Foursquare Gospel Church Christians are a part of a Protestant evangelical Pentecostal Christian Church headquartered in Los Angeles. The Foursquare Church has 200,000 members in the U.S. and over 1.5 million members in countries across the world,
according to Catholic.com.
Here are five beliefs that Foursquare Gospel Church members have:
1. The most widely-recognized aspect of the Foursquare Church is that it was founded by a woman. This is a significant difference from fundamentalist Christian churches who teach that women have no biblical right to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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Founded in 1927 by Aimee Semple McPherson, the Foursquare Christian Church was strongly represented on public radio outlets during this time.
According to Religion Facts, McPherson was the second woman to be granted a radio broadcast license and as a result was the most publicized evangelist of her time.
2. Symbolic Representation: The Foursquare symbol, which is used on all church correspondence, is unique to the faith. It is a shield divided into four pictures: a cross, a chalice, a dove, and a crown.
According to Catholic.com, the symbol is used to represent Jesus Christ the Savior, the Baptizer, the Healer, and the Coming King.
3. Divine Healing: One of the primary practices of the Foursquare Church is a belief in divine healing through the atonement,
according to Foursquare.org. Through an anointing of oil and prayer, God's healing powers are accessed.
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This belief was established by McPherson as she was said to heal tens of thousands of people in public faith healings with a large number of attendees, according to Religion Facts.
4. Speaking in Tongues: Doctrine presented in the Foursquare Declaration of Faith indicates they believe when a person is saved, been baptized, and is experiencing a spiritual walk with God, they will receive the fruits of the spirit.
These are listed as wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues, and interpretation. Of these gifts, the one most closely identified with Foursquare Church gatherings is the practice of speaking in tongues as part of the congregation experience, according to Foursquare.org.
5. Church Structure: The Foursquare Church is headed up by an International Board of Directors, which is responsible for making decisions for the church. Pastor Jack Hayford is the current president of the Foursquare Church.
Local pastors are appointed by the Board of Directors, according to the Living Hope Foursquare Church Membership Booklet. This is different from the Catholic Church, for example, which depends on a hierarchy of priests to conduct all decision-making for the church.
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