الجمعة، 23 مارس 2018

An Historic Overview Of Las Vegas Foursquare Churches

By Peter Hughes


While it is important to understand the beliefs of a church, it is also important to know the history. When it comes to the Las Vegas Foursquare Churches and related congregations, history begins as early as 1922 when the first church of the kind was founded in Los Angeles, California.

The church is based on evangelical Pentecostal denominations. The original denomination was founded in 1923 by Preacher Aimee Semple McPherson. As recently as the early 2000s, the membership had grown to over 8 million in a number of different countries. In total, there are over 60 thousand churches in one hundred and forty four countries around the world.

Also known by the name "Sister Aimee, " the founder, defined the term of Foursquare as being related to the Bible book of Ezekiel. In the book, God is defined as a four part image. The four images being a man, a lion, an ox and an eagle. In this case, the images were derived from a vision Ezekiel received as reported in the Old Testament. While this is the case, as the church is a Full Gospel institution, members believe in the New and Old Testament books of the Bible.

While the preacher was quite well known for work in the church, the celebrity status which was received extended well beyond the preacher's passing. For example, the drama "The Disappearance of Aimee, " refers to the life, times and controversies of the preacher. One of the most common controversies relate to a month long disappearance which is reflected in the drama.

After having passed on, Aimee's son, Rolf K. McPherson became the Overseer of the denomination. The son held the position for almost forty four years before retiring. After which, the church became the Pentecostal Fellowship Of North America. Later, the church became aligned with several other denominations and congregations which shared the same Full Gospel belief system.

Later, then known as the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America, the church became involved in desegregation and admitted The Church Of God In Christ, into the fold. As the pastor of the church had been barred from a Baptist church prior to this time, the acceptance was a welcome relief. After which, numerous other churches in the United States followed suit. Ultimately leading to the desegregation of not only the Pentecostal church but many others as well.

The original Angelus temple, constructed by McPherson and dedicated in 1923 is still standing near downtown Los Angeles. The structure, across from Echo Park is now one of many historical sites in the area. While this is the case, only now are church members starting to learn about the original pastor and the long and varied history of these churches.

The church, still considered a result of the founding member, remains alive and well. Las Vegas congregations are just a few of those in operation around the world. Whereas, there is also an International Gathering of Believers, which takes place in different locations each year. In most cases, representatives are sent from each congregation to attend the gathering based on church status and other factors.




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