Friday, January 5, 2018

The Beliefs 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.

Based on the Pentecostal denominations, the original Foursquare church was founded by Preacher Aimee McPherson in 1923. After which, the church grew in size and belief systems. In the early 2000s, there were over eight million people in attendance as part of Foursquare congregations around the world. As there are forty four countries and sixty thousand churches associated with the original church, this is not surprising.

McPherson, an evangelist preacher often known as "Sister Annie, " by those whom know her best defines the term Four Square Gospel as meaning the Full Gospel. As such, the church believes in the old and new testament. Unlike many other Christian churches, the beliefs are based on the book of Ezekiel in which a vision appeared to Ezekiel with the four different aspects of God, these were an eagle, an ox, a lion and a man.

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 the young preacher passed on, a son, Rolf, became leader and President of the denomination. The son held this position for forty four years before the church became part and parcel to the Pentecostal Fellowship of North America. It was in 1948 when this happened in Des Moines, Iowa. After which, the Foursquare Gospel Church became aligned with a number of other Pentecostal churches.

Some 46 years later, the Pentecostal/Charismatic churches of North America took position of the original church. After which, the first African-American Church of God In Christ was accepted into the fold. While the church was still somewhat controversial, this acceptance led to the desegregation of others within a few years.

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 Aimee's work and other pastors and congregants, Las Vegas now has multiple Foursquare congregations around the city. As part of the larger congregation, most of these churches welcome members of associated churches as well as visitors to attend services whenever an individual is moved to do so. As the church is an associated member of congregations, representatives of the church attend the International Gathering Of Believers, which is a conference held in different locations each year.




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