What we believe

The Foursquare Church, officially named the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, is a Pentecostal denomination that resulted from the dynamic evangelistic ministry of Aimee Semple McPherson, who opened the historic Angelus Temple in Los Angeles in 1923.

The term "Foursquare Gospel" came about during an intense revival in the city of Oakland, Calif., in July 1922. To a crowd of thousands, Aimee Semple McPherson explained Ezekiel's vision in the book of Ezekiel, chapter one. Ezekiel saw God revealed as a being with four different faces: a man, a lion, an ox and an eagle.

To Sister McPherson, those four faces were like the four phases of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the face of the man, she saw Jesus our Savior. In the face of the lion, she saw Jesus the mighty Baptizer with the Holy Spirit and fire. In the face of the ox, she saw Jesus the Great Burden-Bearer, who took our infirmities and carried our sicknesses. In the face of the eagle, she saw Jesus the Coming King, who will return in power and victory for the church.  It was a perfect, complete Gospel. It was a Gospel that faces squarely in every direction; it was the “Foursquare Gospel.”

Some basic beliefs of the Foursquare Church are outlined below...

We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God: true, immutable, steadfast, and unchangeable (2 Timothy 3:16, 17).

We believe that God is triune: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; the Three are coexistent, coeternal, and equal in divine perfection (1 John 5:7).

We believe that man, created in the image of God, by voluntary disobedience fell into the depths of sin and iniquity, bequeathing sin’s nature and consequences to all mankind, with their accompanying loss of intended meaning and purpose (Genesis 1:27; Romans 5:12).

We believe that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us, took our place, and with His life’s blood purchased the pardon for all who believe in Him (John 3:16; Titus 2:14).

We believe that salvation is wholly through grace; that no human righteousness or merit can contribute to our receiving God’s love and favor (Ephesians 2:8).

We believe that, upon sincere repentance and a whole-hearted acceptance of Christ, we are justified before God through Jesus’ sacrificial death (Romans 10:6-10; 1 John 1:9).

We believe that the change that takes place in people at conversion is a very real one; that having received righteousness in Christ and having received of His Spirit, people will have new desires, interests, and pursuits in life (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20).

We believe that it is the will of God that those who have been born again grow in sanctification, become partakers of His holiness, and daily grow stronger in the faith, power, prayer, love, and service (2 Corinthians 7:1).

We believe that being baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is an essential response to Jesus’ command, testifying to His lordship as Christ and King (Romans 6:4). We believe in observing the Lord’s Supper, receiving the broken bread and the fruit of the vine with joy and faith as we partake anew of the life and triumph of Christ’s Cross (1 Corinthians 11:24-26)

We believe that the baptism in the Holy Spirit empowers believers to exalt Jesus, to live lives of holiness, and to be witnesses of God’s saving grace; we expect the Spirit’s incoming to be after the same manner as that in which He came upon believers in the days of the Early Church (Acts 1: 5, 8; 2:4).

We believe that it is the will of God that believers walk in the Spirit moment by moment, serving the Lord and living lives of patience, love, truth, sincerity, and prayer (Ephesians 4:30-32; Galatians 5:16, 25).

We believe that the Holy Spirit bestows enabling ministry gifts upon believers, and that these gifts will build up the Body of Christ through edification and evangelism(1 Corinthians 12:1-11); as evidence of a Spirit-filled life, believers should show spiritual “fruit”: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Galatians 5:22-25).

We believe a Christians’ moderation should be obvious to others and that relationship with Jesus should never lead people into extremes of fanaticism; their lives should model that of Christ in uprightness, balance, humility, and self-sacrifice (Colossians 3:12, 13; Philippians 4:5).

We believe that divine healing is the power of Jesus Christ to heal the sick in answer to the prayer of faith; He, who does not change, is still willing and able to heal the body, as well as the soul and spirit in answer to faith (Mark 16: 17, 18; James 5:14-16).

We believe that the second coming of Christ is personal and imminent; the certainty of His coming and the fact that no man knows the hour of His coming prompt our evangelistic efforts; that the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven, the dead in Christ shall rise, and the redeemed will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air (Matthew 24:36, 42, 44; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17).

We believe that it is our sacred duty to identify ourselves with a congregation of believers with whom we can worship God, observe the ordinances of Christ, exhort and support one another, labor for the salvation of others, and work together to advance the Lord’s Kingdom (Acts 16:5; Hebrews 10:24).

We believe that civil government is by divine appointment and that civil laws should be upheld at all times except in things opposed to the will of God (Acts 4: 18-20; Romans 13:1-5).

We believe that all shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ: the redeemed to be delivered unto everlasting life, and the unrepentant unto everlasting punishment (Revelation 20:11, 12; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

We believe that heaven is the glorious habitation of the living God and the eternal home of born-again believers (John 14:2; Revelation 7:15-17).

We believe that hell is a place of darkness, deepest sorrow, and unquenchable fire, which was not prepared for man but for the devil and his angels; yet it will become the place of eternal separation from God for all who reject Christ as Savior (Matthew 13: 41, 42; Revelation 10:10, 15).

We believe that soul winning is the “one big business” of the Church on earth, and that every hindrance to worldwide evangelism should be removed (James 5:20; Mark 16:15).

We believe that tithing and offerings are ordained of God to sustain His ministry, spread the Gospel, and release personal blessing (Malachi 3:10; 1 Corinthians 16: 1, 2).