The Curtis Hutson Letter: A Peek into the minds, methods, and politics of Fundamentalists

Quote of the Day:

"...For among my people are found wicked men; they lie in wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit; therefore they are become great, and waxen rich. They are waxen fat, they shine; yea, they pass over the deeds of the wicked; they judge not the cause...The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means, and my people love to have it so; and what will ye do in the end of it all?"..."From from the least of them even unto the greatest of them everyone is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely."..."Were they ashamed when they had committed abominations? Nay, they were not ashamed neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall; at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD."..."Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them." From Jeremiah 5 and 6

NOTE: I have finally been able to scan in copies of the handwritten letter from a pastor to Hutson and two pages in THE CURTIS HUTSON LETTER response. Simply click on the links.

Also, those of you who are interested in the Jack Hyles/Curtis Hutson stories should be interested in developing the skills necessary to identify evil people with whom you come into contact on a daily basis. To that end I encourage you to visit my posts on The Northside Baptist Story. Hyles and Hutson are gone. But there are many people who follow their pernicious and evil ways.

THE CURTIS HUTSON LETTER

On November 30, 1990, Dr. Curtis Hutson, the late President and Editor of the Sword of the Lord newspaper, responded to a letter of inquiry from a pastor/friend regarding Dr. Jack Hyles and the adultery scandal surrounding Hyles at the time. It was accompanied by an unsigned, handwritten note.

I received a copy of the Download hutsona.pdf (627.5K)">handwritten note and the Download hutson1.pdf (855.6K)">first and Download hutson2.pdf (469.7K)">second pages of Curtis Hutson's two page letter. The information was sent by attorney Voyle Glover, a one-time deacon of First Baptist Church of Hammond, Ind., Hyles’ church. Voyle Glover authored the book about the Jack Hyles scandal[s] at First Baptist called Fundamental Seduction.

PLEASE NOTE: I received the correspondence sometime in 1991. Both Dr. Curtis Hutson and Dr. Jack Hyles were alive at that time. Certainly both men were aware during their respective lifetimes that this correspondence was being circulated: fundamentalism is not a very large group and preachers love to talk to each other about such "current events." It appears - at least to this longtime observer of self-enshrined fundamentalist popes - that Hutson and Hyles chose to publicly ignore the letter. They would not be the first fundamentalists to ignore such information; they both were taking a great deal of heat during this time. Most fundamentalist big wigs have learned that secret slander and retaliation can accomplish what could not be done openly and in public. If anyone can provide me with a written or oral rebuttal from either of these men - over their signatures or in their voices - I will be happy to post such a rebuttal in unedited form. That is only right and just. (This paragraph added August 6, 2007)

I believe the correspondence is genuine. The elements of the letter are consistent with every fact of which I am aware, especially the Sword of the Lord's dismissive handling of Dr. Jack Hyles' adulterous affair with his secretary and the slaven support the Sword of the Lord continued to give Hyles after the scandal broke. A Gospel minister is to be "blameless" and above reproach. Hyles was neither. One need only contrast Hutson's handling of the affair with that of Robert Sumner in the Biblical Evangelist article titled "The Saddest Story Ever Told" in which the BE laid out the details of the charges of adultery against Dr. Jack Hyles.

For years Hutson's newspaper has been ridiculed as the "Sort of the Lord." The Hutson letter is consistent with what I know of how fundamentalists operate within the culture they have created; Glover well-spoke when he spoke of "the entirety of it all" because Hutson seems to employ every element and trick practiced by members of fundamentalist leadership. Hutson's letter gives the reader an unfiltered look at how Fundamentalist preachers/ministers think and operate and how politics often trump truth and biblical principles within fundamentalism.

Voyle Glover's cover letter:

Dear Friend:

Recently this came to me. I felt it would be of interest to you and have therefore passed it along. It appears to be genuine. A pastor has apparently released this letter after Hutson, a long time friend, wrote this letter to him in response to a letter he’d written Hutson. The pastor aganized over it for two days before releasing it. He called Hutson and says in a note with the letter, that Hutson threatened to ruin him if he released the letter and then begged him not to release it. I don’t know who the pastor is. You’ll have to judge and evaluate the information, the validity and credibility of it all for yourself. I felt it was significant enough in terms of the entirety of it all to forward it along to you.

I’ve also enclosed a copy of one letter sent to me and one sent to Bob Sumner from a Canadian pastor regarding my book [Fundamental Seduction]. And because the writer raised an allegation that Voyle Glover had “hurt the cause of Christ,” I felt compelled to respond to this man and his charges. I’ve enclosed a copy of my response.

--Voyle Glover

The handwritten note reads thus:

Dear Preacher:

Just a note. I have been a very close friend of Dr. Curtis Hutson for many years. After waiting quite a few days and praying, I have decided to send this to these people Curtis mentions in the enclosed letter. I asked him point blank questions and this letter is his personal reply to me. Please read it. I called and told him I was going to send copies out and he said he would deny all of it and he would name me personally and it would ruin my church and ministry. He begged me to reconsider but I am doing what I think is right. I believe something should be done about Jack Hyles and now I believe something should be done about Curtis Hutson, too. I’m sick of the whole mess!

The third piece of correspondence is on Sword of the Lord stationery and is signed “Curtis Hutson”. It is addressed “Dear Bro. “ with the name of the recipient redacted. The "typo's" have been faithfully reproduced in this transcription.

Dear Bro. ________:

Thank you for your letter; it was good to see you the other day and I am glad God is blessing your church. I am typing this letter myself so please excuse the mistakes.
Now let me briefly answer your questions:

1. Yes, I do believe Dr. Jack Hyles has done wrong, has sinned, and there has been a cover-up. I have recently been given some information that proves his wrong doing and sin. One of his own children has stated all of it is true. I have been told his wife has said it is true also. Financial improprieties? Yes. Immorality? Yes[.]

2. No, I will not ask him to resign from the Sword Board. I believe it is a loc al church issue and evidently First Baptis[t] Church has decided not to didlipline [sic] Dr. Hyles. Dr. Hyles has told me he has confessed his sin and wrong doing, he is now right with God, and feels his resignation or public apology would do more harm than good for Fundamentalism, young preachers, and churches across America. We here at the Sword concur with him. Am I a part of the cover-up, you will have to answer that question.

3. Yes, I do believe that all the good Dr. Jack Hyles and Dave Hyles have done does indeed out-weigh their wrong. I believe they have many rewards waiting for them in Heaven.

4. My fellowship with Bill Rice, Voegtlin, Handford, Lee, Nelson, Van Impe, Kelly, and others has been strained and even broken. I believe they have done much more harm to Fundamentalism and this ministry than Hyles. They have sinned just a much, if not more, as Dr. Jack Hyles. No, I will not preach with them or for them and I will not have them preach for me. Yes, I will have Dr. Hyles preach for me.

5. Yes, Dr. Roberson knows of Hyles’ sin; I have talked to him about it.

6. Yes, I have been asked to resign. No, I will not.

7. I believe Bob Sumner to be of the devil himself. He is a bold faced liar. I dare him to prove or even attempt to prove any immorality on my part. If [it] were not for him, I would not be constantly badgered with all these questions concerning Jack Hyles and the Sword of the Lord would not be in the condition it is today. God will take care of Jack Hyles and I believe, at least I am praying, He will take care of Bob Sumner too. If Fundamentalism collapses it will be Sumners fault and a host of other preachers[‘].

8. Yes, John Stancil is the music director at my son Tony’s church here in Murfreesboro.

Now you know the impact and influence Jack Hyles has here on our ministry. So if you think I am hanging onto his coattails then so be it. My dear friend, I believe hyou are sincere and want to do right, but please do not write me again concerning any of this. You have been a very good friend to me through the years I don’t want to lose that friendship, but please keep this in the stricktest confidence. All of this will pass by soon and we can go on. By the way, you know I will deny all of this if it gets out.

Sincerely,
Curtis Hutson

Sadly, this is the way independent fundamentalist Baptist big wigs operate - and it matters not whether they be associated with Hyles or Jones: except for personal style, they all emulate the Cretians. They wax fat and they shine over (wink at and cover-up) the wickedness of their colleagues in order to maintain a squeaky clean public image and keep others quiet about their own pet sins and scams. Keep a reign on your spiritual leaders and subject them to biblical accountability. If each one of us who have named the Name of Christ fail to keep our spiritual leaders accountable, then we should not be surprised at the corruption that will take root amongst us.

Unfortunately, a form of guruism has crept into IFB circles wherein some men are above earthly accountability. This is wrong. There is not enough fear - fear of exposure and fear of defrocking - in professional independent Baptist fundamentalism today. The solution lies within the individual priesthood, the everyday Christian man or woman, who, like Paul, is not afraid to rebuke sinful men o' the cloth: "Them that sin rebuke before all that others may fear." (I Timothy 5:20) A sinful, abusive preacher or gospel minister will quake in fear of exposure at the appearance of biblically obedient Pauline Christian men and women.

One of the motivating factors for this blog is to send a message to professional fundamentalists like Bob Jones III, John Stevens, Bob Vallier, Barry Owens, Timothy Butler, Rod Bell, John Vaughan, etc., that there are still a few men who are not afraid to stand up and expose their wickedness and/or duplicity and hypocrisy. Like Dr. Bob Jones Sr. once said, "It is better to wash dirty linen in public than to not wash it at all."

Comments

[J]

What a sad person. Move on with your life & let the dead rest. I'm sure they're right with God now. Not that you care. You seem concerned with labelling all of fundamentalism with the same tag.

The Editor responds: "J," yes, I find it sad to think what blind personal loyalty, institutional idolatry, Phariseeism, cronyism, and Gentile-styled dominion-leadership have done to neo-fundamentalism.

May I ask: To whom is your loyalty directed, "J," Christ and His Word or to Hyles and his following? Are you a follower of Paul who followed Christ and rebuked religious hypocrisy or are you simply a worshipper of Hyles, a creature and not the Creator? And, have you publicly followed Paul's example in 2 Corinthians 4:2?

I ask with all kindness and sincerity: What makes you so "sure" your are an expert on the mind of God and what I think? King David was far more important to Christ's Gospel than Jack Hyles. David's infidelity - and its fall-out - are being studied after thousands of years.

Jack Hyles' has many followers who are convinced he was, as one man stated to me, "The greatest man of God since Paul." If neo-fundamentalism sows Hylesianism it will reap Hylesian fruits: consider Dave Hyles and multiply it by the hundreds.

"Labelling" behavior and "labelling" offenders is a biblical exercise. My Bible has many labels and commands to apply those labels appropriately. For example: evil workers, evil beasts, slow bellies, liars, deceivers, self-willed, wolves in sheep's clothing, exercisers of Gentile dominion, lords over God's heritage, hypocrites, Pharisees, workers of iniquity, adulterers, abusers, etc.

Certainly you have met people within neo-fundamentalism - Hylesian and Jonesian - worthy of such labels. The fact is, while there are differences in style between the various factions of neo-fundamentalism, they are - like the Cretians - essentially all the same.

I have been in the movement for 45 years. Attacking those who rebuke internal evil and covering up the sins of fellow neo-fundamentalists are are operational staples within the movement. Correct me if I am wrong but that appears to be the sole thrust of your comment.

Friend, you can ignore the corruption that is infecting fundamentalism but the 'cat is out of the bag.' One of the prime reasons for this Blog is to help those who are trapped under the dominion of neo-fundamentalism to recognize the blind personal loyalty, institutional idolatry, Phariseeism, and ungodly dominion-seeking professional religious manipulators.

The hypocritical refusal of neo-fundamentalists to judge their own is a hot topic, within and without the movement. Check out these to sites:

http://www.sharperiron.org/archive/index.php/t-2283.html

http://pastormartyspulpit.blogspot.com/2006/05/accountability.html

Thank you for your comments.

Editor attempted to notify "J" that his comments were posted. Apparently, "J" is a troll.
Final-Recipient: rfc822;
Action: failed
Status: 5.1.0 MAIL FROM: 554 REPLY: 554_delivery_error:_dd_This_user_doesn't_have_a_yahoo.com_account_([email protected])_[-5]_-_mta164.mail.re3.yahoo.com
Diagnostic-Code: smtp; Permanent Failure: Other address status
Last-Attempt-Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2007 14:47:12 -0000
BANNED AUGUST 14, 2007

[Mike M]

Very Interesting. All I can say is that I am glad that when I got saved I wound up aligning with a unaffiliated Baptist church that had nothing to do with Hyles, BJU, Liberty, Pensacola, the Sword of the Lord, Fellowships, Boards, or the rest of the lot. There were just, well, a church. Friend, there are still some out there that have not "bent their knee to Baal".

I would, if you would be willing, like to know the source of the letter.

[Mark Christopher]

I attended Tabernacle Christian School in Greenville, South Carolina in the 60's. Harold Sightler was the pastor of the Church, Rod Bell was the Principal, and Melvin Aiken was the Assistant Pricipal of the school. Jack Hyles often spoke in chapel and at Bible conferneces then. Jack Hyles was young, nice looking and funny, had a beautiful wife, and I enjoyed his sermons. A welcome relief to the rest of the stodgy old speakers.

For a couple of years in the late 60's, Dr. Hyles did not appear in chapel or at Bible Conferences. There was talk, even back then, of an adulterous relationship that put him out of favor with with Tabernacle. I was personally shaken by this revelation of a man I respected.

Fundamental circles have been critical of the Catholic Church for fostering and hiding the indiscretions of Priests. It is dissapointing to know that we are capable of the same obfuscations.

As the harboring of homosexuality and pedophilia in the Priesthood has severly damaged the reputation of the Catholic Church, so will the ruin of the fundamental movement be if we continue to ignore the sins of the leaders of our church.

If a 13 year old boy in Greenville, South Carolina knew the sexual indescretions of a minister in Hammond Indiana in the late 60's, it is not a "local church matter". Why did it take 20 years for John R. Rice, Harold Sightler, Bob Jones Jr. Rod Bell, Walt Hanford, Oliver B. Green, Jack Van Impe and many others, to bring this man to account. Surely they knew more than this 13 year old boy.

Fundamental Pasters would do well to temper their exhaustive examination and battle over the version of the Bible they are teaching from, and use any version of the Bible to examine the pasters who are preaching. Bible translations, ancient and modern decry; Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Mark Christopher
Greenville, South Carolina

[Mark Christopher]

I attended Tabernacle Christian School in Greenville, South Carolina in the 60's. Harold Sightler was the pastor of the Church, Rod Bell was the Principal, and Melvin Aiken was the Assistant Pricipal of the school. Jack Hyles often spoke in chapel and at Bible conferneces then. Jack Hyles was young, nice looking and funny, had a beautiful wife, and I enjoyed his sermons. A welcome relief to the rest of the stodgy old speakers.

For a couple of years in the late 60's, Dr. Hyles did not appear in chapel or at Bible Conferences. There was talk, even back then, of an adulterous relationship that put him out of favor with with Tabernacle. I was personally shaken by this revelation of a man I respected.

Fundamental circles have been critical of the Catholic Church for fostering and hiding the indiscretions of Priests. It is dissapointing to know that we are capable of the same obfuscations.

As the harboring of homosexuality and pedophilia in the Priesthood has severly damaged the reputation of the Catholic Church, so will the ruin of the fundamental movement be if we continue to ignore the sins of the leaders of our church.

If a 13 year old boy in Greenville, South Carolina knew the sexual indescretions of a minister in Hammond Indiana in the late 60's, it is not a "local church matter". Why did it take 20 years for John R. Rice, Harold Sightler, Bob Jones Jr. Rod Bell, Walt Hanford, Oliver B. Green, Jack Van Impe and many others, to bring this man to account. Surely they knew more than this 13 year old boy.

Fundamental Pasters would do well to temper their exhaustive examination and battle over the version of the Bible they are teaching from, and use any version of the Bible to examine the pasters who are preaching. Bible translations, ancient and modern decry; Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Mark Christopher
Greenville, South Carolina

[Don]

Funny how fundamentalists regard the unproved indiscretions of a dead pastor, while the rest of the world goes to hell. Our priorities are about so far out of wack, if I were God, I'd just stomp every christian out like an ant hill....frustrating that the souls of men continue to pour into hell, and we sit back and gossip and ruin each other. God help us.

Editor responds: Thank you for your comments, "Don". Or, do you prefer the moniker "doctor evil" from your address?

Your choice of the word "indiscretions" is a bit tepid for my taste. Hyles and Hutson were "wolves in sheep's clothing" who profited handsomely shearing the sheep.

The "unproved indiscretions," of Jack Hyles are well-documented. Curtis Hutson's defense of Jack Hyles - and his excoriation of those who asked Hyles to block off the hidden door between Hyles and Judy Nischik's offices - speaks volumes about the importance Hyles had in Hutson's publishing/religious enterprises.

Hyles disqualified himself as a preacher of the Gospel by his conduct with another man's wife and by the way he ran FBC. Hutson's connivance regarding these issues speaks volumes about Hutson. Were FBC not run like the cult Hyles created it to be, the biblical church disciplinary process would have resolved this controversy and we would not be having this exchange.

A preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is held to the standard of blamelessness. Vines says, "It implies not merely acquittal, but the absence of even a charge or accusation against a person. This is to be the case with elders." It is not mere judicial innocence required of a Gospel minister, it is much more.

Jack Hyles was elevated to a place in the hearts and minds of his people where he was free from earthly accountability. He has subverted the faith of two or three generations of people (wheat and tares) within the church. People like Hutson and the deacons and members of FBC are largely to blame. Hutson, however, used the Sword of the Lord to promote and defend Hyles and attack those who held Hyles to account.

Hutson, thus, became a partaker in Hyles' evil deeds. To exempt both individuals - even after their deaths - from the biblical qualifications and standards of conduct required of Gospel preachers would be to compound the mischief they created during their lives.

Many people accused Hyles of sin in accordance with 2 Tim. 5: 19. Unfortunately, these instances were suppressed by deacons, Hyles' preacher cronies, and fundamentalist religious profiteers like Hutson who rode on Hyles coattails. As a consequence, a generation of preachers has arisen that does not "also...fear" exposure of sin and public rebuke.

As Christ said, The children of this world are wiser than the children of light, because they see that fundamentalists are hypocritical Pharisees when it comes to addressing leadership sin within the camp.

As I made clear, I was not able to authenticate the letter ascribed to Hutson. However, the letter was consistent with the public position Hutson held regarding Hyles and the letter was consistent with what I have observed regarding the way fundamentalists operate. Both Hutson and Hyles were alive when the letter was being circulated. If you have anything from either of them repudiating the letter, I will be happy to post it.

I'm glad you aren't God, "doctor evil".

It seems to me that if simple-minded, men-worshiping Christians fill their pulpits with men who lack moral purity and biblical ethics, that Christianity will not be very effective in reaching the needy, lost world for which you express such concern.

In fact, to not expose "wolves in sheep's clothing" within fundamentalism's leadership pool seems the surest ways to undermine the saving power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The earthly church was designed to be self-correcting: "Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear." That isn't the way it worked in Hyles' FBC or within his sect of fundamentalism, is it? They acted like members of a cult.

Take a look at the men who Hyles trained and who idolized him and who are filling the pulpits in your sect. Are they reaching the world for Christ or are they simply emulating Hyles 12-step method for building a church with above-average cash flow?

"Beware of evil workers..." And, I have found no better way to become aware of how to identify evil workers than to detail their methodology.

Write me in 10 or 15 years when the leaven Hyles and Hutson have injected into your sect of fundamentalism leavens the whole lump.
Mark

[Don]

I dont disagree with you Mark, not at all. I think it's even worse though, when we spend all this time on subjects like this, and give the world every reason to despise us, and think we're "evil". (The Dr Evil is really a metaphor....blame my wife for it.....she labeled it to me for my irritating romance with debate...she thinks I bring out the evil in others...anyway....)

I certainly am not making a case 'for' or 'against' either man. But, to say there WERE indescretions and not have ANY witnesses....is just not right. I never saw a "hidden" door at FBC, and I certainly didn't worship the man. I do believe he loved Christ, and I believe he has done more good for the cause of Christ than I could imagine. Whether it be by influence, or whatever.

Fundamentalism is about dead. Any way you look at it. God will breathe on something, someone, and somewhere in his time and raise up the next generation of christians. Hopefully they won't be ones that sit back and shoot at each other at every chance they get, and they'll actually be soulwinners at some point.

I'm NOT one of those guys that got somebody to just "say a few words" either. I got most of my training through reading good books, and following good men. I never attended a christian school, and in fact, getting my MBA from a state university was probably the best move I ever made. It has given me better opportunities to give God a good name.....not drag it through the mud like so many people in so-called "fundamental circles" are doing now. They preach alot of things about the love of country, God, and morality, but when it comes down to it, they don't vote, don't soul win, and could care less about their own families.

Frustrating.

Don-

[William Hearn]

Does anyone know where Curtis Hutson received his education? Was his doctorate from an accredited college? Please advise me at [email protected]

[Terry Jackson]

Just a reminder there is a judgment day when all our works will be tested to see what sort they are. Hyles and Hutson will be judged and so will the rest of us. "Take Heed Lest ye fall...."
I do agree that Hyles needed more than church discipline because he preached all across the country.