Sunday, 7 January 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.

Known as "Sister Aimee, " the preacher defined the term Foursquare as related to a vision experienced by Ezekiel, for whom the Bible book by the same name is titled. For, it is reported that when Ezekiel saw God, it was a four part image being a lion, an ox, a man and an eagle. As such, the church is a Full Gospel church believing literally in the Old and New 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.

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.

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 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.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment