HIGHLAND PARK BAPTIST CHURCH of Chattanooga, TN, the bastion of fundamentalism led by Dr. Lee Roberson has completely abandoned its heritage. They have left their independent and their Baptist roots with no thought to the price paid by Dr. Roberson to lead it to the positions it once possessed. One generation separates the greatness of that church and the compromise they have chosen today.
They have voted to sell their property and move to a new location with a non-Baptist name vacating generations of being a strong Baptist church. They will be known as the CHURCH OF THE HIGHLANDS.
I FEAR SIGNALS ARE THE SAME IN HAMMOND
As I wait and watch to see what will become of my Alma Mater, Hyles-Anderson College, I am overwhelmed with hope that fades a bit every day as to the direction they will take as they move forward. My heart wants to believe that they will make the right decisions, but my head tells me the chances decrease more and more every day.
One staff member says the KING JAMES BIBLE is as inspired today as it was the day Dr. Hyles died. Another says Jack Schaap was just misunderstood on the KJB issue. I hear nothing coming from Hammond that causes me to believe that those in leadership get it at all. MIXED signals are discouraging signals.
They have accredited the Christian schools while accepting government money, playing public schools in sports, and bringing in those to preach whom Dr. Hyles did not use.
Truth be known I doubt they know what to do, but I believe their future is a choice between two directions and both of those can be summed up with two names that reflect two choices. One was blessed and the other was not blessed because one had foundational Biblical principles and the other did not. This is not about a man for this is about GOD and His hand upon a man who is emersed in Bible principles.
Choice one – Jack Hyles
Choice two – Jack Schaap
That’s it! What I want to ask Eddie Lapina, along with the other three leaders, and others who served under both Jack Hyles and Jack Schaap is which man’s philosophies and ideals are you going to choose?
The question is will FBC be viable among independent Baptists again or not? Will FBC be the soul winning church as well as the great Sunday school icon for the nation again?
Jack Schaap destroyed the foundations of FBC while Jack Hyles was used of God to build FBC, HAC, HBS, and many other ministries to the acknowledgement of even their enemies.
HIGHLAND PARK BAPTIST of Chattanooga, TN, is not viable today. TEMPLE BAPTIST CHURCH of Detroit, MI, is not viable today. FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH of Fort Worth, TX, is not viable today. Need I go on?
At FBC the changes, some of which seem subtle, have amassed into a seismic shift in less than a dozen years. Given the disturbing changes we have already seen what can we expect, but more drifting if Hammond does not make a strong and definitive decision as to which direction they are going to go.
KING JAMES BIBLE CHOICE
In speaking to men from Hammond I am absolutely amazed at the lack of knowledge they have on the issue of the King James Bible. Some still keep ignorantly saying that Jack Schaap believed the same as we do, but he just stated it differently. OH NO HE DID NOT! This is a lie!
Talk to Shelton Smith, R. B. Ouelette, Bill Wininger, Jim Vineyard, Jeff Fugate, David Baker, Bob Gray Jr., Mickey Carter, Dean Miller Sr, Dr. Gail Riplinger, and many others I could name.
Were they all so dumb they did not know the difference between what he believed and what the rest of us still believe. It appears that Jack Schaap is still in charge of the non-inspiration intellect of Hammond.
Here is my question which position on the King James Bible are you going to follow? Take your time now! Think carefully!
A. Jack Hyles
B. Jack Schaap
SEPARATION ISSUE
Eddie Lapina on Sunday morning, September 9, 2012, bragged on the way Jack Schaap built a bridge between FBC and the city of Hammond. How did they accomplish this? They did it by playing public schools in sports and by reaching out to politicians and cooperating with the city on public things. Some of which was good, but Dr. Hyles was respected by leaders in Hammond while refusing to compromise.
No doubt compromise will always make you more popular with politicians, but what we need are politicians who respect and fear the man of God as well.
There was a reverential fear of Dr. Hyles. He believed in PR to a point, but never to the point of sacrificing the children to the sports god of the public schools. Balaam did pretty much the same thing and look what happened to the next generation.
OK, here we go…whose philosophy of separation are you going to follow? Take a deep breath and think hard!
A. Jack Hyles
B. Jack Schaap
THE ACCREDITATION ISSUE
Jack Hyles said his schools would NEVER be accredited. However, under the leadership the Hammond Baptist Schools have now received full accreditation and according to sources now receive as much as $ 4,000 for every student that transfers from the public school system. Where is this money coming from? THE GOVERNMENT! Jack Hyles said NEVER! Jack Schaap said COMPROMISE!
Next question is whose philosophy on accreditation are you going to take? Think hard and long on this one.
A. Jack Hyles
B. Jack Schaap
How are you doing so far? Be patient just a few more questions to go.
WHAT KIND OF PASTOR ARE YOU GOING TO CHOOSE
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH you will be choosing a new pastor in the future. What kind of a man will you be looking for? Will it be a principled man who respects the great work of Dr. Jack Hyles or a slick man who remained loyal to Jack Schaap even though the rest of us split from him?
Will it be an old fashioned soul winning Bible preacher or will you choose someone who is more appealing to your fancy new surroundings along with you new found respect in the community? If you notice closely you can compare how Jack Hyles left you and how Jack Schaap left you?
OK, here is the question…what kind of pastor are you going to choose?
A. Jack Hyles
B. Jack Schaap
WHOSE IDEA OF REACHING YOUR JERUSALEM WITH THE GOSPEL WILL YOU CHOOSE
Dr. Hyles reached the Chicagoland area with great soul winning and a great bus ministry. Under Jack Schaap you have a debt laden church and a bus ministry just a shell of what Dr. Hyles left you.
Dr. Hyles had a simple office with a closet that was like Fibber Megee’s closet, while Jack Schaap had four extravagant offices, but no money for buses. Brother Hyles choose the bus kids over money and God gave him money. Jack Schaap choose money over the bus kids and God took his money.
Door to door soul winning worked for Brother Hyles and it’ll work for you again. Jack Schaap wanted “seeker friendly” chapels where the people lived, while Jack Hyles had a “God friendly” church people sought and were brought too.
Whose idea of reaching the area for Christ do you choose?
A. Jack Hyles
B. Jack Schaap
WHAT KIND OF PASTORAL LEADERSHIP DO YOU WANT?
Brother Hyles built up the men around him while Jack Schaap tore down the men around him. Brother Hyles built up his predecessors while Jack Schaap tore down his predecessor. Brother Hyles brought families, staff, and churches around the nation together while Jack Schaap caused splits in families, staffs, and in churches around the nation. Brother Hyles was a servant while Jack Schaap was served.
Here we go…Which kind of an ego are you going to choose?
A. Jack Hyles
B. Jack Schaap
WHAT KIND OF A LOCAL CHURCH WILL YOU BECOME
Brother Hyles directed a servant church caring for the bus children, the poor, the blind, the lame, etc. Under Dr. Hyles we wanted to go soul winning for he inspired us to reach the unsaved. Buildings were packed and the pulpit was aflame with old fashioned leather lunged Hell fire and damnation preaching from a KING JAMES BIBLE. The altars were jammed at the close of each preaching service.
He never used Pastors’ School to raise money for himself or any of his ministries. He had no FBC Team Missions that was supported by other local churches. Jack Schaap was just the opposite and the truth was we were basically commanded to fall in line or be berated for not doing so.
OK, what kind of a church direction are you choosing?
A. Jack Hyles
B. Jack Schaap
WHAT KIND OF A COLLEGE WILL HYLES-ANDERSON BECOME
Hyles-Anderson College was founded by Dr. Russell Anderson and Dr. Jack Hyles for the training ground for preachers and Christian workers. That was the vision of Dr. Hyles and Dr. Anderson. Jack Schaap wanted a nursing school and other types of training. Dr. Anderson withdrew his support and separated himself from the college and Jack Schaap along with many others.
So, which college philosophy do you want in the future?
A. Jack Hyles
B. Jack Schaap
WHAT CROWD IS FBC GOING TO EMBRACE IN THE DAYS TO COME
Dr. Hyles had many loyal friends who fought beside him through the years. Other men were not as loyal and separated themselves from Brother Hyles. There were others from whom Dr. Hyles separated himself.
As soon as Jack Schaap became pastor he began to distance himself from men like myself who were Jack Hyles’ friends and refused to back off what Dr. Hyles taught us and then he began to bring back men who were not. Jack Schaap identified with men who were critical and disloyal to Jack Hyles and his Biblical principles.
You have done well so far…here is the last question, which crowd are you going to embrace in the future?
A. Jack Hyles
B. Jack Schaap
THOUGHTS
As I watch what is happening in Hammond, I already am hearing them refer more to the days of Jack Schaap than I am to the days of Jack Hyles. I sense they are still enamored even hypnotized by the tactics of Jack Schaap and they have become uncomfortable with the ways of the man, Dr. Hyles, whom God used to build FBC in the first place.
This is not about Jack Hyles, rather this is about the God of Jack Hyles and the Biblical principles God gave to Jack Hyles, which caused him and FBC to be magnified by God.
I question why Raymond Hancock, a critic of Dr. Hyles’ positions, preached in HAC Chapel the very first week of Hyles-Anderson. Please do not misunderstand me Raymond Hancock is not a bad man, but he is not what Jack Hyles represented and presented to fundamentalism.
There are plenty of men in the nation who are not critics who would serve the college better and reenforce the Bible principles Dr. Hyles possessed and practiced much more effectively.
That is just one example of many I could give. IF actions speak louder than words then perhaps I already know the answers to my above questions, BUT at least I thought I would ask the questions anyway.
GOTTA LOVE THE OLD TIME RELIGION!