25 Facts About Jack Hyles

Jack Frasure Hyles was a leading figure in the Independent Baptist movement, having pastored the First Baptist Church of Hammond in Hammond, Indiana, from August 1959 until his death.

Jack Hyles was well known for being an innovator of the church bus ministry that brought thousands of people each week from surrounding towns to Hammond for services.

Jack Hyles was born and raised in Italy, Texas, a small, low-income city in Ellis County, south of Dallas.

Jack Hyles often described his less-than-ideal upbringing which, he said, included a distant father.

At the age of eighteen, Jack Hyles enlisted in the United States Army and served as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II.

Jack Hyles then led Miller Road Baptist Church as an independent preacher for a while.

In 1959, Jack Hyles moved to the church-provided parsonage at 8232 Greenwood Avenue, Munster, Indiana, and became the pastor of First Baptist Church of Hammond.

About a third of the members left the church after hearing Jack Hyles' preaching style, which was very different from that to which they had been accustomed.

Jack Hyles started his bus ministry and soon shepherded the church from a congregation of several hundred to more than 20,000.

One of the most notable aspects of Jack Hyles' work is his church bus ministry that he helped innovate.

Jack Hyles was better known as "Brother Jack Hyles" to his tens of thousands of congregants.

On January 30,2001, Jack Hyles suffered a heart attack; this was followed by a second on February 5, at the outset of more than eight hours of surgery at the University of Chicago Hospital, where Jack Hyles underwent four heart bypasses and two heart valve replacements.

Jack Hyles died on February 6,2001; a funeral was held at First Baptist Church of Hammond on February 10.

Jack Hyles was survived by his wife Beverly, their four children, 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Jack Hyles attracted praise, an honorary doctorate, and other accolades throughout the course of his life; he was the subject of frequent criticism.

The Post suggested that after hearing a preacher like Jack Hyles, "you knew that you'd been preached to".

Jack Hyles received an honorary doctorate from Midwestern Baptist College, an unaccredited Bible college in Pontiac, Michigan.

Jack Hyles is honored in Founder's Park at his college, where life-sized statues of Jack Hyles and his widow have been erected.

Jack Hyles was accused of a decade long affair with his secretary, Jennie Nischik, who happened to be the wife of a church deacon, Victor Nischik.

Jack Hyles was sued because he and his church "failed in their duty to protect her," Petri said.

Jack and Beverly Hyles had four children: Dave, Cindy, Linda, and Becky.

Beverly Jack Hyles died at the age of 88 on August 30,2017.

David Jack Hyles served as the youth pastor at First Baptist in Hammond under the leadership of his father.

Sources say that upon learning of his son's affairs with multiple women, Jack Hyles recommended David as pastor of his former church in Texas; by so doing, David was able to stay out of the public eye.

Jack Hyles has spoken out against the church Hyles led during his tenure and after his death.