The Two Jacks: Hyles and Schaap

by David W. Cloud

This book documents the life and ministry of Jack Hyles, who pastored First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana, for 42 years, and Jack Schaap. who took over the pastorate of the church when his father-in-law died in 2001.

But the book is not merely about two men. It is a warning about a cultic model of ministry that has spread very far. Hyles set the pattern for errors that are still rampant. And the book is a positive call to build biblical churches. A major motivation in writing this report is to challenge young preachers not to be man followers and man pleasers, to walk in the fear of God rather than the fear of man, to be serious Bible students and Bereans, to be passionate for Christ and Truth, and to reject pragmatism: whether it be contemporary church growth pragmatism or emerging pragmatism or IFB pragmatism.

The book is a warning about Quick Prayerism, promotionalism, numbers-ism, the abuse of pastoral authority, blind loyalty to man, cover-up and deception and rampant immorality, and unrepentant heresy.

Chapter titles include the following: A Personal Testimony, It’s Not Enough to Criticize, A Word about Robert Sumner, Jack Hyles, Jack Schaap, and Shooting the Wounded and Other Silly Arguments.

Genres: Christian

Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2012

Reviews

[Thomas Almanza · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been renamed, "The Hyle's Effect - A Spreading Blight". I must say that my five stars was hard to give to this book, for it was not an enjoyable read. However, the rating stands as a five for its honesty in revealing the true character of 2 wicked Baptist "preachers" accompanied with the solemn warning towards those who follow them. A cult must be labeled one when it has all the defining characteristics of one! We are to be Bible believers and not men followers.

[John Waldrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been an independent fundamental Baptist throughout my forty-two-year Christian life, though I did not grow up in a Christian home. Over the years, I attended several Hyles Pastor's Schools, chauffered jack Hyles for three hours on one occasion, and was the member of a Church pastored by a Hyles devotee while training for the ministry. Everything in this book is related to events and facts i have both been told before and have become privy to. Though this book is well-researched it does not contain everything that could have been said about Jack Hyles, Dave Hyles, Jack Schaap, and the men they ran with and who adored and emulated them. I found out years after the fact that the man who was my pastor for a year had committed adultery with twenty-seven women in the San Francisco Bay area. One of his sons committed adultery with even more women than that. I remember my former pastor calling me one day to urge me to join with him and others at Kerry Martin's sentencing in Temecula for his affairs with underage girls. When I asked why preachers were planning to attend the sentencing, the reprobate scoundrel preacher and father of three other preachers said to me, "We're going to stand with Kerry Martin to show solidarity." I was appalled and told him so, and he responded by asking me why I opposed their plan. I told him, "Because I have a fifteen-year-old daughter, that's why," and hung up. This book is rightly titled because there is a blight affecting so many Churches.

[Jeff Whittum · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't rate this book a one star for the same reason many others might be prone to. Others unfortunate enough to read this book might give it one star because they disagree with the conclusions the author draws about the character of the men for whom it is named. Still others who have not read the book at all will as well rate it poorly for the same reactionary and emotional reasons. My rating, however is strictly in relation to the quality of the book - regardless of the fact that I agree with a good deal of what the author concludes about the men in it. (there is also a great deal I DISagree with!)

Let me say this - if even 5% of what has been (poorly) documented in this book is true, then the only proper thing to do is to permanently shut the doors of FBCH and allow the mentally enslaved members of that institution to go free and attempt to seek a healthy involvement in Christ's Church elsewhere. That being said, despite the poor documentation, I believe much more than just 5% of the claims made to be true and factual. The situation at FBCH has been an absolute train wreck under the watch of the two Jacks - Hyles and Schaap - who seemed more like Kings on their thrones stealing glory from Christ than the servants that pastors are called to be.

So why the low rating? The book is every bit the train wreck literarily that the author's subjects are morally. Much of it consisted of much too lengthy quotations that went beyond the point at hand and seemed rather to just be filling space. To make matters worse, these quotations were many times cited more than once throughout the book! I kept finding myself reading words that I was sure I had already read but there they were again! This happened far too many times to ignore and I couldn't help in the end but feel like my time was wasted reading this (which I might have predicted to be the case anyway.)

I'll have to add later more of why I read this (and Profaned Pulpit) in the first place. For now, it's after 2:00 AM so I must retire to the chambers and sleep off the headache I've received from having subjected myself to this book. Stay Tuned ....

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Repetitive quotations and information throughout, but generally presented a large body of information to the reader.

[Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I commend David Cloud for writing this book. He does a good job with giving scriptural evidence on why he openly disagreed with both Hyles and Schaap on their personal doctrines and how they led to many problems. ( Hyles: lack of Church Discipline, preaching God overlooked sin based on merit , and believing his deceased mother was an intercessor on his behalf; Schaap: his preaching on sexual union with God and prosperity tithing ).

Personality worship, Pride, lack of church discipline, unconfessed sin , and deception all played a big role in the events covered in this book and Cloud does a good job getting to the heart of the matter. This is a good read for any Christian and a good warning of what happens when we follow a man instead of God.

[Mark Reeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

NOTE: This book has since original publication, been renamed "The Hyles Effect: A Spreading Blight" and is available as a free e-book from Way of Life Literature (Cloud's ministry).

Those not familiar with Jack Hyles, his son-in-law Jack Schaap, or the First Baptist Church of Hammond (Indiana) will gain valuable insight into the "ministry" of this organization. Cloud rightfully considers it a blight on Christianity in general and the Independent Baptist movement (of which Cloud is a part) in particular.

[Dan Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had heard the name jack hyles my whole life. I attended a non hyles I.f.b church from age 15 on. I briefly attended a hyles Anderson church. I consider myself I.f.b but I see the thins I don't like about it have a connection to jack hyles. This is a hard book to read. It's sad. It is informative.

[Marbeth Skwarczynski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cloud does a good job citing his sources and exposing a horrible blight tainting many Independent Baptist Churches, but the book tends to be repetitive and he ends the volume with a selection of his own brand of non-biblical prefrences.

[Yibbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing. They can look awfully orthodox at times. We are warned so many times to be careful of false teachers or prophets. They sound good, but they will lead to destruction. The only protection we have is the Word. If we don't test everything by it we too will be deceived.

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very sad book to read. I can't help but think of the many poor souls that have been lead astray by the false teachings of these two men. The book contained some helpful information in exposing these heritics, but I thought the style was poorly written.