Our Heritage in Jesus Christ

It might help to understand who we are if I fill in a little background information. I am in the ministry today because of grace of God in calling first my grandfather, Vernie Hyde, later God's grace calling my father, R. L. Hyde, Sr and God's mercy in calling and saving me, Ronnie Hyde.

Vernie Hyde's Call

Vernie, a young married man with a wife and small daughter, was plowing one day behind a mule in McMinn County up around the Delano community. A bright light came upon him and a voice spoke from the light saying...I have called you to be a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ Naturally, as a young man with hardly a 1st grade education; He did not know what to do. So he did nothing to pursue that call. In time his young wife, whose father was a doctor, and daughter both became sick and both died from their illnesses.

A few years later Vernie married my grandmother Bertha and another baby girl was born. The bright light and voice again returned while he was plowing. The voice again informed Vernie that he was called to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and that He could take this wife and child as he took the first, if he did not obey. Vernie headed the mules to the barn and the neighbors over-heard him praying through.

With only a 1st grade education, Vernie began to try to preach the gospel and obey the call of God upon his life. He became a preacher within the Baptist faith until he witnessed the transforming power of the baptism of the Holy Ghost upon one of his daughters : about 10 year old Estelle. Her experience in receiving Jesus in this experience of receiving the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues convinced Vernie that this experience was not of the devil as He had earlier ardently proclaimed in his walk with Jesus. Vernie proceeded to go to the woods and pray through to another level of commitment in God. He became the first Hyde of his generation to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost as at Pentecost, in the book of Acts.

In time Vernie came to the knowledge of water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ. Before World War II he was involved in a revival which created the building of a church in Cleveland.

R. L. Hyde's Call

As Vernie's youngest son, R. L., my father, received the call into the ministry while in his twenty's. During an early part of R.L.'s ministry experience, Jesus came into his bedroom one night while he was sitting up in the bed wide awake.

Jesus walked into the room, leaned over the bed and touched him, kissing R.L. on the cheek saying, read Matthew 13:16. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

Over the course of several years he worshiped in different churches, traveled and evangelized working with different other more seasoned ministers; all the time growing in bible knowledge and spiritual growth. All of his training experience was out-side of established church organizations and bible-schools. His experiences came from working in independent ministries, elder ministers, and personal visions and dreams. When the late 60's came around, the Lord Jesus told R.L. to build a church in Cleveland to get his family out of the Harlot Church System.

R. L. set about doing this with limited funds and resources; eventually R.L.'s Ministry, his faith and efforts gave rise to this small church, Landmark Church of Jesus which exists today on the corner of Lois Street; Johnson Blvd. in Cleveland.

My Call

While my father was growing in his walk and revelation of Jesus Christ, I spent the majority of my church experiences attending local Cleveland, TN. Church of God pentecostal congregations. Their fellowship and friendship was instrumental in my receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost while still a teenager one summer during my high school years at a Tennessee Youth Camp in Chattanooga. Later I graduated from their four year Lee College.

Most of my walk with Jesus Christ was merely religious church attendance until I in my senior year of college at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Upon my transfer to UT, I lost some credits which caused me to lose my student deferment from being drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. The next thing I knew I was standing in line in my underwear for a physical.

My alarmed concerned about the likli-hood of going to Vietnam was compounded by |Dad, Bro Hyde Senior telling me that he saw me in a vision a few days ago. (It was common place for Dad to have visions any time of any day...as well as at night) He said I saw you coming off a ship in wooden box. (coffin) He suggested that I begin to sincerely give my life to Jesus and begin to pray. I did. The best I knew how, I began to read the bible, as never before and to pray.

Somewhere during that time, the draft turned into a Lottery System and I received a number in the 270's, as I remember. Later, I went back to Lee College to try to finish my Bachelor's Degree before being called to Vietnam. The war began to draw down and ended long before they ever got to my lottery number. Thus, God spared me.

Naturally, by that time, I was sincerely serving the Lord Jesus and supporting my father in the ministry church work here on the corner of Johnson Blvd and Lois Street.

As I worked with him in the ministry, I served the church in any capacity that I was asked or saw the need; ...song leader, musician, janitor, Sunday School teacher, Bible teacher, preacher, assistant pastor and evangelist. During this time I met LaDonna Roberts who I had known growing up because we went to church with the Robert's family and I ran around with her brothers for a season during Junior High and early High School years.

The call of God grew in my life over these years until the Spirit of God bade me to resign my job as a school teacher minister on a full time basis. Over a period of five years, we evangelized full time, pastored, and worked in a christian schools. At the end of that time we returned to Cleveland to Pastor the church in where I had been spiritually nutured.

We are still here today. Trying to preach the name of Jesus Christ, the kingdom of God, and being a blessing to folks. LaDonna, Aric and I continue to work in education today.

I would like to invite you to visit our church where Jesus Christ is preached as the only Way, the only Truth and the only Eternal Life. We appreciate every ministry of Christ, both organized and independent which have touched and affected us in this blessed walk.

Exalt Jesus Christ the Son of God, and you will find the answer to all of life's perplexing problems.

Bro. Ronnie Hyde