Aimee Semple McPherson

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Canadian Aimee Semple MCPHERSON (1890-1944), founder of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, drew large crowds to her Angelus Temple in Los Angeles. She wrote several books, ran her own radio program, Bible School and magazine.

The early 20th century evangelist, Aimee Semple McPherson, was a pioneer of women in ministry. She was born in Salford, Ontario, Canada on October 9, 1890. Having experienced a profound spiritual conversion at age seventeen, Aimee began preaching across the United States and eventually around the world. In 1918, she established her base of ministry in Los Angeles, California, where in 1923, the 5500 seat Angelus Temple was dedicated and became the center of her revival, healing and benevolent ministries.

She was the first woman to receive an FCC radio license and was a pioneer religious broadcaster. Her sermons were the first to incorporate the contemporary communications of that day such as drama. From Angeles Temple she operated an extensive social ministry, providing daily hot meals for more than 1.5 million people during the Great Depression. She summarized her message into four major points which became known as the "The Foursquare Gospel," and founded a family of churches around the world known as Foursquare Gospel Churches. The Foursquare Gospel Church of Canada is one of the national churches belonging to this family.