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The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel is an Evangelical Pentecostal Christian denomination. BACKGROUND 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 Film maker 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. CHURCH DOCTRINE and dedicated January 1 , 1923 . The temple is opposite Echo Park, near downtown Los Angeles, California .]] The Foursquare Church believes in the following:
STATUS 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 . AFFILIATIONS Together 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. EXTERNAL LINKS
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