The issue: First Baptist Church of Hammond
Our opinion: The church and its affiliated institutions should not be
villified without any proof, but its pastor should ensure that his personal
feelings do not overcome his legal and moral responsibilities.
If one were to take the insinuations of Detroit television station WJBK-TV
seriously, one could get the impression that the First Baptist Church of
Hammond is a sex-crime factory and that its pastors school in Hammond and the
affiliated Hyles Anderson College in Schererville are institutions where people
minor in molestation.
WLS-TV in Chicago has also picked up on the story and sensationalized it.
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Even for the month of May, when the rat race of ratings drives TV stations
to produce and hype stories that should be bright yellow in vivid color, this
is a monstrous overreach.
First Baptist has a devoted congregation of devout Christians who take their
faith very seriously. One deacon of that church, A.V. Ballenger, has been found
guilty of fondling a 9-year-old girl. The Schererville college and the pastors
school have graduated thousands of students; some of them have been accused,
and a few convicted, of child molestation.
There is no large institution of any kind where some wrongdoers cannot be
found. First Baptist and its affiliated institutions are no exception. To tar
an entire congregation or student body and alumni with indiscriminate innuendo
is highly irresponsible.
The Detroit TV station's interest is said to have been aroused because of
allegations that molestations occurred at North Sharon Baptist Church of
Washtenaw County, Mich., where graduates of Hyles Anderson are pastors and from
where children have been brought in buses to Hammond to attend functions
sponsored by First Baptist.
As to the allegations that First Baptist is really "a cult without a
compound," as a WJBK report puts it based on statements made by some former
members, it is a matter of opinion. Government has no business determining
what constitutes a church and what makes for a cult. Furthermore, the tag of
"cult" is not necessarily indicative of criminal activity.
However, if there are any suspected crimes connected with First Baptist,
whether financial or sexual, it is obviously imperative that they be
investigated by the appropriate government agencies. The FBI's Detroit office
did look into the allegation that children from Michigan were brought to
Indiana and molested, but it determined that there was not enough cause to
proceed.
It is also incumbent on First Baptist's officials, particularly its pastor,
the Rev. Jack Hyles, to ensure that all feasible necessary steps are taken to
prevent any kind of crime from happening in their organizations.
Regrettably, Hyles does not seem to think that Ballenger's conviction is
something that should require the former deacon to be removed from any contact
with church children. The pastor's continued support for Ballenger and
insistence on his innocence may be admirable but the caution warranted by the
conviction cannot be ignored. His responsibilities as pastor and citizen should
carry greater weight than his personal loyalty to a friend.