Hugh Fletcher Pyle was born on December 30, 1918 in Virginia.
He got saved when he was 10 years old. He worked in the news paper business, the Tampa Tribune, before he was called to preach.
At 22, he married the love of his life- Esther Webber, with whom he had 3 children. He was called to preach in 1940 and was ordained a Baptist preacher.
He preached in many small churches in Florida before becoming a pastor himself. His first pastorate was two small country churches near Tampa. Later, he pastored at First Baptist Church in Groveland, Fl. Then took the spot as pastor at Brent Baptist Church in Pensacola, FL.
It was on March 14, 1949, that Hugh Pyle met a young man in the studios of WEAR radio in Pensacola. This young man, Pete, talked to Mr. Pyle and eventually gave his life to Christ. Peter S. Ruckman went on to graduate from Bob Jones University and start his own Bible college in Pensacola, the Pensacola Bible Institute. Thousands of souls have been won to Christ the world over because of this one conversion.
He took over the pastorate at Central Baptist church in Panama City in 1957. The church met in the back of an airplane hanger at Reaver Airport. They put down a small down payment for the 35 acres in 1958. This is where Central Baptist Chruch is now located. A radio broadcast was started in 1958, and in the 1960, he started the Panama City Christian School. He pastored here for over 15 years.
In 1973, he left the pastorship and became an evangelist. He went around the continental United States, the Bahama's, the Virgin Islands, and Canada. For the next 25 years preaching where ever he could.
He would start with dramatic children's stories, then preach his sermon. At the end, he would give a little sermon for teens.
One of his most memorable sermons was "One More Night With The Frogs" about Moses and Pharaoh. You can google this and listen to this sermon yourself.
He served on the Sword of the Lord publication, and authored over 40 books, most about home, marriage, family, and preaching. He is best known for his book What Every Preacher Should Know, and his Scamper The Squirrel series which has won the hearts of children all over America. His Good Ship Courtship talks to teens and Family Life conferences have changed many lives and encouraged countless people. Many of his sermons were printed in different editions of The Sword Of The Lord magazine.
He left this world in the presence of his friends and family, and stepped into eternity on May 3, 2010 at home in Bay, FL. He met with his Savior and his beloved wife, Esther, who had passed away 2 weeks earlier.
I was blessed to be able to hear him preach personally in the 1980's at Bible Baptist Church in Pensacola, Fl. Only God knows how many souls have found the Lord as a result of this man's life. To think of the lives that have been changed by just one of his converts gives us a staggering idea of the ability to change the world if we just live for Christ alone!
To learn more about Hugh Pyle read his autobiography The Time Of My Life.
