Sunday, 14 January 2018

An Historic Overview Of Las Vegas Foursquare Churches

By Peter Hughes


When it comes to attending a church, mosque, synagogue or temple, it is often important to understand the history as well as the beliefs associated with the denomination. For, while there are a number of different denominations, most often at least some aspect of belief is going to differ between members of the congregation. As such, so too the belief systems of those attending Las Vegas Foursquare churches.

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.

The preacher's celebrity status extended well beyond her death. In fact, the Hall of Fame drama "The Disappearance Of Aimee, " depicts the life and times of the evangelical preacher. The film relates to the month long disappearance of Aimee which took place in 1926 as well as the controversy which followed the disappearance. While the controversy was active for quite some time, it eventually faded along with the preacher's passing.

Once McPherson passed, Rolf K. McPherson, the preacher's son became President and leader of the denomination. A position, the son held for forty-four years. After which, the Pentecostal Fellowship Of North America, was founded in 1948 in Des Moines, Iowa. The Foursquare Gospel Church then became aligned with the Assemblies of God, Pentecostal Holiness and a number of other like-minded congregations in the United States.

Forty six years later, the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America replaced earlier denominations and welcomed African-American churches and organizations into the fold. Most importantly, the Church of God in Christ, which was the first African-American church of its kind in the United States. After which, a number of congregations in the United States became desegregated and united as one family of faith regardless of color, economic status or religious background.

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.

As a result of the work of Aimee Semple McPherson and others whom have been in charge over time, Las Vegas residents now have a number of Foursquare Gospel churches which believers can join and attend on a regular basis. In addition, there is an annual International Gathering Of Believers at which many members come together for Bible study, celebration, praise, worship and understanding in various locations around the world.




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