I about laughed in his face. After she and her husband hit a rocky patch, they turned to Schaap for counseling. A row of white-coated high-ranking churchmen seated behind Schaap watched in silence. She is the daughter of Jack Hyles (former pastor of the Independent Fundamental Baptist megachurch, First Baptist Hammond) and talks about her escape from that cult (her word, not mine). He came and went as he pleased. One of the things I know about organized religion is that reality regularly falls far short of the ideal. If Hyles wanted him to drink, he would. Trisha LaCroix, who attended Hyles-Anderson College, says that she was disowned by her parentsFirst Baptist members bothin part for daring to wear pants. until the child is crying, not tears of anger but tears of a broken will. They should leave stripes if need be. #6. That thought prompted me to write you on my leaving, for it would be the pleasure of my life to have the entire world see in print my feelings on you, your establishment and your gross perversion of the sacred role of Pastor. Don says: August 20, 2012 at 12:35 pm. For information see: www.wayoflife.org/about/makeanoffering.html. www.wayoflife.org/about/makeanoffering.html. Mar 30, 2013. But all that needs to happen is for the right pastor to come alongi.e., a man with a strong, charismatic personality who is a leaderand boom! At this point, the sermons climax, Schaap would heave up a high-powered crossbow and fire an arrow into a red X painted on a fake rock a few feet from his pulpit. Whatever awkwardness he may have had soon gave way to his extraordinary oratorical gifts. To the hundreds of people who posted comments under a YouTube video of the event, the lack of reaction is as shocking as Schaaps sermon itself. So, best of luck. They didnt dare disagree or be disloyal, for fear of being publicly ridiculed or punished or banished for doing so. Hyles kept close watch over the colleges curriculum to make sure it met his standards and was suitable for export to churches across the country. [This was before Jack Schaap got caught in adultery with a teenager.] Hes never said that he loved Mrs. Hyles. (I had also been instructed to carry a Biblethe King James Versionbut I couldnt find my mothers and so arrived empty-handed.). His preaching had gotten soI hesitate to use the word pornographic. It was so vulgar sometimes that it was just a grief to my spirit., Challenging Schaap, Busby says, was not an option: He had absolute power. My dad lived a double life, one of a righteous family man and of a dynamic speaker in the public eye, but [another] one of sordid sexual secrets privately, secrets that only my siblings and me and my mom knew. Then, she makes claim for Linda to claim Linda was abused is a self-centered cry for attention and demeaning to those who were actually abused. Other items we sell to help fund our expensive literature and foreign church planting ministries. In June 1991, a Sunday school teacher accused A. V. Ballenger, a 57-year-old deacon who had spent two decades in the church, of fondling a seven-year-old girl. With your own insecurities and personal failures as your driving force, you have quite simply played havoc with an entire church, some of my dearest friends and worst of all, my family. At Hyless prompting, the congregation gave him a standing ovation. He pastored a church in Texas and was found to be having affairs with 14 different women. I went to him twice about things I had heard about Dave. After graduation, he set out to spread his particular brand of harsh theology. In an incredibly short amount of time I have healed much and think I would surprise even you with the strength I have gained. The major points that these women who knew Jack Hyles agree on are these: that Hyles had a morally inappropriate relationship with a woman who was not his wife, that he lived a double life by deception, and that he was a cult leader who controlled his people as a lord and not as a godly shepherd. TEDx speaker Linda Hyles Murphrey for the first time publicly reveals the secret life she was forced to live as the daughter of the former leader of an Indiana mega-church turned cult. Hated her. Speaker: Linda Hyles Murphrey Date: April 5, 2012 Event: TEDx Conference Continuity 1. He did what he wanted to do. But thats what it is. If you have been helped and/or blessed by our material offerings can be mailed or made online with with Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or Paypal. When all of this happened with our church in Garland, his dad didnt want to hear it. The rest of the open letter. With these thoughts expressed, I bathe myself of you and any influence you may have had on me in the past. His daughter, Linda Hyles Murphrey, recalls her mother and father arguing over his many affairs with church members. 2. With your own insecurities and personal failures as your driving force, you have quite simply played havoc with an entire church, some of my dearest friends and worst of all, my family. As I am sure you are well aware, my husband and I are moving to the Los Angeles area this month. He left everything to the organization, which my younger sister and her husband now lead. Hyles, meanwhile, exerted extreme control over every aspect of his flocks livescontrol that members say they welcomed because they believed it was divinely inspired. He lifted a stick in his left hand and a silver cloth in his right. When he would counsel me, she says, he would be asking me these shocking questions about sex. Linda Hyles Murphrey, a motivational speaker, presented her story titled "From Cult to Courage" at a TEDx event, discussing her hardships as a child of Jack Hyles. He . At first, Busby says, it really seemed like he wanted to help us. But soon Schaap was requesting numerous sessions with Busby alone. Love Makes the World Go Round (RPM Sketch #2), A New City/A New Home (JimBaumerMe Newsletter), One Sheet for Living in Some Strange Days (indie rock). There were so many mothers who went to him who David was having affairs with and told him. I went to him twice about things I had heard about Dave. I sat in the pew, gazing at the colonnaded pulpit, bright white under a spotlightthe spot where Schaap had given his infamous Polished Shaft sermon. Dr. Hyles lying was blatant just like Davids. Jack Hyles was the cult leader and he . He could destroy you., In fact, he nearly destroyed Busbys marriage. Their offices each had a door opening to the hallway as well as the private door connecting the two rooms. 2012-2022 Way of Life Literature Inc. v12.19.22, David Cloud, Way of Life Literature, P.O. These items have taken years to produce at enormous expense in time and money, and we need the income from the sale of these to help fund the ministry. It probably is one the most significant (and difficult) decisions I've ever made since. Another person who is keenly aware of the lure and peril of personality is Murphrey. Lowest rating: 1 . Several people who grew up at First Baptist recall that parents took the instruction to heart. Dr. Linda Lowes, a physical therapist and researcher specializing in the assessment of neuromuscular dystrophies, is a principal investigator in the Center for Gene Therapy and a research associate professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University. Outbursts of anger, an unwillingness to brook criticism, and a penchant for ironfisted control were also part of his repertoire. My dad pastored a church that evolved into a 50,000-member cult. The bravest voices lifted against him were the voices of women, the very women who had been hurt by this mans ungodly actions, women who showed themselves stronger than a huge number of weak-kneed, ostrich-like pastors. . He told us she was crazy. The surrounding blocks bustled with activity. (A poster for one appearance called the Hyleses The Worlds Greatest Men.). Hyles certainly had enemies -- back then, more so. He never had restrictions on his life. People lined up to give cash to him and his only son, David, who was following in his footsteps. Yet, you have failed with the most precious gifts God could have ever given you your wife, your children, and now, your ministry. He promises that there will be no cover-up. On the basis of Dr. Hyles own admissions, I rest my case about the massive cover-up of sin under his leadership. Instead, the silence was golden, and it still is. Update information for Linda Hyles-Murphrey More at IMDbPro Contact Info: View agent, publicist, legal on IMDbPro Biography Awards Photo Gallery Filmography Trailers and Videos Hide all | | Edit Treated her terribly. Andy Beith, 40 His wife, Paula, divorced him. If the members of the congregation were heartbroken about what was happening to their church, they didnt show it on this night. Beatings would last endlessly, it seemed, says Mary Jo McGuire, 45, a corporate trainer in Colorado whose father was a deacon in the church. Hyles thunderously denied the charges and denounced his accuser, Victor Nischik. He had affairs. She left the church after alleging that Schaap behaved inappropriately during marriage counseling sessions in 2004 through 2009. About. A seemingly endless list of rulesboth written and unwrittengrew and multiplied. Every member was in complete obedience to my father. The culmination of many events in our lives brought us to the decision that we have made to move. It operated and still operates under the guise of an independent fundamental Baptist church. Among the best and brightest of the early studentsa young man who would eventually win the blessing of Jack Hyles to marry his youngest daughter, Cindywas Jack Schaap. When he entered, we would all stand on the pew and sing, We love you, Preacher. There are still many, many victims out there, says Busby, herself involved with a group of former First Baptist members who have their own abuse stories. In passing, it is interesting to note that Hyles evidence against Vic is loose, unsubstantiated, secondhand, hearsay gossip from unnamed sources (Robert Sumner, The Jack Hyles Story, chapter 5: The Hyles Reply). Yes, they havent slept together in probably 25 years, they dont share the same bedroom, they dont speak. I thank God for giving me the sense to decide not to become one of the neurotic puppets you employ. I told his dad about that. In fact, she kept it covered with a curtain. I have no spiritual respect for a preacher who defends Jack Hyles. Ross points to a landmark 1981 Harvard study on cult formation, which suggests that all cults, destructive or not, share three elements: an Regardless of whether Hyles actually committed physical adultery, he was unquestionably guilty of a grossly improper relationship with a woman who was not his wife, and was thus disqualified to be a pastor. His influence was vast. Voyle Glover, an attorney and longtime church member, was not among the defenders. I remember hearing once that it is not wise to put anything in writing that one would not want the entire world to see. And, says Kaifetz, he got a heros welcome. He told lies that he couldnt possibly get away with. Schaap did not respond to an interview request made through Porter County Jail. Our home was so full of turmoil, hatred, stress, strife, and as a little girl, it was isolating, it was intense, and it was frightening. He died a multi-millionaire. For over fifteen years I have watched and learned much from the circus that you have performed with the lives of those I love most in the world. First, there was the expectation that the school provided some support for students when they arrived. The Biblical Evangelist, a magazine devoted to historic evangelical fundamentalism, published a series of articles accusing Hyles of a years-long romantic affair with his secretary, Jennie Nischik, who happened to be the wife of a church deacon, Victor Nischik. Terry was a deacon in the late 1980's when the deacon board rejected my family's appeal to them to -- finally -- deal with Jack Hyles and his decades-long affair with my mother. He left everything to the organization, which my younger sister and her husband now lead. One night, Jack Hyles sat three of his four children down the eldest was away at college and told them he had to leave the home "because of the way your mom is acting," Murphrey recalled. Joseph D. Combs, 63 I pity you for you will be experiencing the consequences of your actions for a very long time. He moved the bottom of the stick near his groin and angled it away from himself. Also, the girl whom Schaap counseled across state lines was 16 when the abuse began. Back at First Baptist, prayers for Brother Schaap have been asked for and received. After serving in the army in World War II, he married his sweetheart, Beverly Slaughter. My dad pastored a church that evolved into a 50,000-member cult. The sessions lasted from 2004 through 2009. He will abhor that which is evil (Rom. THE TESTIMONY OF JACK HYLES OWN DAUGHTER. Lowest rating: 1 . Yellow buses lined back streets and alleys. FIRST, TO GIVE THE BACKGROUND, LET ME QUOTE FROM THE BOOK , IN REGARD TO HYLES RELATIONSHIP WITH JUDY NISCHIK. When I think of him sitting in a jail cell right now, my heart can hardly handle the ache. Dr. Hyles lying was blatant just like Davids. The ushers, standing in back throughout the 90-minute service, occasionally whooped, like cowboys at a rodeo, at something they found particularly inspiring. Tags: Crime & Law, Print-Specific Tags - Feature, Writers - Bryan Smith. . They didnt dare disagree or be disloyal, for fear of being publicly ridiculed or punished or banished for doing so. Its your ego or a demon or Satans influence that causes you to doubt the edicts of the leadership., First Baptist members have long scoffed at cult comparisons. Linda Murphrey: "The lies we had to keep were 'for the sake of the ministry'". Instead, he spoke of doing more for the church, of stepping up, of trying harder. He owned our lives, and we didnt dare cross him, because we were too afraid we would lose everything. In a scene right out of some cheap romance novel, Hyles arranged for Vic Nischik to sleep in the basement of his own house and to pay rent to Jennie. You are also welcome to use excerpts from the articles. He never had restrictions on his life. Some of the abuse that Glover described in his bookas many others would later allegewas perpetrated by Hyless son. No one could have imagined he would grow into the larger-than-life figure whom critics would dub the Godfather and others would consider the Chosen One. She has apparently allowed the stress of expectations to define her. When she put that curtain that went across the wall, it probably stuck out a good four feet from the wall and it went all the way across, so you had to go behind the curtain to see the door after she put that up. 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