Foursquare Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids International Church of the Foursquare Gospel |
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Jesus Christ the Savior, Baptizer, Healer, Coming King
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| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Pentecostal |
| Theology |
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| Polity | Episcopal |
| President | Randy Remington |
| Associations | Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America Pentecostal World Fellowship National Association of Evangelicals |
| Region | 150 countries |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California |
| Founder | Aimee Semple McPherson |
| Origin | 1923 Los Angeles, California |
| Separated from | Assemblies of God |
| Separations | Open Bible Churches Calvary Chapel Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ (4th Watch) |
| Congregations | 67,500 |
| Members | 8.8 million |
| Other name(s) | The Foursquare Church |
The Foursquare Church is a worldwide Christian church. It was started in 1923 by a famous speaker named Aimee Semple McPherson. This church is part of the Pentecostal movement, which focuses on the power of the Holy Spirit. Its main office is in Los Angeles, California, in the United States.
Contents
The Church's Beginning
The Foursquare Church began with a special idea called the "Foursquare Gospel." This idea came to Aimee Semple McPherson during a sermon in 1922. She believed it showed four important parts of Jesus Christ:
- He is the Savior.
- He is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.
- He is the Healer.
- He is the King who will return soon.
In January 1923, Aimee Semple McPherson officially started the Foursquare Church. This happened when she opened the Angelus Temple in Los Angeles. This large church could hold 5,300 people. McPherson was very well-known and even led parades in Los Angeles. She built the Angelus Temple and a school next to it, which is now called Life Pacific University.
After Aimee Semple McPherson passed away in 1944, her son, Rolf K. McPherson, became the church's leader. He led the church for 44 years. The Foursquare Church also helped create groups like the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America. This group brings together many different Pentecostal churches.
Over the years, some churches that were part of the Foursquare Church decided to become independent. One example is Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, which started its own group of churches in 1968.
In 2004, Jack W. Hayford became the president of the Foursquare Church. He helped the church recover from some financial problems. In 2020, Randy Remington became the current President of The Foursquare Church.
Church Numbers and Growth
The Foursquare Church has grown a lot since it started. In 2022, the church reported having 67,500 churches around the world. These churches are in 150 different countries. About 8.8 million people are members of the Foursquare Church worldwide.
In the United States, there are over 2,000 Foursquare churches. These churches have more than 320,000 members. While many churches are on the West Coast, you can find Foursquare churches all across the U.S.
What Foursquare Believes
The Foursquare Church has a set of beliefs called its "Declaration of Faith." This was put together by Aimee Semple McPherson. Here are some of their main beliefs:
About God and the Bible
- They believe the Bible is truly inspired by God.
- They believe in the Trinity, meaning God is one but exists as three persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit.
- They believe Jesus Christ is fully God.
About People and Salvation
- They believe people were made in God's image.
- However, because of the "Fall" (when Adam and Eve sinned), they believe all people are born with a tendency to sin.
- They believe Jesus died on the cross to take away people's sins.
- They teach that people are saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus, not by doing good things.
- When someone believes in Jesus and turns away from sin, they are "born again."
- They also believe that people have free will and can choose to turn away from their faith.
About Spiritual Growth and Gifts
- They believe that becoming more like Jesus is a continuous journey of spiritual growth. This happens through studying the Bible and praying.
- They believe in the baptism with the Holy Spirit. This is a special experience separate from becoming a Christian. It gives believers power to share their faith.
- They believe that when someone is baptized in the Holy Spirit, they might speak in tongues, just like in the Bible's Book of Acts.
- They also believe that spiritual gifts, like healing or prophecy, are still active today to help the church.
Practices and Future Beliefs
- The Foursquare Church believes that God can heal sick people when they pray.
- They believe Jesus will return to Earth before a thousand-year period of peace.
- They believe there will be a final judgment where good people will have eternal life and bad people will face punishment.
- They practice believer's baptism by fully going under water.
- They also celebrate the Lord's Supper (Holy Communion).
- They practice anointing the sick with oil and tithing, which means giving 10% of their income to the church.
How the Church is Organized
The Foursquare Church has a specific way of being governed. It's like a system where leaders have authority, similar to how bishops lead in some churches. The main decisions for the church are made at the Foursquare Convention, which meets every year.
A group of 12 to 24 directors helps manage the Foursquare Church. They oversee the church's activities and are in charge of licensing and ordaining ministers.
Local Foursquare churches are part of the larger International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. They follow the rules set by the international church. There are different types of Foursquare churches, including "charter member churches" and "covenant member churches." Some churches might also choose to be "community member churches," which means they are connected but keep more independence.
Foursquare in North America
The Foursquare Church has three colleges in North America:
- Life Pacific University in San Dimas, California.
- Life Pacific College Virginia in Christiansburg, Virginia.
- Pacific Life Bible College in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.
In 2023, there were over 2,000 Foursquare churches in the U.S. The states with the most Foursquare members include Oregon, Hawaii, Montana, Washington, and California.
Foursquare in South America
Ecuador
The Foursquare Church came to Ecuador in 1956 with missionaries. They started churches in cities like Guayaquil and Quito. By 2012, there were 200 Foursquare churches in Ecuador.
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