted. I pray every day for God to save him. It was not MY sins that turned him away. No, actually it was the evil spirit of those my accusers who claimed to be Christians. He wanted no part of that.
Secondly, you are hurting the fallen. Countless Christians have seen what you have done to me and to others who have fallen and decided to just disappear rather than being restored. I believe that there have been suicides and other tragedies that could have been prevented if a fallen brother or sister had felt there was hope. You diatribes on your filthy forums serve Satan’s purpose well.
Thirdly you are hurting those who I have hurt. Please hear me on this. Every fallen pastor or Christian leaves hurting people in their sinful wake. I did. I know that. It breaks my heart. David did too and his heart was broken. There is little we can do to repair the damage. Their deliverance must come from God and it will not come from revenge or retribution. It will come only from forgiveness. Please allow God to be God and to deal with his children as He will. Stay out of it and encourage those who have been hurt to find their peace from God not from your vigilante system of internet justice.
Allow me to elaborate on this just a bit more. People who are hurt by a sinner are destroyed by bitterness. No one’s sin can destroy your life. Our loving Father would not allow that. He stands ready as a loving Father to pick you up and mend your broken heart. Sinners (and that includes us all) do bad things that affect other’s lives. For all have sinned… However, if we get them to take their eyes off of the offender and place it on the Savior they can be healed. Closure does not come from our flawed idea of justice. It comes from letting God heal us even as He deals with the one who offended or hurt us.
Fourthly you are hurting you! The manure you are hurling fails to hit me but your hands sure do smell of the filth you have no business picking up. I am sorry for the pain that makes you feel that somehow you will gain some kind of satisfaction from trying to hurt me. I wish this book could give you the peace you are lacking but I sincerely doubt it will.
Finally and most importantly, you are hurting the Father. I have news for you that is not going to please you, but here goes. GOD LOVES ME and I AM SAVED AND FORGIVEN! I fell but, you see, when a Christian falls we do not fall away from grace, we fall into it, hence the name of this book. I am in His grace and one day I will stand before Him clothed in the righteousness of His Son and not the sin of my own. Why would you dare try and hurt the heart of God? Is it because there is unconfessed sin in your life? Are you so far from Him that you have lost the sweetness of His mercy and grace in your own life? That is sad.
David Hyles, in the manner of countless abusers before him, refuses to own his past behavior and points the finger at those who attempt to hold him accountable for what he did. Hyles thinks he has a get out of jail free card. He thinks the blood of Jesus has cleansed him from all of his past actions, and if God has forgiven him so should everyone else.
David Hyles perpetrated acts against real flesh-and-blood people, and if he is serious about turning his life around he MUST deal with the men, women, and children he hurt. Putting his past actions under the blood, cast into the sea of God’s forgetfulness, might play well in IFB churches, but here in the real world where real hurt must be atoned for, David Hyles is expected to own his past behavior, make a complete confession, and, as much as is humanly possible, make restitution to those he hurt.
It is clear from David Hyles’ blog, Fallen In Grace, (which he deleted once it was publicized) that he is still a believer in IFB doctrine. No matter what “sins” he committed, no matter how perverse his life was, because of the IFB doctrine of “once saved, always saved,” Hyles was always a Christian. No matter how many people he hurt and abused, he was always God’s child. This turns the Christian gospel of grace on its head, and no matter what a person might have done, if he, at one time or the other, mouthed the right prayer, he is a Christian.
This is why David Hyles can reinvent himself and start fresh. As countless preachers before him, his God has hosed off the shit from his life, and he is a clean, fresh-smelling Christian. However, I suspect the people David Hyles hurt and abused can still smell the shit. Their lives were forever marred by the perverse actions of David Hyles.
I have no doubt David Hyles will convince a lot of people that he is truly a new man and that God has a wonderful, new, exciting ministry for him. Christians love a comeback story and Hyles is counting on their gullibility to make a new life for himself.
For those of us who lived through the David Hyles scandals and the Jack Hyles scandal, we are not easily fooled. When David Hyles demonstrates true acts of repentance and restitution, then people such as I might, in time, be willing to give him a twelfth chance. Based on what Hyles has written so far, he sees no need for repentance or restitution. He sees no need to make things right with those he victimized. God has forgiven him and THAT is all that matters. Because of this, I am inclined to think that David Hyles is just another disgraced IFB preacher trying to make a comeback because he needs some money.
Just today, Bob Gray, retired pastor of Longview Baptist Temple, Longview, Texas, announced that his publishing house will soon release a book by David Hyles. Longview, you might remember, is the church that gave David Hyles a rousing and warm welcome when he visited there a couple of years ago.
Bob Gray’s version of Christianity leaves no one beyond the grace of God. It requires no repentance or restitution. It requires no accounting of crimes committed or people defrauded. All that matters is that a sinner prays the prayer and his or her ticket for heaven is punched. According to Gray, David Hyles has a fire insurance policy that can’t be revoked.
The publishing of this book is a reminder that David Hyles, like his father, is a narcissist. Imagine if Hyles wrote a book titled, I was Wrong: My Apology to Those I Hurt. Most people would appreciate his willingness to come clean about the past (though fessing up to what might have been murder might land him in the slammer). Instead, Hyles writes a book about his father. By doing so, Hyles reminds everyone that is paying attention that nothing has changed. Ain’t God good!
Notes
Let me be clear, I don’t think David Hyles is evil personified. He is a man with a wife and a family. He has sisters and a mother. I must never forget that is he a fellow human being. But, he also has a sordid past, a past he is unwilling to deal with. His unwillingness to do so casts a long shadow over his present life. Hyles thinks that the blood of Jesus is some sort of magic potion that makes the past disappear. While that might play well in places like the Longview Baptist Temple, there are a number of people, IFB pastors and church members included, who are outraged by Hyles’ narcissistic, unrepentant behavior. To these people, men like Bob Gray are enablers who encourage people to make light of their sin. Is there no sin that carries a societal and church death penalty? In Bob Gray’s world, evidently not. A decade from now, when convicted sex offender Jack Schaap is released from the federal penitentiary, I have no doubt he will find a home at the Longview Baptist Temple. Why, he might even become a worker in the youth group, sharing, like the Apostle Paul, stories from prison.
You can check out David Hyles’ Facebook page here
Much of Hyles’ Facebook wall is private, but his older status updates are public. Take a few minutes to read them. I suspect you will notice, as I did, that he loves to quote himself, proving that he is a chip off of his father’s block.
Several preachers are listed as friends on Hyles’ Google+ page including Bob Gray, retired pastor of Longview Baptist Temple, Bob Gray II, current pastor of Longview Baptist, and Joel Fugate, assistant pastor Clays Mill Road Baptist Church. (Jeff Fugate’s son)
David Hyles’ mother, Beverly, has a blog
David Stewart’s defense of David Hyles
Romulus, Michigan Police Department report about one of David Hyles’ girlfriends. You can read the full report at the Smoking Gun.
David Hyles at a monument to his Dad
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I don’t understand how this man is walking around free. He probably killed that baby…and for the case to remain open? Come on, the whole thing stinks.
What baby did he kill?
It was never proven that he killed the child.
Sounds like this pastor was involved some ritualistic crime that involved the abuse and sacrifice of children> Much like in the JonBenet Ramsey case the abuse probably involved people at high levels in society.
That dude is not attractive…I wonder how he got so many women to commit adultery with him. He is not cool, as his posture in his photos suggests he thinks he is. He personifies the out-of-touch good old boy who used to run things in the church. Now those churches are shrinking and he is becoming increasingly irrelevant.
As for the baby, how wrong it was that the child was not autopsied. That should have been required by law. Hyles should have investigated and prosecuted. And when the other child was run over by the car, that should have been investigated as well. Did the authorities just take the “it was an unfortunate accident” position, and give him a pass because he was a pastor?
Thank you for saying those things about his appearance and “uncoolness.” I thought the same thing when I saw him. I thought, “where does this guy get off having that many women ?” Not that anyone should try to get a lot, but thanks for echoing my reaction. I can’t stand him.
I am so saddened to think the Chicago, Illinois PD hasn’t opened this cold case up. I believe that with todays DNA testing and new technology, Baby Brent Stevens (15 months of age at his death) might possibly receive justice. I believe that if they exhumed his body….this monster would probably be convicted of this horrible crime.
His five year son, named Jack David Hyles (5 years old at death) was supposidly ran over in the driveway of their home in Pinellas Park, Florida. Brenda Stevens Hyles stated that she hit the child when he fell out of the car. Really?
Having said that, the chances of two children dying a tragic death as these two little half brothers did, are slim to none. How in the hell can this thug escape the justice system?
I believe that his wife, Benda Stevens Hyles knows more than she has reported with regards to the deaths of her two little boys. Maybe Brenda is afraid of her husband and has never come forward with the truth.
Not only is this man a serial adulterer, all evidence points to him as a murderer. This monster needs to be stopped!
His “attractiveness” came from his power and charisma within the authoritarian churches he led.
This man ruined our lives!! He shouldn’t be anywhere near being a pastor or anything else. He should be rotting in prison somewhere, Brent stevens didn’t deserve what was done to him, I will never forget the night he threatened me and my brothers lives as little kids and told my dad that an accident would happen to us if he told the truth about all the affairs he was having at Miller road Baptist church. I hope he suffers the rest of his life for the peoples lives he destroyed!!! May he burn in hell!!!
This sickens me. Telling his critics that THEY are responsible for the hell bound for bringing up his sordid past. What a piece of shit. Can anyone say “sociopath”?
Unreal. ‘Ol Dave was gettin’ more ass than a toilet seat
what a sick man…and too bad people are fooled by him just because he quotes the bible. Scums of the earth can quote the bible.
I’m writing from Argentina, South America. I could see the tremendous damage this guy and his pastors did in our country. Many of his followers and students in Hyles-Anderson came and repeated Hyles’s behaviour. It´s a shame for the Baptist churches, and how other pastor cover Hyles’ crimes.
You are an idiot who know nothing about Baptist. If this man did what ever he did, there is a God who will take care of him, Argentino estúpido solo hablas por hablar! Saludos desde México baboso!
How rude, El Mexicano. Yes, little Brent Stevens died while in the care of David Hyles and Brenda Stevens. Ben Jordan officiated the funeral at Miller Road. Yes, David Hyles cheated on his then-wife Paula. He admitted as much in front of all the adults at Miller Road. He made cryptic comments about “what I’ve done to my wife” from the pulpit. I was there for that.
The attitude of “You don’t get to have an opinion because it’s God’s place to judge” has protected too many people like David Hyles from being held accountable for their actions. Abusive pastors are more harmful to their cause than are those of us who speak out about what we experienced. Pastors do not get a “get out of jail free” card just because they call themselves men of God.
Hey! I was there too! Although I was a teenager, and they didn’t let us in. They put us in the building next door to the auditorium where we used to have Awanas. But some of us sneaked out and listened in on the speaker by the nursery. I got to hear about a third of it, but I didn’t hear when Mr. Dillard and Mr. Lockaby almost came to blows in the aisle of the church. What he kept saying was “I’ve been unfaithful to god.” He said that many times, but just one time he added, almost in a whisper, “and to my wife”. Many didn’t even catch it. That was why so many didn’t even know what was going on, and why he was being kicked out at all. They should have told us! I almost got in a fight with the son Anthony Lockaby, because he was saying some of what Hyles had done. It almost exactly mirrored the confrontation between Anthony’s dad and Mr. Dillard. He was two years older than me, and I had just turned 14. He would have crushed me, but at that moment I didn’t care. I jumped in his face and yelled “You don’t say that about MY preacher!” To Anthony’s credit, he just backed off, because he knew I hadn’t heard, and I didn’t yet understand.
Joyce Phaneuf is my EX mother in law and yes that is her…Unfortunately I didn’t know about all of this until about 2007 and I let her babysit my newborn son (her grandson) a couple times after he was born in 2005 and found out that she would have men over at her apt WHILE MY SON WAS THERE. Needless to say, she hasn’t seen him since and he is 9 1/2 now…
i have just read your comment. David Hyles lives in Texas now & im rather concerned…I need to know more info please. My son is dating on of David’s daughters. I have never met her parents, so as you can see why I’m rather nervous about all the stories on the web. I would appreciate any info you can share with me.
Thank you.
I can’t help you on how things currently are for Hyles and his family, nor would I want to saddle his children with his past.
If you ask Hyles directly he will likely tell you the past is in the past, it’s all under the blood of Jesus. However, his past behavior should cause others to pause and consider whether he has truly turned over a new leaf. I doubt it, but I will leave it to others to come to their own conclusions.
That leopard will never change his spots. Never.
Charlotte,
I believe you will find a courteous and charming set of parents. Similar to Bruce’s comment, I would not judge David’s child on the acts of her parents. At the same time I would be EVER vigilant of my child’s interation with the family (especially the parents) and monitor any change in his behaviors. This is one VERY shrewd and seductive man you are dealing with. Your son’s better course of action would be to pursue one of many other fine young ladies.
You just said a mouthful. He had what that “Cult of Personality” song was talking about. Very charismatic, and a masterful manipulator, especially of women. But idk if I would go so far as to tell him to dump her. It’s not her fault, and I doubt she has much to do with her dad. They were afraid of him back then, and he was terrible to them and their mother for years after the divorce. But I honestly don’t know what their status is.
I knew those girls. They were preschoolers back then. Jaime and Julie. I’ve often wondered what became of them and their mother. I know she remarried back in the late ’80s, and that’s about it.
I grew up in the Hyles world. Dad is an HAC graduate. David Hyles ate dinner in our home when I was a kid. Mom was good friends with Marlene Evans. I’m still IFB and so are my parents, balanced IFB, and we want nothing to do with the Hyles name. Bob Gray’s fading credibility is completely in the toilet now after publishing this “book”. Sick people like Dave are just that, but to enable and promote him is equally sick. Shame on Gray!!
Joe, kindly fuck off with your shaming. That belongs in your balanced IFB house of horrors.
lol. wow – the vitriol. I once attended a service given by Jack. At the time I was living at a place in Chicago called Pacific Garden Mission, at 646 South State Street. Not for nothing, but the building next door was a bar, appropriately addressed 666, no joke! This was back in 1982. I specifically remember how annoying it was to hear him preach, as he had to clear his throat every minute or two. Additionally, he wore a pair of ‘high water’ slacks that were hiked up to tight so as to accentuate his ‘package’. I’ve never been able to stand preachers dolled up in the Sunday best. I also remember seeing some young man in the same row as I smack a fellow college mate upside the back of the head for falling asleep. If he had done that to me I would have been seriously tempted to smack him back, with a closed fist.
Insofar as Pacific Garden Mission was concerned, I personally exposed what a corrupt organization that was as I worked in the records department, daily counting the new ‘converts’ admission of faith cards from the service the night before. In order to get a bed for the night, the homeless would have to sign one of these cards. EVERY single night, the same homeless men would sign a new card. At the end of the year, the total number of people saved would total over 50,000! This number would then be entered into a newsletter which would be sent out nationwide and voila, money would pour in as donations from all the hoodwinked believers. There was also a half hour radio skit called ‘Unchained’ or ‘Unshackled’ that was sent out to all the religious stations nationwide to draw in even more$$. It doesn’t exist anymore as the city bought up the entire block(s) and erected high rises that are now bringing in big bucks.
Small world… I worked there in the late 80’s for about a year before they fired me for not going along to get along. Didn’t know it was gone, huh?
No, bob gray, David Hykes and the rest of them should be shot!! Sick people for sure!! I loved thru the horror at Miller road baptist church and my life was threatened by David hyles and I was just a kid!! My father was the one that went with bro Anthony Lockaby to the deacons about what was going on. Hiding us out of fear because a preacher messed up my thoughts and beliefs for the rest of my life.
Bruce, while you explained the reality of “restoration” you didn’t really explain the context in the evangelical community. It did get me curious so I looked it up and found this fairly succinct description:
After reading that it occured to me that is exactly what happened to Ted Haggard. (There was an HBO show about Ted Haggard that showed his pathetic “restoration” process)
(As someone who didn’t grow up in an evangelical church, frankly I’m glad all my experience with the evangelical church is second hand!)
Sadly, churches are quite forgiving, wanting their demigod to either stay in the pulpit or to take a short get right with God vacation.
My bible says that if you commit adultery, you can never preach again. Certainly never pastor again.
Finally! That’s exactly what I keep reading! Amen!!
IT’S STILL THE BLOOD, THAT SAVES FROM SIN
IT’S STILL THE BLOOD, THAT CLEANSES WITHIN
FROM THE HIGHEST STAR IN HEAVEN
TO THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA
IT IS STILL THE BLOOD OF JESUS
THAT BRINGS VICTORY TO ME!
If God can save ’em, He can restore ’em and who do you self-righteous bigots think you are to judge the heart of another? David Hyles is my friend! Dave does not shirk from the wrong doing of his past, rather, has gotten his life right with God and thank God, the same blood that saved him has restored him. Unfortunately for most of you gossip hungry heathen, God did not require that David come to YOU for forgiveness and restoration. You should all be ashamed of yourself and won’t you be surprised when you stand before our Holy God giving an account for your gossip, slander and unforgiving nature! All the while, our Saviour says to David “WHAT SINS ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, I DON’T REMEMBER THEM ANYMORE! FROM THE BOOK OF LIFE, THEY’VE ALL BEEN TORN OUT. I DON’T REMEMBER THEM ANYMORE!” I’d rather be in David’s shoes than yours! Good night and David Hyles, if you read this (which I know you’re too busy helping others to see this) I want you to know that I love you brother and thank you for being my friend and helping my family.
Real simple: public sin, public confession, public restitution. As Hyles done these things? Of course not. Instead, like you, he claims some magic potion called the blood washed away all the sins and crimes of the past. What a wonderful thing this blood is…fuck whoever you want, tell God you are sorry, and do it again.
There’s no God or blood on this website. When David Hyles is serious about owning the past, all of it, and then publicly confesses the error of his way and makes restitution to those he took advantage of, let me know. Until then, he’s just another predatory IFB preacher who thinks he can quote a few Bible verses and play his get out of jail free card, the blood of Jesus, and continue in his predatory ways.
Bruce, I did not notice the nature of your blog when I tripped upon your comment. I won’t say any of the “nasty” things that you warn against in your rules section. Then again, I don’t guess I have to. Mama used to say………a guilty conscience needs no accuser!
Enjoy your trip!
Ah yes, another passive-aggressive fundamentalist.
Yes, well, ‘other’ people who aren’t as, what, ‘enlightened’ as you are feel no compunction whatsoever about name calling and mocking? You just think some lightening rod, ex-IFB pastor isn’t constantly dealing with some very, very much indeed ‘nasty’ trolls who are more than happy to break ALL the rules (and then some nobody ever thought about) and be as inappropriate as possible.
I’ve been hanging around here for a couple of years now. While Bruce feels (and admits it!) remorse for steering people the wrong way and not providing as much for his family as he would have liked, he has never come across as some guilt-riddled troglodyte who’s suffering existentially. Pointless guilt is your people’s game, and you’re welcome to it.
I’ll quote a verse:
And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
(Luk 19:8-9)
Restoration might be simple, but it ain’t easy!
My believer-brother is a CAPS USER TOO! Every time he utters the HOLY NAME of JEEBUS he has to CAP it. I enjoy the ravings of Miller for a few seconds here or there until they trigger memories of my childhood with people like this…. Miller, your love is hate…. your denial is great…. your solution is bait. I’d stay and gargle over you but work won’t wait!
You may take note that the IFB churchs affiliated in the realm of Hyles’ influence have on their website “salvation” prayers read that they receive Jesus as their Saviour. How about their LORD and Saviour? The “Lord” part is usually missing, along with the emphasis on true repentance. I am glad I came out of that and truly learned who Jesus is, letting HIM be Lord of my life, and not the preacher.
I was there the whole time he was pastor of Miller Road Baptist Church. Not only is an unrepentant degenerate, but he is also a murderer. Of a baby! My dad was on the deacon board. I know a hell of a lot more about this than you do. He will never change, but his magnetic personality still attracts the weak and the ignorant. If Hyles were truly repentant, he would do everything he could to make it right with the people he has wronged. With the people who’s lives he destroyed. You have no idea, and I feel sorry for how naive you are. You are “friends” with evil incarnate. The man who taught me what real life evil is, because it’s not like the movies. Helping others? The man is a narcissist, and you have swallowed his bullshit hook, line, and sinker. He only cares about himself, which means he has to project an image that he believes people will respect. From your christian point of view he is a false prophet! You IBFers use the biblical concept of salvation and grace like a cloak to shield you from the consequences of your wrongdoing. I know. I grew up in it. He murdered a baby! After he tortured him for months, breaking his bones over and over again, and not getting him any medical treatment. And then he killed that baby. Why should I have to say more than that? What is wrong with you people? You defend the indefensible, and have the nerve to say that no human has the right to judge him. Every single one of his hundreds of victims have every right to judge him. He is not even capable of a simple “I’m sorry”. Instead, he attacks those who dare try to hold him accountable. Baby murderer. That’s your “friend”.
Oh, and why won’t our “sins” be forgiven just like his? You compare “slander” to infanticide and mass adultery? You got some really messed up priorities, man.
Todd, don’t waste your time and energy on someone who only wants to argue. It’s the same as dealing with an addict. You see, I was at Pinellas Park when he was pimping out his wife and himself on a couple of websites. Yes, Joyce was there. David’s actions resulted in numerous church-goers to leave and never darken a church’s doorway ever again. He will answer for all of this one day. Just pray that the Holy Spirit convicts him to get right. He helped ruin the testimony of a lot of people. David’s father would show up occasionally. Had a chance to go to lunch with him and a group of men. I can safely say this. David and his father were identical in regards to being ***holes. I would say smart-**es but they crossed the line and fell into ***holes. As far as I am concerned he felt God’s chastisement and rebuking and still refused to change. he is now experiencing what it feels like to have God turn you over to your own vices. He’s best left alone and secluded.
He didn’t ask forgiveness of the girl he raped while at first baptist. Forgiveness also entails owning your wrongs and accepting the consequences. Until he does that, he cannot be “restored”. The Bible says if you have wronged someone, leAve your offering at the altar, go and make it right with that person, and then return to the altar. No apology=no restoration. Period!
I bet David Hyles has this card in his wallet.
I was sucked into the Hyles cult, but never saw or heard Dave. I would just hear that he was “fallen,” something really general like that. Although I do not know him, knowing that he committed adultery with 14 women at one church and 17 at another makes me sick. For one, and this is barely a spiritual point, WHAT IN THE WORLD GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO THAT MANY WOMEN, AT ALL ? You’re a goofy-looking woman hog, and I have no idea what they saw in you. Wow. I want to get more graphic, but I won’t. However, I would love to meet you EVEN NOW to punch you square in the face for even thinking you were entitled to that, nonetheless to hurting your wife and family and possibly killing a kid. You’re a PUNK. What a selfish, delusional, gluttonous pig. You’ll need a few more lifetimes to convince me, you worm.
Only 14 were confirmed through video and photographic evidence. The number was more like 30 at Miller Road. He didn’t put any of the underage girls on video or film. The guy set up a video camera in his office. And a 35mm camera that was set to automatically take pics. He recorded himself having sex with 14 different women, but the actual number was much higher. As far as his power over women goes, it was 100% his personality. He had the strongest, most charismatic personality of anyone I have ever been around. And he was real cocky in the way he carried himself. And he was still in his 30s, for crying out loud. German women went crazy over Adolph Hitler, and he was plug ugly. It has nothing to do with looks. And to be honest, some of these men sound jealous. What he did was nothing to be jealous of. He destroyed lives. A rash of divorces broke out in the church in the months after he was booted. You had to be there, man. If you want to kick his ass, you’re gonna have to stand at the back of a very long line.
I’m surprised he’s still able to walk. I’m a victim of the Gray cult and all of them need best downs. They’re not going to hold high places in heaven, they’re going to be held responsible in hell for the millions of lives they destroyed.
All I see here is nothing but hate! Read the bio of Mr. Gerencser and I’m not really surprised by anything I’ve read. Saw nothing of a personal relationship with the Lord he once professed to know, but now denies. The only thing I see is a man and what HE HAS DONE! Nothing of grace! Nothing of compassion!
I do realize when a man or woman has fallen into sin, the ENEMY uses such occasions to slander the fallen! At one time, I like Mr. Gerencser possessed a self-righteous spirit and was quick to condemn others. But through the weakness of the flesh, I too fell into sin and lived in sin for many years. It wasn’t until our gracious, loving Heavenly Father began to do a work in my heart that I sought the Lord in repentance and found GRACE! My Lord has forgiven and continues to lead me in the paths of righteousness for His names’ sake.
I in no way condone the sins of others, but neither will I engage with others in the attacks, the brutal onslaughts of men and women who lack godliness and a spirit that reaches out to restore the fallen. As for Mr. Gerencser, I will remind you, that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God. I will pray that our loving God will draw you unto Himself in love and grace, and that you will find and experience SAVING GRACE and ETERNAL MERCY!
I think you just engaged in an attack yourself James towards Bruce. Don’t forget to pray for yourself.
I don’t count. 🙂 I find it utterly amazing how some IFB zealots will pull out the stops to defend someone like David Hyles, yet they have no problem backing up a honey wagon to my doorstep and dropping a load.
I love it when they threaten me with God. They do know I don’t think God exists,yes? 🙂
I’m amazed too.
They know you claim that, but they also “know” that it’s impossible for someone to genuinely believe that there is no God out there.
What an incredibly ignorant and small minded statement that is. I’ve been an atheist for 29 years. Most of my life. I was raised IFB. Just because YOU can’t imagine there being no god does not mean everyone is that way. There is no evidence for a god whatsoever. None. Just personal anecdotes of people who interpret some things as “miracles”. And you guys are so hungry for a verifiable miracle that you call everything a miracle. Someone goes to the doctor and finds out that lump is benign. Miracle! You find your keys right after praying to find them. Miracle! Go tell that to all the starving children in Africa who are begging god as hard as they can for just a bit to eat! Where is their miracle? But seriously, that’s a very condescending attitude towards atheists and agnostics. You are smugly convinced that you can’t possibly be wrong in your belief. And you know what the bible says. Pride cometh before the fall.
I believe you may have misunderstood what I was saying here, Todd Black – at least, if (as it appears) you’re addressing me.
http://nagamakironin.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-not-to-talk-to-unbelievers-part-ii.html
Todd’s an atheist, so I suspect this is just a misunderstanding. Todd provides some important insider context. I wish more people would tell what they know. Even after leaving Hyles-like churches, people are often afraid to share their experiences lest God judge them for talking shot about the man of Gawd. Once the fear is gone….watch out. ?
The x-preacher who writes here has compassion that is informed by an intelligent heart, you blamey-shamey Rice man. You do not feel this compassion because you live in denial. If you come to my fun fair with your children, we can get you and yours free of woo-woo. We have kids’ activities and ‘free’ rides and some atheist crosswords you might like…. Attack all you like and call it love, Mr. Rice. It feels like love to you, doesn’t it….
“All I see here is nothing but hate!”
Aaaaaand that’s how quickly you lost the plot. I wonder what you said after that? Hopefully nobody else read it either, as it also definitely appears to be tl;dr in addition to probably being mostly incoherent.
Yes, I hate him. I don’t think of him often, so it’s not like I’m poisoning myself or obsessing. He has earned my hate. He murdered a baby! After torturing him and breaking his bones for months! This man is no christian. I watched him destroy lives. Lives of people I loved. He’s not sorry. He has not repented. He owes a lot of people a sincere apology.
I personally knew Dave when he was pastoring at Miller Road. I was a member there at the time, but I was in Malaysia when I got word of what had happened. Biblically, what Dave did was wrong. If David in the Bible didn’t get away with his sin with Bathsheba, then Dave Hyles should not get away with it. However, David in the Bible did repent of his actions and was restored to God. If Dave Hyles has truly repented of his past sins, then he should be restored. But as for being restored in being a pastor, that is out of the question. The Bible is too clear on the purity of a pastor: a pastor cannot have this kind of background and be a pastor.
I remember you, Mr. Lemon. You were in the choir, right?
I agree with you thoroughly that these years of “wild behavior” disqualify David Hyles from being a pastor. He also shouldn’t get his feelings hurt if it takes a while for some to ever trust him again.
Hyles’s actions were not those of one who has truly repented. When you truly repent, you turn from whatever you’re repenting of. David Hyles didn’t. Ironically, Hyles himself preached about Psalm 51 and being contrite. Someone who is truly sorry begs for forgiveness from those he hurt, rather than demanding that they “get over it.”
I had to have known you, Natasha. Although I don’t remember a Natasha lol.
Yep, though I was a couple of years behind you. I’m agnostic myself, in large part due to the lies perpetrated by Hyles and his ilk. We both went to the church school, but the only teacher I’ve kept in touch with is the music teacher. You have a sister, if I recall.
It’s been years. You’ve slept since then. 😉 But I do remember your family. Your Mom had a recipe for creamed chipped beef in the church cookbook.
It’s just saddening to see that, all these years later, the Hyles nonsense still lingers for so many. And Hyles has still not learned how to humble himself and truly repent.
Natasha, you said
“Someone who is truly sorry begs for forgiveness from those he hurt, rather than demanding that they “get over it”.
I have to politely disagree. Begging forgiveness is meaningless (besides, I thought only God could forgive). In any event, begging for forgiveness is self indulgent; it’s just a way of trying to let the perpetrator off the hook. Much better is that you act in a way that shows you are truly sorry, and try to make amends as best you can through your actions.
So true Geoff. And although we probably don’t know if he’s reached out to those he’s wronged to attempt to amend his behavior, it would appear (as many have stated) his public persona would be much different if he had; drastically so. And as Bruce suggested, a tell-all book of confession and humility…with proceeds going to victims and/or some victims group.
Bruce, you are spot on about DH. I was in that cult in Hammond for over a decade. Dave was and is one of the most charasmatic individuals I have ever known, which is why, despite his below-average looks he was able to “get” so many women.
I am all for repentance, but as you’ve already mentioned, this has yet to happen.
The biggest problem I have with Dave is though he claims to have repented, been restored, yada yada yada, HE HAS NEVER APOLOGIZED TO HIS VICTIMS!!! How do I know? Because a few of my dear friends ARE his victims, and Dave RAPED them as underage girls ON. CHURCH. PROPERTY. Has never apologized to any of them. Nothing. Zip. This happened in Hammond, where he raped and abused scores(my guess) of women, girls and children. He has ruined the lives of propably hundreds of women and girls. Unfortunately the statute of limitations ran out on these women by the time they realized that they were indeed raped/molested/abused.
To my knowledge, he has never gone to a single woman he raped or even had consensual sex with, impregnated (yes, impregnated. I always wondered if the many babies JH adopted out were actually his bastard grandchildren courtesy of his miscreant son, Dave).
If Bill Clinton was the Teflon President, Dave Hyles is still the Teflon King. It is absolutely shocking that none of his crimes ever landed him in prison! He deserves to rot in jail for the rest of his life, not still sucking free air and writing flowery, narcissistic slop and selling it for $14.95 that, I’m sure, hundreds of sheeple are still buying to further fund his lasciviousness.
Whoa. Jack adopted a bunch of babies? Then I almost guarantee those were his grandchildren. When did this happen? And how many were there? Yes, he has destroyed hundreds of lives. Even men, because he destroyed their lives, too. But of course the women had it much, much worse when it came to Dave Hyles. He was not nearly as confident as he pretended to be. My dad went to Dallas Theological Seminary, and Hyles was intimidated of my dad for that reason. Even my dad could tell. Inside he’s just a coward. He had sex with many women in his office at Miller Road Baptist Church in Texas. He even set up cameras to video and photograph it. He was supposed to be “counseling” these women. He said he was going to teach them how to love their man. And when he knew he had them in the palm of his hand, he would disappear through a secret door in his office and return stark naked. Though only 14 women were confirmed through video and photographic evidence, the actual number was closer to 30. He didn’t film the underage girls. Otherwise he would not have been simply forced to resign as pastor. He would be in prison where he deserves. He killed a baby!
I knew David Hyles when he was a young man in Hammond. He asked that I join his staff at the church he pastored briefly in Texas in 1982. Thankfully, God granted me the grace and wisdom to resist.
First, may I say that the church in “Fairbanks” that advertised its “greatest men” crusade should be appropriately punished for putting Jim Crall’s name under the photo of David Hyles. That’s libel, and Jim Crall should take immediate action to restore what’s left of his name:)
But after knowing the man personally and communicating with him in recent years, my belief (it’s MINE — you can draw your own) is that David Hyles has never truly had an encounter with Jesus Christ. I think at a very young age he was influenced in such a manner that he began to TRULY believe that being his father’s son was enough for him to be square with the Almighty. I think he deceived himself, or allowed Satan to help him with that task. I think he’s a huckster and a sociopath. I think he is without a conscience. He is also devoid of a “real” job, describing himself as a “freelance writer” — interpreted, “unemployed.”
Like many sociopaths, he is extremely intelligent and charming. He could have accomplished almost ANYTHING with his life — but fell to his sins. He was the hero of Hammond to many teenagers, but as F. Scott Fitzgerald once said. “Show me a hero and I’ll write you a tragedy.” David Hyles is a tragic figure who had it all and lost it. I hope he can repent and be redeemed. God can do anything — but I don’t believe — save for the Holy Spirit’s redemptive work — that David will ever perceive his own need.
“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, but I will say, depart from me, you workers of iniquity, I NEVER knew you.”
Sometimes psychological damage happens early and definitively, as in the case where children are abused, beaten harshly and psychologically harmed with woo-woo such as you speak here, suggesting that some ‘encounter’ or God-way is the answer to problems. The answer is not so magical as you suggest and has to do with stopping the harm from being passed on through generations. Believe what you will about any asshole having some real encounter or not… it is all woo-woo talk and it ends with typical Christian bullshit. I Never knew you? Well of course he didn’t! Jesus lived thousands of years ago…. Whoops, he is still alive, right? Sheesh. You are writing on the wrong blog.
I agree with you Walter!
BTW, Mr. Gerencser, I am moved to compassion that your journey has led you to a belief that there is no God. I pray that the Holy Spirit of the living God will move upon your life and lead you to grace.
I know that it must be more complex than the fact that you are disillusioned by the acts of religious charletons, but whatever your thought process, you are in my prayers.
You have the right to your belief, Walter White but for goodness sake, can’t you listen and allow somebody to be who they are? Must someone beg on their bleeding knees to you fuckers? Allow somebody to live, to live their own life without your bully proselytizing? Sheesh…
Walter White, that is so arrogant of you. You tell this guy that you fervently hope he believes like you do again. You may have intended kindness, but all you accomplished was a slap in the face. Think before you speak to someone who does not share your beliefs. They do not deserve your smug pity. We do not deserve it, because I am no christian. Note I’m not saying that I hope you one day wake up and realize you have based your entire life on a delusion, for you would take that as rudeness. I try to be nice to y’all, but so many of you seem to specialize in hypocrisy. There’s only so much condescension a person can take.
Walter, I agree, he is absolutely a sociopath!
Bruce
Is the case actually still open on Stevens ? Maybe it has been closed? The reason I ask is that some of the work has been copied and pasted on the internet so many years that a person not acquainted with the Hyles saga might think it is a new investigative report.
I have to say jack Hyles helped me in sales and never giving up. Just because the wizard doesn’t actually exist you still can’t appreciate the man behind the curtain rip jack Hyles
Jeff
FUCK Jack Hyles. His son had become a serious problem. Jack’s solution was to foist him on us at Miller Road in Texas. Jack, who has a statue of him and the wife he cheated on for decades and never loved. It sickens me to see that statue. Why do you think Dave turned out the way he did? Because his dad tried to mold him in his image, but Dave was determined to outdo his dad in every way possible. He set loose a monster on the unsuspecting sheep of the IFB church where I also went to school. Fuck Jack Hyles, friend of the pedophile and the creator of monsters.
What the parents do in moderation the children do in excess.
You can still appreciate the man behind the curtain
This is all Obama’s fault
I would need you to give me the chapter and verse in the Bible that says someone cannot be forgiven and restored if they have asked God for forgiveness and turned their life back over to God.
Forgiveness requires David Hyles to make restitution to those he sexually took advantage of. He has not done so. Instead, he has asked GOD to forgive him. Hyles, like most Independent Fundamentalist Baptists, thinks God’s forgiveness is all that is required to wipe the slate clean. There can be no forgiveness for David Hyles until he is willing to give an honest, complete accounting of his vile behavior, including his complicity, if any, in the death of his child.
Be careful with judging. We are not given permission to judge each other. God is our ultimate judge, and this needs to be left in Gods Hands.
What if you’re a judge?
Tena,
You do know I am an atheist, yes? I am not in the least concerned about being judged by God. As far as leaving judgment in the hands of God, I encourage you to read my post on Matthew 7 http://brucegerencser.net/2015/01/does-the-bible-say-thou-shalt-not-judge/ Most Christians totally misinterpret the thou shalt not judge text.
Bruce
Bruce,
Someday you will not be an atheist.
Tena
Tena,
Please follow the comment rules. NO PREACHING.
I’m not the least bit interested in your opinion of my so-called spiritual condition.
Bruce
Bruce,
Thank you for being somewhat respectful to me, even though you don’t agree with me. Thank you for not slandering or name-calling.
I think I have been respectful to you even though I don’t agree with you either.
I will have no further comments.
Tena
OnlyaFoolSayaInhisHeart,thereisNoGod.sadly,illseeYouBowAndConfessonTheJudgementDaybutEternitystillawaitsYou…
?
Shaking in my boots *Sigh*
You christians are so smugly arrogant. So thoroughly convinced that your religion and only your religion is the One True Religion, and that of all the thousands of gods in human history, that your god and only your god is the One True God. You would probably say you care about his immortal soul, but if you really cared, you would show some respect. How would you like it if i said to you that I hope one day you wake up and realize you have been following a delusion your whole life? Would you consider that rude? And it’s not just your god that is the true god, but your version of your god. Not the catholic version. Not the mormon version. Your version. Some might call that a sign of mental illness.
I know you said you weren’t going to comment again, and it’s been a while. I have a problem, however, with the haughty tone of this response. But to answer your question, Matthew 5;23-24 comes to mind: “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
According to that passage, Christ himself calls for David Hyles to make things right with those he hurt before even giving an offering. It’s all well and good if Hyles has asked God for forgiveness. But if he refuses to apologize directly to his victims, and demands that they forgive him, how is that “being reconciled to your brother”?
Or how about 1 Corinthians 5:9-11—”I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.”
Unlike the biblical David, Hyles has shown no humility toward his victims. I find it bitterly ironic, since Hyles himself preached about Psalm 51 and contrition when he was at Miller Road. If Hyles were truly sorry for his actions, he would accept responsibility for them. Instead, he accuses his victims of slinging mud, when he’s not harrumphing, “My sins are under the blood of Jesus, so you need to just quit talking about them.”
He whines that “no one else’s sin can destroy your life.” I’m sure his ex-wife Paula and their daughters Jamie and Julie would disagree. I’m sure David Stevens (ex-husband of Brenda Stevens and father of Brent Stevens). Hyles obliquely mentioned “what I’ve done with your money” at Miller Road. He doesn’t think his financial shenanigans harmed those who gave willingly and sacrificially?
When accusations first emerged about Jack Hyles’s own infidelity, his response was to send a long, angry letter defending himself to his supporters. The Sword of the Lord excoriated Robert Sumner and the others who demanded that Jack Hyles confess and repent. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I said it before, and I’ll say it again: Jack Hyles didn’t try to teach his son to be like Jesus. Jack Hyles trained his son to be like Jack Hyles.
My empathy and sympathy are reserved for Hyles’s victims.
(Bruce, I apologize for “necro-posting,” but I’ve dealt personally with too many Hylesites to stay quiet.)
Hey Tena who knows, I am an atheist too. Do I get some magical statements too about what I will or won’t be? Take a flying leap, woo-woo monger…. You have no idea what you are even saying, talking about not judging and the moment it comes out of your pie-hole, you judge another. Wicked insight! Did Jesus give you that for free?
Calm down Brian
Tena, the reason you’re not being taken too seriously by others here is that most have been where you are now, ‘done it and got the t-shirt’ as the saying goes. They did it and found it lacking, Bruce rather more than most.
Me, I never bought into it. Lots of reasons, and you’ve reminded me of one; the semantic nonsense that people glibly trot out, thinking that as they are quoting the bible it must make sense. ‘Do not judge’. Listen Tena, we all do it, all the time, every day. I might judge that a shop worker was a little abrupt with me, or that the lady serving the drinks was attractive. I judge if I see a group of teenagers late in the park with cans of beer in their hand creating litter. And I’d probably judge if a Muslim lady wearing a burka and overly bulky clothes, got on the same train as me.
And especially coming from the country that still thinks it’s its Christian duty to carry out the death penalty!
Don’t make me laugh, but really, have a good think before speaking.
This man Or poser called Jack all but destroyed our family and many other’s!!!! Shame on his, an his daughter
Cindy for defending her sick ass husband.Open your blind eyes!
yes, i fully agree with the caption on the picture, “…the phallic design is fitting”
I just do not understand these men like Hyles, or Haggard or Driscoll. They say they are sold out for the Gospel but they seem to be unable to stay out of the limelight and love throwing their authority and popularity around. I’m still in the evangelical camp, but this kind of behavior disgusts me. I do not believe men like these should be restored. I do not see where the Bible indicates that. They can be forgiven and serve as laymen, but they have committed deeds while pastors and church leaders that disqualify from ever holding that position again. It actually may be setting them up to fail and commit more atrocities by “restoring” them to leadership because that position and title leads them to commit such grievous acts. I’ve told my wife and friends if I ever mess up like that in the ministry, by no means ever let me be restored to a position of leadership. These men are more concerned with their own egos more than the people they claim to shepherd.
I agree with Randy. I know lots of honest pastors who are content to be nobodies. Guys like Hyles are obsessed with being in charge – they love to be first and they use their position to get what they want.
Even if you believe in God’s forgiveness , I think you need to say that they have disqualified themself from leadership as it is too dangerous for them. They should settle down out of the limelight.
I think that blogs that expose them are invaluable and their congregations need to hear the whole truth.
You are exactly right, Randy. Well said, sir.
I also think they should be thrown out if the church – this is what they would do to members if they did the same thing.
Hyles Anderson college is evil.
It’s amazing how much time any one person would take the time to trash a family such as the likeness of Dr. Jack Hyles a true man of God who dedicated most oh his whole life keeping people just like this author who lies and trashes Christians for whatever reason they do so. Bittnerness, mad at God for their own reasons? Who knows but it is just downright sick and appalling. Thousand and thousands of folks will spend eternity in Heaven through the divine faithfulness of Dr. Hyles and his family.
I find it interesting that you don’t say a word about David Hyles’ immorality. Evidently, souls saved wipes out the immoral and criminal behavior.
Bruce, I would also be interested to know exactly what Mr. Mack thinks you’re lying about.
I, myself am more ‘sickened and appalled’ by the abuses that so many “men of God” perpetrate and get away with because no one will speak up for their victims.
I will reserve my empathy for those who have been abused and victimized by IFB’s.
How can you be angry at something you don’t even believe exists? That’s like being angry at Santa Clause. We are calling out a monster, born of a lesser monster, and THAT is what you find appalling? Dave Hyles didn’t just commit mass adultery. He murdered a baby! Yes, I can say that with confidence. If you look at the facts objectively, there can only be one conclusion. It is an unquestioned fact that baby Brent had suffered numerous untreated broken bones while he was with Dave and Brenda. I’ve seen the photos of him in the hospital finally being treated months later. Who broke that baby’s bones, C Alan Mack? That part is not in question. Medical records don’t lie. Untreated broken bones don’t lie, either. But who is the pathological liar in this case? Dave Hyles. How could he do that and not be a monster? Let me tell you something right now. I was at Miller Road the whole time Hyles was pastor there. I knew him, his first wife, and his kids. A few weeks before Hyles’ debauchery became public, his daughters stayed with my family for a couple of days. Back then I had a tape recorder with a mic attached to it, and I was always sticking that mic in everyone’s face and recording them. When I showed this to the girls, they were delighted. Jaime kept saying “Do that again!” But then something happened that chills my blood to this very day. I asked his younger daughter Julie, who I believe was 3 at the time, a question. I asked her “Where is your daddy?” Her response was, and I quote, “Daddy’s a monster. He scare me.” Dave Hyles tortures children. Even his own. There is NO question that he beat that baby so severely that he broke the child’s bones on numerous occasions. Who else would have done it? Then Brent suddenly turns up dead while he is with Hyles. Dave had the body immediately embalmed and buried him the very next day, destroying any chance at an autopsy. You can’t do a blood test to see if the baby had been drugged to death if there is no blood in the body. I mean, who does that? I never heard of anyone being buried the day after they died. And there was an empty bottle of prescription medication that makes people drowsy. The prescription was filled just the day before Brent’s death. Where did that medication go? To me, this is as simple as 2+2=4. It all adds up. And who created this monstrous baby killer? Jack Hyles did. You seem to be so busy guzzling the koolaid that you can’t see the obvious. Jack Hyles cheated on his wife for decades, and Dave always had to outdo his dad in any way he could. Have you ever met Dave Hyles? If not, then you should not speak on things you don’t know about. I know. I was there. Jack Hyles: Defender of the pedophile, and creator of murdering monsters. This is what happens when you worship a man, and that is exactly what you are doing. Oh, but please do go on about how appalling we are for not putting up with their shit. You don’t know true evil when it is staring you straight in the face. Most IFBers don’t even know how to think. Only obey, and never, ever question the man of god. Especially women. Why do you think the women at Miller Road Baptist Church were such easy prey? If Jack Hyles was a man of god, then your god is a monster, too.
I’m late to this party, but David Hyles was my first pastor. I give his successor, Ben Jordan, credit for demanding that Hyles publicly confess his adultery and then leave the church. When asked in an emergency church meeting, Ben Jordan informed everyone that Hyles would not be welcome back at Miller Road unless he publicly repented for the adultery and for the financial shenanigans.
I remember this because I was there when the feathers hit the fan. It was a Wednesday night, and Ben Jordan read a letter from Hyles, saying that he was “scared” and getting advice from his father. The church pianist, one of the chosen few, was totally emotionless. A deacon had caught him in the act, and Hyles had made cryptic comments from the pulpit about “what I’ve done to my wife…and what I’ve done with your money.” According to the deacon who had witnessed him, Hyles had been carrying on with about eight different women in the church. Brenda Stevens was held up as a model Christian lady, who even took me soulwinning with her once. Almost everyone on Hyles’s oversized office staff was an attractive young woman. (Ben Jordan cut the paid office staff down to a secretary and a bookkeeper when he became pastor.)
Hyles’s ex-wife Paula deserved much better from him. She was under a lot of scrutiny. Jamie and Julie, their daughters, were perfectly normal little girls who did the best they could. My mom babysat once for Paula and one of the Hyles sisters and said their girls couldn’t have been better behaved. I hope Melissa is doing well.
Hyles was a good-looking young man who started balding prematurely. But he always came across as arrogant and condescending to anyone other than an attractive young woman. My late mother called him to the carpet on this: “Am I not young and pretty enough for you to be nice to?” He stopped in his tracks and just looked at her as if he’d seen a ghost. She told him she loved him, and his answer was, “They all do.” His sermons were usually more like tirades, although I admit I did enjoy his series on the tabernacle. But that’s the thing about Hylesites: they’re very good at beating others down for “falling short” but not very good at looking within. “Physician, heal thyself.”
The impression I got of David Hyles is that he desperately wanted to be liked. During chapel, he’d give all the secondary students candy bars and make the teachers participate in a prune juice-drinking contest. He sadly told us from the pulpit once about when his father asked him, “Do you think I’m mean?” When young David said he did, Jack Hyles beat him for having a bad attitude. So it seemed to me that Jack Hyles didn’t want his son to be like Jesus. He wanted David to be like Jack Hyles.
David Hyles is a broken man. But his words are not the words of someone who is truly sorry for how his actions hurt others. His words are the words of someone who wants everyone to “just shut up” about it. The proof of his repentance and restoration would be in how he approached the many people he hurt. So far, he still shows a troubling lack of humility.
(For the record, I walked away from fundamentalism about 20 years ago.)
Welcome, and thanks for sharing your story.
Willie, Shakespeare not Nelson, said a mouthful with his, “Satan can cite Scripture for his purpose”.
And Satan certainly did in Matthew 4, out of context and with a vital deletion from the Psalm he quoted.
It is my observation, right or wrong, of course I much prefer the former, that IFB make much use of the Bible, out of context with disconnect as per other portions of the BOOK they claim to love. No, I am not blatantly calling them Satanic, but common characteristic . . . hmmm, time for a pensive pause? And the blind being led by the blind, clearly stated in the BOOK, need NOT be a shocker.
Natasha, his sermons were tirades. I have a very clear image of Hyles preaching, his face as red as a tomato, and him pacing back and forth across the stage like a caged tiger. He shouted his face red almost every sermon. I also remember his series on the tabernacle. I liked it a lot better than his usual stuff. In one of those sermons, I remember Bob Vacendak almost getting to the point of jumping up and down, because he was loving that sermon so much. My father’s chief complaint about the preaching of Dave Hyles was that he was a topical preacher, and my dad was an expository preacher. Dad said that Hyles would pick a topic he wanted to rail on that week, and then he would find verses to back it up, sometimes pulling them completely out of context to make his point. My dad, who became a pastor back in 1985, was the opposite. He would take a passage of the bible and actually teach it to the people without an agenda. The whole reason we moved from Ohio to Texas was so that dad could get his master’s degree in theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. My dad knew the bible ten time better than Hyles ever did on his best day. And because of that, and the fact that my dad is genuine believer who actually behaves like a christian is supposed to, Dave Hyles was intimidated by my dad. And dad knew it. Hyles was always worried that my dad would see right through him, and to some degree he did see through him. But he had no idea what Hyles was actually capable of. Dad was on the deacon board when the scandal broke. Ben Jordan (I loved him!) called an emergency meeting of the deacons, which is unheard of. My mom, my sister, and I waited anxiously for dad to return from this meeting. It was after midnight when he finally got home. When he waked in the door, he had a look on his face I have never seen there before or since. He was shaken to his core. I believe he was in shock. He didn’t say a word. He just took mom gently by the arm and led her back into their bedroom. Mom came out about ten minutes later and told us to go to bed. Dad would not tell us anything at all, other than “something” had happened, and Hyles was being forced to resign. You have to understand that my dad is such a morally upright man that he’s almost like an innocent. He does not understand the underhanded ways of the world. It causes him to appear naive sometimes, because some things are just beyond his imagination. It scarred him, and he doesn’t even like to speak of Texas. At that meeting, the briefcase was open on the table. According to new testament doctrine, at least two of the deacons had to witness what was in the briefcase. That wasn’t my dad. He couldn’t even look at the thing, he told me later. Anthony Lockaby senior was one the the two who looked at the entire contents. There were video tapes and photographs of Hyles having sex with 14 different women in his office at church. One of them was a deacon’s daughter! I can’t even imagine how that guy felt. But there was more. There were porn magazines that had ads for group sex that had pics of Brenda Stevens either fully nude, or close enough to not matter. There were ticket stubs to porn theaters. It was even somehow revealed that Hyles had been having sex with both men and women. For whatever reason, Hyles kept everything. When he knew he was about to be caught, he gathered it all together, put it in a briefcase, and then inexplicably threw it into the dumpster at the church/school. Why he didn’t take it miles away I’ll never know.
/\/TB (MTB) old friend!!! It was bitter sweet to see you post here! You know, you inspired me to figure out a way to write MY initials in a unique way. Now it’s my legal signature. Who has time to write out my big-ass long name! 🙂 I miss the days of playing Atari with you and playing at the arcade by the Mr. “M”.
I read what you said and everything you said was true and accurate to the way I remember it. The only thing you left out was the anguish and pain.
I was at R.M.’s house spending the night playing Utopia on his Intellivision. His dad, R.M, left sometime between the 8-9pm time frame and came back ashen-faced and totally silent sometime between midnight and 1am. (You know, R.M.’s sister and brother had R.M. as their initials too. I don’t remember Mrs. M’s first name. I wonder if it was R too? Funny that I only thought of that all these many years later.)
I was not informed of the details of the situation when they happened. I sat stunned and horrified that I — that we — were losing our beloved pastor. I didn’t know the depths of the betrayal. I didn’t realize how many lives were affected. The man was THE predator of predators seizing on the vulnerable state of women needing marriage counseling. (Pro Tip: Never go to one-on-one counseling with someone of the opposite sex. Hell, in today’s time, just don’t go to one-on-one counseling ever!)
There was a whirlwind of social activity following that Wednesday night service. For the next few weeks my siblings and I were ‘treated’ to many different play dates with many of our mutual friends. I didn’t realize then the reasons for the visitations, but I remember who and years later, my mom told me why.
Everything I was taught crumbled underneath me. All my mentors abandoned the righteous living they had taught me. My dad began playing music in night clubs – NIGHT CLUBS!! My family was torn apart, other families were torn apart, anger and hurt was everywhere. Other things I don’t want to bring up happened and even I made huge mistakes and failures in my life.
All for what? Oh, the line I was shoveled was that we shouldn’t put our faith in men and raise men up onto a podium in our minds — yet that’s exactly what continued to be shoved down my throat.
Do you have any idea what it’s like to be made to go to church and sit there on a pew while some self righteous man hurls condemnation from the pulpit? All I could do was seethe in hatred wondering how many women THIS pastor was preying over and how dare he condemn others.
Do you know the agony I put my wife through fighting the bouts of anger that flare up from time to time? Do you know the guilt at not taking my kids to church especially when the failures that were my parents would ask me, “Are you taking your kids to church?” Did you struggle and fight to do what you were taught was right and maybe felt was right only to try and take your family to church just to have that dose of condemnation heaped upon you fresh by people who are just as big a failure as I know that *I* am?
Did you have nights and nights and weeks and weeks growing up dreaming and wishing that Dave would cross your path so that your fist could vent it’s rage across that smug plastered condescending smile? I got into a fight once.. Okay fine — During one of the fights I got into, I got the other guy good but at the same time his 2×4 landed across my shins. The brawl ended by mutual consent but how often have I imagined that 2×4 in my hands, Dave, and a dark alley
Were you the one who saw me in my car at the stop light bouncing up and down in my seat, pounding the headliner with my fist, full on screaming at the radio with spittle flying telling this never present invisible unseen God that Christianity doesn’t work because the world is going to crap and more than half the people aren’t even trying to be good at all…and the rest that are trying to be good are failing just as hard as I was. My poor stickshift took a beating that day. You can’t peel out with an AWD vehicle but don’t think I didn’t try in 1 AND second! Yah. that A-hole swerving through all those lanes on Beltline that day….yah..it was me.
The IFB movement and quite likely every single last Baptist church is literal POISON. I freely admit that I was a Baptist and my treatment of others at the hands of the teaching of the Baptist Religion is something to which I offer my profound and most sincere apology.
I quit the so called “Christianity” that day. I told God that it didn’t work. I may even have used foul language.
Bruce, I made sure to read much of your site before posting and I understand your rules and I know you may not let me post again. I don’t know if this particular page is for discussion or just a hate on Dave Hyles page (And Jack by proxy — deservedly so) But I have a few statements and a question that I hope you won’t find inappropriate to you.
I read your evangelical page. I suppose I always considered myself an evangelical. I suppose I still believe in most of those evangelical points. One point I refuse, refute, reject and abhor totally — at least in the way it was taught in the religion circles I was exposed to.
“We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.”
Always with me it was trying to live right. “Get more power from the Holy spirit to live right, Richard.” “You need a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit and then you will be able to live right.” “Re-dedicate your life to Christ and life holy.”
Re-dedicate my life to Christ! HA! How many times can you burn a sheep on an offering? ONCE! Re-dedicate mumbo-jumbo crap trap [censored %!$#].
I gave up trying to live righteous and holy. I told this supposed God-being that never seemed to be present in my life that living righteous and holy was impossible and that I was going to QUIT trying to live holy. I think I even said “to hell with it”.
Only, that gave me such peace.
And while I’m a complete piece of crap as a human being (because I know myself better than anyone else) … while I know I’m not holy, righteous and sacred, I feel a strong desire to do good and right that has nothing to do with who *I* am?
So after this confession that I would never be holy and righteous EVEN WITH the Holy Spirit’s help. How do I stop believing in a God? How do I discount the kindness I feel towards someone or the desire to do right by my customers just because it’s the right thing to do even though no one would know? –and trust me…no one would EVER know!!!
How can I be vehemently anti-Baptist, anti-Presbyterian(Methodist/Lutheran/{name your demonination[sic]}, anti-church, anti-religion, yet still recognize that there is some goodness about me or inside of me or influencing me that is contrary to who I want to be and who, in fact and deed, I am?
I recognize and admit that I am no better than either of the Hyles-es and that I have failed, fallen and “come short”. I’m not a saint and I never will be and so I disagree with the evangelical statement. I reject religion, rituals, and corporate church but I can’t deny that something bigger than me exists. I now have peace.
Todd, my kids are grown but not out of the house. I have been blessed with a family life that has avoided much strife. Strangely, only the times when I attempted to take the family to church did strife arise. Everything I was taught pointed to attending church but my life evidence shows differently.
Today — right this very second — I am at peace. There is nothing I can do to change my past. I have no hatred in my heart towards Dave (or Jack). If I met Dave on the street, I would shake his hand, hug him and tell him that I love him and forgive him. I wouldn’t leave my daughter in a room with him or expose my family to him — but I can and do care for him greatly.
Starting a blog seems somewhat daunting but Bruce has done so and I trust it has helped him. Somewhere to write out my journey — somewhere to explain things to myself and share with others.
Todd, I have great sympathy and love for all of you, R.M., M.M., little miss spitfire herself – J.L. and all the rest. It was a great evil that we went through. I am thankful to have had you all as friends.
I am not on ANY social media but M.M. knows how to reach me.
Bruce: Thank you — for this post, for sharing your journey, and for letting me comment (at least once).
To everyone else: hate evil, love people, and forgive…because forgiveness is for YOU….not Dave.
Richard, you have inherent goodness. Look at The Humanist Manifesto.
I sign:
Solicited by Dave H
Molested at Hammond Baptist Youth Center
Abandoned all faith
At deep rest
Also, only 14 women were confirmed through the video and photographic evidence, but there were many more. He didn’t video the underage girls. If he had, he wouldn’t have merely been forced to resign. He would be in prison where he belongs. The number I always heard was 30, but that’s just the women in the church. Hyles is a full on sex addict, and he turned Brenda to the dark side. When David and Brenda Stevens first joined the church, they were both straight out of Hyles-Anderson “college”. I don’t know if I have ever seen a couple that was so madly in love with each other. My mom LOVED it, and she and Brenda quickly became best friends. The only “credit” I can give to Hyles is that his personality was incredibly powerful. That man had PRESENCE. And he was a master manipulator, having perfected his craft at First Baptist in Hammond. His dad knowingly unleashed a wolf on the sheep of that church. You might be able to tell from the way I write that the name “Hyles” is a dirty word to me, and I always speak it with contempt.
Todd,
Jack was not unknowing in his ‘unleashing’ of Dave on MRBC. Jack KNEW of Dave’s “indiscretions’ and would INSTANTLY take the call of someone trying to inform or report an indiscretion to Hammond. Jack’s advice to those who would report such an indiscretion??? Let me get my quote key ready. “””””” okay. it’s warmed up.
“What you need to do is to pack up your family and move away and never tell anyone about this.”
Do not delude yourself. Jack was complicit in the MRBC disaster AND the nut does not fall far from the tree — although I can not for SURE use quotes on that last statement like I could the first.
I must go do a hubby duty. My eyes are sore at the real hurt I’ve remembered and the imagined hurt with which I sympathize since I stumbled back onto this page 27 some-such hours ago. How much can I get done in the smallest amount of time! 🙂 This page has really sucked up the time!
Blessings, love, peace, joy, happiness, riches, fulfillment and contentment, Todd. It’s what I want for everyone these days.
Oh, and the church pianist was Charlene Ewart. I didn’t care for her.
I dont judge…thats GODS place….i find it interesting to see all church members judging. Or should i say believers judging. All hail the athiests when it comes down to what man considers to be true. Finding fault with one another is easy….accepting fault within yourselves is what “you” as “believers” strive for. Why is that? Maybe you should focus on what GOD really wants and not what you want. When man decides what is true..then maybe JESUS will truly come back because HE has to..if for any other reason than to put u idiots in your place.
Are you not finding fault and judging?
Xxxp
“I dont judge…thats GODS place….i find it interesting to see all church members judging. Or should i say believers judging. All hail the athiest”
Your whole comment is judgemental, as Bruce has already pointed out.
I haven’t heard any of these church members say anything about the fact that a child is dead that was in the custody of Hyles and his wife.
You don’t judge Xxxo. So stop judging.
I knew Dave Hyles and his 1st wife. I went to Garland Christian Academy which was not far from Miller Road Baptist and Dave spoke many times in our weekly chapel services at school. Dave also bought furniture from my Father’s Furniture store and I went on the delivery to his home. His 1st. wife was a little dingy but she was nice and quite attractive I thought. I thought the guy was a total flake from day one and I said so in front of my then girlfriends Father who was a big IBF guy and he informed that if I wanted to come to his house and see his daughter that I better not speak negatively about “God’s Man”. He had to eat some crow when Dave was disgraced and he actually apologized to me after it all went down. I have heard Jack Hyles speak also and he was a complete dick.
Dave Hyles has hurt a lot of people and as you can see from this discussion some have completely left the faith and I think that is really sad. Truth be told Dave and Jack Hyles have certainly hurt my faith in men specifically Preachers. I have seen a lot of Preachers do some pretty horrible things in my life and I know they are just men but I still expect better from a man who devotes his life to ministry. Dave Hyles is a bad man. Jack Hyles was a horrible man as well and they both hurt more people than they ever helped. What a shame!
Anyone seeking to get more information about Jack Hyles, David Hyles, First Baptist Hammond, Hyles-Anderson College, should seek out a copy of the book, “Fundamental Seduction”, written by a former member of First Baptist Hammond, Voyle Glover, a former lawyer and deacon at the church when all of this was taking place. It is a fascinating (yet sickening) read–a real eye-opener.
Is David Hyles Active in Facebook page now? Can you please confirm if He is the one who has a profile picture carrying a baby girl.
He is on Facebook, and yes his profile picture shows him holding a baby. His profile ID is dhyles1.
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Terrible, a reproach upon Christ.
That said I never have been able to blame God for my faults, nor for those done to me, though I have had to separate from family, from work, from my church, from college I’ve tossed and turned with great consternation and frustration when considering it.
And yet a voice echoes through my mind, I have God.
I took a stand by faith on church discipline and sin not being dealt with in my church, on the unbiblical authority the pastor has taken to himself and his secretiveness and it has cost me, and yet I find great solace in God, and doing that which is right before Him, surely He will turn to me, open up the windows of Heaven and pour out blessings that there be not room to receive it.
And yet it will be for me a Cross to be borne, God helping me I will bear it with gladness.
In all this there are others from other churches who seek purity and have brought great difficulty upon their churches in separating from the college ministry and the church.
In all things responsibility must be taken, I must keep my heart with ALL diligence, keep it from lust, from pride, from greed, avarice and self-satisfaction, from apathy, bitter resentment and self-centeredness also; Christ is true and He will vindicate those who stand with Him.
I think it’s pretty sad reading most of your comments. So many of you pointing out the stick in David’s eye while you have a log in your own eye. God is a God of forgiveness and grace. Who are y’all to judge that he hasn’t repented of his sin? You are not with him on a daily basis and don’t know the consequences he’s dealing with. God can completely change someone from the worst sinner to someone that loves the Lord and has learned from his/her past. Everyone will answer for their own sin one day. These people that no longer go to church bc of DH will not be given a “get out of jail card” All men are sinful and will do wrong. It is wrong to put a pastor up on a pedestal and them blame the church when they fall like everyone else. For you that still judge him for his past, how do you expect God to forgive your sins if you can’t forgive others?
“That sin which does not tempt you today could be lurking in the distance knowing that you will one day be vulnerable. Consider yourself vulnerable to all sin lest any sin derail you.” (DH)
Are you really going to minimize Hyles’ behavior, and say that his sexual predation is minor compared to those who dare criticize him and attempt to hold him accountable for his behavior? This is exactly what you are saying with your stick/log analogy. I wonder, have you every stood up for his victims? Have you ever demanded that Hyles be held accountable for what he did? Of course not. That just between Hyles and God, right?
I’m an atheist, so I have no fear of God or judgment. I do my best each day to be a good person — no gods needed. The purpose of exposing Hyles’ attempts to re-enter the ministry is to make people aware that a predator is loose in their midst. Until Hyles quits hiding behind God and IFB theology and gives a full accounting of his crimes, I see no reason to ever trust the man, and I certainly wouldn’t want him anywhere near the women of my family.
The divine spark is within you…
About 95-97% of men have a strong sexual attraction to the opposite sex and most end up marrying. Bruce points out that David Hyles is a well-known serial adulterer. If you were married to this guy, would you want several of your lady friends to have sex with him?
Many churches, often unfortunately, claim a superior sexual morality to the rest of us. Your IBF folks seem to be a case in point. So, isn’t Bruce right to point out the problems of this David Hyles continuing to ever pastor a church again.
How would anyone know that he isn’t going to do this again if he is put in charge of a church?
To Natasha, Todd Black, and the others who were in the school or attended the church in 1982, I feel like I know you guys because I went through your same experiences, and I may have met you in 1984? Or 85? I attended a church/school in Beaumont, Texas which was extremely radical and neck deep in the Hyles cult. In fact, we weren’t even IFB, we were “non-denominational”, just totally over the top. Our church had a connection to Ben Jordan becoming your assistant pastor. In the spring of ’82 I was 14, and Dave Hyles was brought in to speak for one night during our annual youth conference. We were lead to believe that Jack was God and Dave was Jesus (not literally, but you guys know what I mean). I’ll never forget before he “preached”, he sat on the platform and never once looked up, during the song service, etc, he just sat and looked down. He never sang – just, nothing. When the pastor introduced him, Dave Hyles immediately launched into – I kid you not – a 45 minute infomercial for a newspaper that he had started (or was starting?) called “The Fundamental Flame”. Basically, it was a ripoff of the old famous “Sword of the Lord”. I think he wanted $30 for a 1 year subscription, but he said that he wouldn’t turn anybody down and the kids could give him whatever amount of money that they had and he would send it to them. So, all of these kids, including young stupid me, dug in our wallets and purses and pockets and gave him every penny we had on us with our names and addresses. I remember him taking that money, but not a single one of us ever received his little newspaper. Dave Hyles then “preached”. Honestly, there is no way to describe it, the guy literally screamed the entire time, and really the only thing I remember about his “sermon” was it was all about sex (abstaining from sex), and he kept talking about his daughters and how he would treat any boy who tried to date them. It was the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard. Now, back to Ben Jordan; Ben first preached at our church in 1977, which was under our previous pastor (who had womanizing issues, but he wasn’t a Hyles worshiper like our pastor in 1982). The church loved Ben so much, we had him to come back and preach at least twice a year after that. Ben was there when Dave Hyles was at our church, and it was Ben’s first time to ever meet him. I don’t know why, but that night Dave Hyles approached Ben in the pastor’s office and offered him the associate pastor position at Miller Road. Looking back at it, it’s strange that Hyles did that apparently without the deacons approving it and the church body voting on it. Anyway, those of you who were at Miller Road at the time know the rest of the story. In 1984 or 85, After Ben was pastor, our youth group visited Miller Road and we got to meet you guys, and we learned just bits and pieces of what really happened. 30 something years later, reading your comments, it’s the first time I’ve ever known the entire, true story. Wow, just wow. As for our Hyles worshiping pastor, his name was William Ray Cummins. He later went to prison for 10 years for aggravated sexual assault of a child. Imagine that. Over the years I’ve watched the Jack Hyles and Jack Schaap saga unfold, and I wonder how many perverts are still out there that were molded in their image. Some of you on here say that you’re atheists or agnostic, trust me, I understand. I’ve gone through some agnostic thoughts myself after everything that I and YOU have been through. However, God showed Himself to me, and He’ll do the same for you, I have no doubt. One more thing, there’s some comments on this thing made by someone calling themselves “David Miller”; I would bet my life that “David Miller” is Dave Hyles.
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Say pr Gary. We all need Christ. Just work it out and drop the small talk. Your not the judge God is. Have a wonderful day if you can…..
*sigh*
Freddy,
You’re the one who prays right? Since you need Christ, you work it out. You keep praying and remember you aren’t the judge, right? Your God is. So you pray. You work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Then maybe you can get back to us and let us know how that is working out for you. And for sure, you have a wonderful day too, if you can.
Ah, a delightful meal of snark first thing in the morning. 🙂
Thank you!
Hi Freddy,
You don’t need any holy books (no Koran, no Bible etc.), nor any religious gurus to give you the so-called proper interpretation of these books, nor any religious temples to worship at if you make kindness your religion. Just meet people, wherever you happen to be, whether at your local shopping centre or at a sporting event or wherever and love them, be kind to them, inspire and uplift them, and be thankful for any kindnesses that they show to you.
Don’t worry about any invisible beings. Why should we fear and tremble over imaginary beings. Just love other people!
This reprobate Dave Hyles is now trying (and failing) to run a restoration ranch in Georgia. He has no training in counselling, he has no history of compassion and he has no right to portray a person who knows everything and can be a help. He does nothing but tear down relationships and cause more brief. By all accounts of his past he should be in jail for the rest of his life. Some says he is changed and we should forgive? Well, what is good for goose is also good for the gander! When does he make reparation to his victims? Open your eyes, quite hiding behind Jack Hyles legacy and see Dave Hyles for who he is!
My Father is Ben Jordan. If anyone has anymore information about the situation with Dave Hyles and Miller Road and how my father was apart. Please contact me.
Somewhat off topic, bit David Jules looks like Dennis Rader, the BTK killer.
i grew up in FBC cult like church also. Lived in Chicago and couldnt wear pants, men were better than women and all of us were encouraged to attend HAC…My dad would often put us in the car and we would take a road trip to FBC in Hammond. I also attended youth conferences and thought Dave Hyles was perfect and wished i was the one he would marry. The end of my journey with this cult was when i was getting married in 1984, the person i was marrying was not part of the faith and one of the church women sent me a card and said that if my fiance wasnt ‘ saved then she hoped something ‘happened” before the wedding..I was done.. its 35 years later, i never returned to church and did not raise my children in church. Instead we raised them to be good people and make good decisions. I felt like damaged goods in that normal people scared me because of the beating down i had taken all those years in the church. It was a cult and no one can dispute that. Evil.
“I felt like damaged goods in that normal people scared me because of the beating down i had taken all those years in the church. ” -Vickie
And that is exactly how fundamentalist, evangelical Christianity is designed. If you feel a desire to approach one of these churches please understand that you need real help and desperately. Run to a qualified therapist. You probably don’t understand what Vickie is sharing but she is telling the simple, unvarnished truth. Wanna hurt yourself and others? Come to Jesus at the local cult church.
I attended MRBC & its church school in the mid-80s. Mr Stevens was one of my teachers. He was a great guy! He liked teaching & was popular.
During my last semester at the school (I left mid-term) Mr Stevens changed that first semester. He was distracted & not his usual cheerful, happy self. I found out about the affair later.
I’m heartbroken to hear about his son. If there’s anyone who didn’t deserve that heartache, it was Mr Stevens.
Hyles? Even as a kid, I had a well-honed BS detector. I was creeped out by the way he looked at girls & avoided him. Didn’t like Mrs Stevens much either, TBH.
BTW, Hyles wasn’t always the fat, grey, sad slob he is today. While never attractive, he was young, fit & had that used-car salesman “charm.”
Bruce a twelfth chance? No matter how repentant he become there would also have to be some serious counseling by a licensed mental health provider. Years of it by someone who has more experience and training in sexual offender counseling than I have. Even so in most cases such as this the wounds are too deep for anything like another chance particularly around women and children. And perhaps younger men I don’t remember if any credible allegations involved men
They are all doing well. Growing up, I never knew about my “grandpa,” David Hyles. Paula is doing great and as the son of Julie, I can confirm she is also doing well. DH is and has never been talked about in the family and I (after doing research into the despicable person that he is) can understand why.
I just started to read the posting here, about the Hyles father and son tag-team. So heartbreaking and insane,all of this !! As for you Hyles fans who yell ” don’t judge “, just remember……..David Hyles was involved directly in the deaths of two children ! Grow up, won’t you ?! Justice for these poor kids ! Couldn’t help but notice how these facts are ignored by you. D.H. never repented, nor admitted to anything, BUT he did plead the 5th Amendment– remember THAT ? Innocent people rarely resort to this tactic. Your priority should be on his lack of remorse, he’s an unteachable psychopath at best. Then again, Jack Hyles did beat son David while he was a minor. No one thought to call the cops then, or there might have been a good outcome to all this, as different circumstances. If you’re in church and you witness child abuse, do Heaven and society a favor. Call the police ! This should be clear as crystal by now, don’t you think ? The IFB and other churches need a wake-up call.
Lighthouse Baptist Church, Columbia, TN (pastor David Baker) closed up shop some years ago due to financial improprieties. The building was eventually bulldozed and now some business is at that location. But do not fret! David Baker, like Frankenstein’s monster, has been resurrected at http://familybaptistchurch.me/about-us/our-staff/.