International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
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International Church of the Foursquare Gospel logo |
The
International Church of the Foursquare Gospel is an
evangelical Pentecostal Christian denomination.
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Dr. Jack Hayford, president of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel |
Aimee Semple McPherson (1890-1944), a controversial female evangelist, founded the Foursquare Church in
1927. Los Angeles was her center of operations, and the
Angelus Temple, seating 5,300 people, was opened there in
1923. McPherson was an outright celebrity participating in publicity events such as parades every Sunday through the streets of L.A., along with the mayor and movie stars, directly to Angelus Temple. She built the temple, and
L. I. F. E. Bible College next door to it, on the northwest corner of the land that she owned in the middle of the city.
Her son, Rolf K. McPherson, became president and leader of the church after her death in
1944. Although he may not have had the same charisma his mother possessed, the denomination under his leadership grew from around 400 churches when his leadership began, to 10,000+ after his departure.
Pastor
Jack W. Hayford, founder of The Church on the Way in
Van Nuys, California, and Living Way Ministries, is perhaps the best-known Foursquare minister in the
21st century and is currently the denomination's president.
In 2006,
independent filmmaker
Richard Rossi released his
Aimee Semple McPherson movie. Like Sister Aimee, the film was surrounded by
controversy. Although magazines like
Christianity Today,
Charisma, and Ministries Today were positive, the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel released a press statement stating they do not endorse the film.
The Foursquare Church believes in the following:
*The
Bible as the inspired word of
God*The
Trinity*The atoning death of Christ for sinners
*Salvation through the grace of God by Faith Alone in the Lord Jesus Christ
*The necessity of repentance
*The new birth (
Sanctification)
*
Baptism by immersion
*The memorial of
The Lord's Supper as church ordinances
*The baptism of the
Holy Spirit*Divine healing
*The imminent return of Jesus Christ
*Final judgment
As of
2000, the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, commonly referred to as the Foursquare Church, had grown to 1844 churches with 218,981 members
¹ in the
United States. Worldwide membership is over 3.5 million in almost 30,000 churches in 123 countries. Corporate headquarters are maintained in
Los Angeles, California. In the United States, the church is divided into districts and local congregations affiliate with the district in their area. A General Supervisor oversees the national office and district supervisors. Glenn C. Burris, Jr., currently (
2004) serves as General Supervisor.
Jack W. Hayford has been the president of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel since October 1, 2004. A number of educational institutions are affiliated with the Foursquare Church. Among these are
Life Pacific College, formerly "L. I. F. E. Bible College", in
San Dimas, California and
Pacific Life Bible College in
Surrey, British Columbia.
*
New Apostolic Reformation*
PentecostalismTogether with the
Assemblies of God, the
Church of God, the
Open Bible Standard Churches, the
Pentecostal Holiness Church, and others, the Foursquare Church formed the "Pentecostal Fellowship of North America" in
1948 in
Des Moines, Iowa. In
1994, the Fellowship reorganized as the
Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America after reconciliation with African Americans, particularly the constituency of the Church of God in Christ.
*
International Church of the Foursquare Gospel - official Web Site
*
The Foursquare church in Guatemala, Central America -- La Iglesia Cuadrangular (Foursquare) en Guatemala, Centroamérica (Español & English)-Guatemala
*
Feature film on church founder Aimee McPherson*
City Life Community Foursquare Church - Austin, TX Cedar Park, TX*
Life Center - Spokane, WA*
Life Roads, Spokane, WA*
Life Center North - Spokane, WA*
Eastpoint Church - Spokane Valley, WA*
Epic Life Church - Spokane, WA*
Living Way Ministries*
Life Pacific College - San Dimas*
Pacific Life Bible College - Surrey *
The King's College and Seminary*
The Church on the Way - Van Nuys, CA*
Branch of Life Foursquare Church - Torrance, CA*
South Gate Foursquare Church - South Gate, CA*
EastBay Fellowship - Danville, CA*
Church of Living Water - Olympia, WA*
Hope Christian Center - Oklahoma City, OK*
Oklahoma Foursquare District Website - Oklahoma City, OK*
New Life Fellowship - Denver, CO*
New Hope Christian Fellowship - Oahu, HI*
Christian Assembly Church, Los Angeles, California*
Hope Chapel, Hermosa Beach, CaliforniaEncyclopedia of American Religions, J. Gordon Melton, editor
Handbook of Denominations in the United States, by Frank S. Mead, Samuel S. Hill, and Craig D. Atwood
Religious Congregations & Membership in the United States (2000), Glenmary Research Center
The Vine and the Branches: A History of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, by Nathaniel M. Van Cleave
* 1.
Religious Congregations & Membership in the United States (2000)
