Looking for Hyles' converts

I had never heard of Hyles until just a few years ago. That was about 29 years since becoming a Christian.

 

(Well, there was the woman at the well in Samaria, Zacchaeus , Nicodemus, the thief on the cross................... Since we have numerous recorded instances, I would suppose there are many, many more unrecorded.)
Percisely! Thank you.

 

Jack Hyles was the best soul winner that ever lived. There must be thousands upon thousands of his converts in the Hammond area today.

 

Another point would be, how many of us remember the full name of the person who led us to the Lord?

Im sure some of us will remember, but if it was someone who came to your door, or who passed you a tract and explained it to you, chances are that you wouldn't remember their name. Personally, I didn't have a personal worker lead me to the Lord, I was sitting in church and since I already knew what I ought to do, I just did it by myself. I don't remember the name of the evangelist who was there preaching though.

Ive led several people to the Lord on the streets, and I can tell ya right now, they probably don't remember my name anymore. The point of soul winning is not to win them to yourself, it is to win them to Christ. I wouldn't want them to remember me, Id want them to remember Christ.

 

I have been in ministry for 10 years. I have served at much, much smaller places than FBC Hammond. And I can take you to several folks in those 10 years that came to know the Lord as a result of my witness.

You mean to tell me that in all those years and all those people that there seems to be hardly anyone that will give testimony to Hyles witnessing to them and thus accepting the Lord?

Something is wrong in this equation...

 

Dear "PastorSBC1303" Years ago I sat in a service where the pastor took John R. Rice apart because he broke fellowship with Bob Jones. The Pastor was a young fellow, had been preaching for about 10 years or so. The people left that evening confused. Their pastor had spent the entire service criticizing a man that he didn't even know. I ask you what's your point? Why don't you let the Lord judge Jack Hyles?

 

PastorSBC,

Just because they aren't where YOU can get "at them" doesn't mean they don't exist.

Have you ever met him in person, outside the pulpit?

I had. And I must say, if I hadn't known who he was, I wouldn't have remembered him. He was only "bigger than life" in his reputation, and behind the pulpit. One on one, he was a very mild, soft-spoken, unremarkable man. Unless you spent a great deal of time with him, you would not really remember him if you hadn't known he was considered famous by alot of people.

It just saddens me to see so much criticism of other preachers around here. Especially when its just "made up" anecdotes and personal angst.

 

Right on Rehtorician.

 

i would imagine I'm more old time fundamental and hard core King James and separated than that 95% on this board. I'v met both Hyles and Hudson. I personally questioned both these men about their "easy believeism" and watered down repentance. I did not agree with some things both these men preached. However, I'm not going to sit in judgement over these men when even God won't, John 5:22.

 

Rhetorician,

I know its not towards the OP, and Im sorry, but how then would you lead a person to Christ?

Would you be able to do it within one conversation, or would you "require" the person to have lived according to what you see as "right" before you'd consider them a "real" Christian?

I know I sound a little snarky, but Im really not trying to be. Honest question here.....how would you tell someone to be saved?

 

This is a contradiction. You can't be "old time fundamental" and "hard core King James." The old time fundamentalists were not hard core King James.

Hyles was a showman. He began to change in the 80s from his already rancid self and became even more self-absorbed. The charges of immorality were never addressed and Hyles was not dealt with biblically by his church. His doctrine got more heterodox over the years. He was known to be dishonest in the pulpit (cf. his claim to the number of sermons he had preached). He was not "above reproach" as the Bible requires.

I say that to say, "How many souls he won" is irrelevant to these issues at hand. If he won a million souls under that ministry, he was a shame and reproach on teh ministry. And the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree.

 

my goodness!

Wait, let me get a camera so I can take a picture of all this "christian love"!

 

My point has been very simply...why did Hyles and the church boast of so many things...yet there seems to be nothing there. I am not the only one that has noticed this. I am completely confident in the Lord judging Hyles and everyone else. It has simply been an observation from one who lived in the area for many years.

 

ok Rhet....but you didn't really answer me....at least I dont think you did.

I agree that just signing a convert slip doesnt do anything. But when you trust Christ as your saviour, thats following what the Bible said to do!

How would you lead a person through the gospel plan? Wouldnt it be rather simple?

 

Again, one more time. It is an observation. You are welcome to disagree.

When you live in the area for 20+ years and it is Hyles "won so and so # to the Lord this year" and FBC "under the leadership of Hyles has seen "#" of people saved this year".....and yet you never meet anyone that was actually led to the Lord by Hyles....you wonder what is going on.

Maybe it is all a big coincident...

 

I do because he followed me up for the next two years. His follow up is the reason I disciple other today. That was almost 33 years ago.

In fact we phone each other regularly.

 

Remember what love is ... Love is not good feelings or smoothing over the sins of a person's life. Hyles was openly known this way. NOthing I said was private or unknown. And his church disobeyed God in not handling it properly. We can't smooth over that in hopes of appeasing someone's sensitivities. The truth needs to continue to be known so that when it happens again, no one will forget the shame and reproach that men like Hyles brings on the name of Christ.