Preying from the Pulpit was a mini-news series produced in May 1993 by WJBK of Detroit, Michigan, for the 11:00 pm news. The news report argued that sexual abuse in seven different churches around the United States were all connected to First Baptist Church of Hammond and its Pastor, Jack Hyles. Hyles called the program "poor journalism" and organized a national campaign to respond. Description The news report aired a six-part series stemming from child sexual abuse allegations against deacon Mark Foeller and associate pastor Timothy Leonard (a graduate of Hyles-Anderson College, an unaccredited institution), of North Sharon Baptist Church near Ann Arbor." Leonard, "North Sharon's associate pastor and a graduate of Hyles Anderson College of Schererville, was charged in Michigan with first- and second-degree sexual assault of children." The San Diego Union-Tribune noted "the news report found seven U.S. churches - all with ties to Jack Hyles, it said - involved in sex scandals." Thus, the TV station noted alleged child molestations at a church "appeared to be part of a pattern among 'churches that follow the teachings and philosophy' of Hyles, First Baptist and its related Hyles-Anderson College of Crown Point, Indiana." The mini-series "showed footage during its report of [Hyles] brandishing a rifle from the pulpit", along with "people with guns and walkie-talkies patrolling the outside of the church at times." Additionally "the station also recapped a sermon in 1990 in which Hyles pretended to pour poison into a glass and asked an associate pastor, Johnny Colsten, to drink from it. Colsten said he would." Furthermore, "The WJBK report said the sermon has the 'ring of Jonestown' to it—the mass suicide in Guyana in 1978 by followers of cult leader Jim Jones." In fact "WJBK also reported that Hyles, though never claiming to be God, has convinced a lot of people he is the next best thing to Him." The report also described the links of "a deacon at First Baptist, A.V. Ballenger, [who] was found guilty of one count of child molestation dating from 1991." Also discussed in the news report was the comments Hyles made to the parents of the girl molested by Ballenger. The Chicago Tribune in a 1991 article reported that Hyles was sued for $1 million by the parents of the girl molested by Ballenger. The paper reported the "lawsuit claims Hyles and the church had not fulfilled their obligation to ensure