More Information Vision & Core Values Core Beliefs Doctrinal Beliefs About Foursquare

We are honored to be part of a denominational covering called the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. This denominational association provides authority, resources and fellowship to Life Bridge Church. Here is some information and history about Foursquare. For more information visit their website at www.foursquare.org.


The Name  

The Savior
"But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him . . ." - Isaiah 53:5 (Titus 2:14, Is. 55:7, Heb. 7:25, Is. 1:18)

The Baptizer with the Holy Spirit
"For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit . . . you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." - Acts 1:5,8 (Jn. 14:16-17, Acts 2:4, Acts 8:17, Acts 10:44-46, 1 Cor. 3:16)

The Healer
"He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses. . ." - Matthew 8:17 (Mk. 16:17-18, Mt. 9:5-6, Acts 4:29-30)

The Soon-Coming King
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout . . . the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord." - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (Titus 2:12-13, Mt. 24:36-44, Heb. 9:28, Lk. 19:13, Lk. 12:35-37.)

The Founder

The early 20th century evangelist, Aimee Semple McPherson, was a pioneer of women in religion. Having experienced a profound religious conversion at age seventeen, Aimee began preaching across the United States and later, the world. In 1918, she established her base in Los Angeles, California, where in 1923, the 5,300 seat Angelus Temple was dedicated and became the center of her revival, healing and benevolent ministries. She was the first woman to receive a FCC radio license and was a pioneer religious broadcaster. Her sermons were the first to incorporate the contemporary communications of that day into her preaching of the Gospel. From Angelus Temple she performed an extensive social ministry, providing hot meals for more than 1.5 million people during the Great Depression. She summarized her message into four major points known as "The Foursquare Gospel," and founded a denomination called The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel.

Aimee once wrote:

"You don't need to be an orator. What God wants is plain people with the Good News in their hearts who are willing to go and tell it to others. The love of winning souls for Jesus Christ sets a fire burning in one's bones. Soul winning is the most important thing in the world. All I have is on the altar for the Lord, and while I have my life and strength, I will put my whole being into the carrying out of this Great Commission."

Aimee McPherson, went to be with the Lord, September 27, 1944, while conducting a revival service in Oakland, California. Memorial services were held on her birthday, October 9th, at Angelus Temple.

From its beginning at Angelus Temple, the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel has now grown to include more than 38,000 churches worldwide. There are currently more than 5 million members in 141 countries around the globe.

Current Leadership

Approximately 1,000 Foursquare leaders and church members gathered at Angelus Temple in Los Angeles on October 1, 2004 for a special celebration service, during which Dr. Jack W. Hayford was confirmed as the fifth president of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. The event was highlighted by personal greetings from Dr. Lloyd Ogilvie and Dr. Rick Warren, and a prayer by Dr. Rolf K. McPherson.

Dr. Hayford addressed the crowd following the prayer time. In an emotional response to the preceding events of the day, he extended a heartfelt thank you to church leaders, members, family, and friends. He shared a prophetic message based on a passage from the book of Ezekiel, expressed great vision for the expanding of the mission of Foursquare into the future, and noted that “there is a rising of something in our movement.”

This reflected a statement previously released by Dr. Hayford: “I am humbled and honored to become a servant of others in the Kingdom of God. I believe we [the Foursquare Church] have been jointly brought to ‘a moment,’ wherein we as a movement become an even stronger spiritual force for the glory of God. I also look forward to partnering with other leaders in the larger Christian community in extending the good news of God’s grace around the world.”