Hyles–Anderson College

Hyles-Anderson College
Established	1972
School type	Private/Unaccredited
President	Wendell Evans
Location	St. John Township, Indiana, United States
Postal Address	8400 Burr Street Crown Point, Indiana 46307 United States
Enrollment	approximately 2700
Faculty	38 full time
Colors	Green and White
Mascot	Bagpiper
Homepage	www.hylesanderson.edu

Hyles-Anderson College is an unaccredited Bible college in unincorporated St. John Township, Lake County, Indiana, with a postal address at 8400 Burr Street, Crown Point, Indiana. The college is operated by First Baptist Church of Hammond. It focuses primarily on training pastors, missionairies and other church workers. It also trains Christian educators to work in K-12 Christian schools. The partially-wooded 100 acre (40 hectare) campus includes a lake, football field, bowling alley, and a variety of school and entertainment resources.

History

Hyles-Anderson was founded in 1972 by the late Jack Hyles with financial support from Russell Anderson. The college states that it was established so that pastors, assistant pastors, bus directors, missionaries, music leaders, teachers, and principals may be better equipped to do the work of the Lord. The school was originally located on a campus known as Baptist City in Schererville, Indiana. HAC's former campus was turned into Hammond Baptist K-12 school. This school is also operated by the First Baptist Church of Hammond. After his death, Hyles, who was the school's chancelor, was succeeded by his son-in-law, Jack Schaap, a graduate and former vice president of the school.

The Hyles' boyhood home, a 384 square foot shack in Italy, Texas (30 miles south of Dallas, Texas) was purchased in 2001 in order to create a museum to honor Hyles. The home was shipped from Texas to Hyles-Anderson College. The home was planned to house Hyle's writings, photographs, and other relics on the 2,700-student campus. Ray Young, a close friend of Hyles, said, "We have 5,000 to 7,000 independent Baptists who come here each year for conventions. Reverend Hyles was very much adored by independent Baptists across the country. It should be a major attraction for them."

Academics and accreditation

Hyles Anderson College is not accredited by any recognised accreditation body. As such, its degrees may not be acceptable to employers or other institutions, and use of degree titles may be restricted or illegal in some jurisdictions. The school claims that it does not want accreditation. Hyles insisted accreditation would undermine his ability to control how the college ought to run, and for various other reasons outlined in a sermon entitled, Accreditation. Most bible colleges apply for accreditation through one of the accredition bodies meant for seminaries and religious schools, but there exist a number of bible colleges that refuse to participate in the accreditation process.

The college has 38 full time educators and administrators. Each of the faculty at Hyles-Anderson has at least one degree from Hyles-Anderson College. A number have also received degrees from traditional universities and colleges as well as both accredited and unaccredited bible colleges.

Hyles-Anderson offers Bachelor of Science degrees in the following major concentrations: Pastoral Theology, Pastoral Assistant, Missions, Elementary Education, Secondary Education, General Studies, Music Director, and Music Education. The college offers Associate of Science degrees in Education and in Marriage and Motherhood.

Hyles-Anderson's catalog notes that the degrees it offers in education are not be construed as training for public school teaching. To teach in public schools, most states require that teachers graduate from an approved and accredited school. Therefore, Hyles-Anderson's degrees in education are intended to train teachers planning to teach at private Christian schools.

Hyles-Anderson's science courses include: general chemistry, inorganic chemistry, basic physics, mechanics, geology, electronics, and astronomy.

Policies

Hyles-Anderson has a dress code that says that girls may not wear skirts above the knees. Men must wear neckties to class and keep their hair cut short.

The college's policies also require that women may not go off-campus unchaperoned. Young men and young ladies are not allowed to date alone in cars. Absolutely no hand holding or other intimacies are allowed between the genders. The college provides chaparones and bus trasportation for date nights.

All faculty, staff, and students are required to go soul winning weekly by participating in the evangelistic ministry of the First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana. The college claims that 10,000 new baptisms are performed each year at the the Church as a result of this ministry.

As part of the college's separatist tradition, it has strict rules that forbid what it believes are immoral acts. Therefore students are not allowed to: drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, dance, attend Hollywood movies, play cards, or participate in "other questionable amusements". The college states: "We do not fellowship with liberals, but instead take a strict separatist stand from the world and apostasy."

Hyles-Anderson is a supporter of the King-James-Only Movement. The college believes that the Textus Receptus manuscripts, from which came the King James Bible, were inspired word for word. The college also teaches that The Scripture is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice.

Alumni

• Jack Schaap - The Hyles-Anderson website claims that he received a B.S., M.Ed., and D.D. degree from Hyles-Anderson. He is currently the chancellor for the school.
• William "Andy" Beith (BA) - Former principal of Liberty Baptist Academy and convicted of child sex abuse on an elementary school student. [2]
• The horse of John R. Rice - (Honorary PhD)[3][4]
• Bob Gray- (BA and Honorary PhD) - Founder of Texas Baptist College[5]

See also

• List of unaccredited institutions of higher learning
• School accreditation

External links

• Hyles-Anderson College– Official Web Site

Criticism

• The Jack Hyles Story by Robert Sumner mentioned in the articles
• Biblical Discernment Ministeries criticism of Hyles