Aimee Semple McPherson Biography

The Foursquare Gospel Church she founded is now a movement with more than two million members across the world.

Born Beth Kennedy, Aimee’s childhood world was strongly influenced by the teachings of the Salvation Army and her father’s Methodist devotion.

After her first husband died of typhoid in Hong Kong, as they were travelling to China to work as missionaries in 1910, Aimee travelled around California in her 'Full Gospel Car', covered in religious slogans.

In 1912, Aimee married salesman Harold Steward McPherson. Their son, Rolf Kennedy McPherson, was born a year later. In 1918 Aimee, her mother and the two children settled in Los Angeles, and continued cross-country revival tours, even travelling to Canada and Australia. However, Harold came to resent Aimee's travelling and they were eventually divorced in 1921.

Aimee also founded a newspaper 'The Bridal Call', and organised the construction of the Angelus Temple in Los Angeles, with a capacity of 5,000. The temple opened in 1923, with Aimee seated on a red velvet throne and dressed in a nurse’s uniform and cape. 200 singers, three bands, two orchestras and six quartets supported her.

Aware of the power of the media, Aimee was a brilliant publicist. She tried to faith heal a lion in a zoo, dropped leaflets from planes, entered floats in parades and started a radio station.

In 1926, she disappeared on a beach; it was assumed she had drowned. Five weeks later she miraculously reappeared in the Arizona desert claiming to have been kidnapped and tortured, before she managed to escape.

Despite the fact that it was rumoured that she had disappeared to have an affair with a radio operator, and was accused of perjury and fraud, Aimee’s popularity continued unabated.

She died of an overdose of sedatives in 1944, officially her death was reported an accident, though many suspected suicide after her third marriage, to David Hutton, failed.