History

As a denomination, The Foursquare Church has a unique history that stems from missions and evangelism. It began as a powerful evangelistic movement and spread throughout the nations to become the global family it is today.

Where It All Began: Our Founding Timeline

  • Nov. 1910 ā€” Our founder, Aimee Semple McPherson, returns from a mission in China as a 20-year-old widow and single mother.
  • Oct. 1918 ā€” Aimee starts cross-country evangelism, traveling by car.
  • Dec. 1918 ā€” Aimee establishes Los Angeles as her home base.
  • Aug. 1921 ā€” Aimeeā€™s prayers to God lead to many miraculous healings, verified by an American Medical Association report.
  • Jan. 1923 ā€” First Foursquare church, Angelus Temple, opens its doors in Los Angeles, and soon hosts services in five languages.
  • Feb. 1923 ā€” First Foursquare Bible institute (known today as Life Pacific University) opens to train men and women alike and send them out as ministers.
  • Oct. 1923 ā€” The first Foursquare church plant kickstarts in Long Beach, Calif.
  • Feb. 1924 ā€” Aimee becomes the first woman to own a major radio station and uses it to preach the gospel.
  • Feb. 1924 ā€” The first Foursquare missionaries are sent to India to reach people whoā€™ve never before heard about Jesus.
  • Dec. 1927 ā€” After Foursquare established 100 churches, steps are taken to incorporate what would become the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel (ICFG).
  • Aug. 1928 ā€” Angelus Temple commissary opens, which would feed and clothe more than 1.5 million people during the Great Depression.
  • Fast Forward to TodayĀ ā€“ ICFG, known casually as Foursquare, has over 8.8 million members in over 100,000 churches across more than 150 nations.

Weā€™re thankful for the men and woman who have led our movement, including Foursquare U.S. presidents Aimee Semple McPherson (1923-1944), Rolf K. McPherson (1944-1988), John Holland (1988-1997), Harold Helms (1997-1998, interim), Paul Risser (1998-2004), Jared Roth (2004, interim), Jack Hayford (2004-2009), Glenn Burris Jr. (2009-2020) and Randy Remington (2020-present).

The woman who started it all: Aimee Semple McPherson

Foursquare Founder Aimee Semple McPherson was a woman of intense passion, creativity and energy. She led an incredible life that exemplified Godā€™s miraculous mercy. She sparked revival, established a major evangelical center in Los Angeles, and changed the lives of countless individuals.

Now meet our current leaders