Elusive Eden: A New History of California, fourth edition

CHAPTER NINETEEN: SUPER SISTER: AIMEE SEMPLE MCPHERSON IN LOS

ANGELES

THE STORY OF MY LIFE• Aimee Semple McPherson's favorite sermon

"The Story of My Life" --Born October 9, 1890--farm in Ontario, Canada--mother Mildred Kennedy active in Salvation

Army --at 17 visited Pentecostal mission, fell for

preacher Robert Semple--joined Pentecostal church

--1908 married Semple--1910 traveled to Hong Kong as missionaries--Widowed late 1910--January 1911 Aimee, daughter Roberta sailed

to U.S.--married clerk Harold McPherson, produced

son Rolf Kennedy McPherson

--near-death experience brought personal revelation

--God called her to go out and "preach the Word"

--Summer 1915 left husband, returned to Canada

--Soon conducting own revival meetings

• McPherson born performer--Few attended early meetings--Dreamed up stunt to fill chairs• "offerings" financed revival tour--Started with tent--Bought larger and larger tents--Eventually bought a touring car--Attached signs saying "Jesus Is Coming Soon—

Get Ready"

--Started subscription magazine--Preached to mixed crowds• Provided jobs for family--1917 Harold McPherson signed on as business

manager--Ma joined company--1921 divorced McPherson, Minnie took over

business

• 1918 Aimee drove from New York to Los Angeles

--Wanted warmer, healthier climate--Travelled with mother, two children, another

woman--Probably first woman to drive cross-country--Held revival meetings along the way

CHURCH OF THE FOUR SQUARE GOSPEL • December 1918 arrived in LA• Local church invited as guest preacher• Aimee decided locals tired of fire and

brimstone--Abandoned message of fear --Sermons emphasized love, hope--Growing population of Midwesterners in

southern California

• Aimee famous for faith healing• 1921 San Diego held faith healing in Balboa

Park• 15,000 turned up• Laid on hands 2 days, performed cures• local press called her "Miracle Woman"

• outlined tenets of Foursquare Gospel core beliefs

--literal truth of the Bible --importance of conversion experience--physical healing through faith--Christ's expected return to earth

• Attracted 1000s of followers• Launched new subscription magazine, The

Foursquare Monthly• 1922 invested $5,000 in property near Echo

Park for Angelus Temple--Ordered construction--Launched campaign for building funds--Fund-raising kept construction going

• Church dedicated January 1, 1923--Triangle design--large stage at point --sides lined with balconies, stained glass

windows--seating for 5,300--built attached "parsonage" for Aimee, family--more +$1M ($12.6 million in 2010 dollars)

• Church of the Foursquare Gospel grew quickly--Formed 24 departments--Telephone hot line with 24-hour volunteers --City Sisters babysat, distributed food, tended

sick--Brotherhood helped ex-convicts find jobs--Organized Children's Church, Bible School,

evening school for workingmen --gave newcomers sense of community

--opened new branches, "Lighthouses" --missionaries carried message around the world--according to website,

http://www.foursquare.org/about/history, 1800 U.S. churches, 60K worldwide in 140 countries

--46 Foursquare Churches in SF Bay Area alone

• Temple productions good entertainment--former vaudeville performer helped with

staging--Aimee wrote, performed lavish "illustrated"

sermons--Sermons included flowers, choir, orchestra,

costumed actors --Masterful publicity stunts (e.g., scattering

leaflets from airplane)

• Cemented local relationships--honorary member of police department--honorary fire department battalion chief --member of the Chamber of Commerce

• 1924 bought radio station--Temple members raised $75,000 ($950,000 in

2010 dollars)--KFSG (Kall-Four-Square-Gospel) broadcast

sermons nightly --Only third radio station in Los Angeles--Aimee first woman to hold FCC broadcaster's

license

• 1926 peak of Aimee's success--Congregation of 10,000 members--largest Christian congregation in the world--powerful in city, state, nation--collected thousands $$ each week--owned property, church, assets free and clear

• famous as the "world's greatest evangelist" --not entirely happy--34 years old, no privacy, no funds--Ma Kennedy controlled finances, Aimee• formed secret attachment to radio engineer

Kenneth Ormiston --terrified Ma Kennedy--anticipated scandal, loss of ministry, income,

prestige

THE SCANDAL• All came apart January 1926--Ormiston quit job, disappeared--Aimee left Los Angeles to tour Holy Land--Mother heard rumors Aimee traveling with

Ormiston --Mother warned Aimee

• Afterwards Aimee took hotel room at Ocean Beach Park

--Spent more and more time away from temple--Demanded larger share of collection proceeds• May 18 1926 Aimee, secretary went to the

beach--Aimee went swimming--sent secretary on errand--Aimee disappeared --Secretary reported disappearance to Minnie

• Newspapers reported Aimee's disappearance, presumed death

--Minnie announced drowning--Supporters, police divers spent three days

searching for body--Reporters investigated--Newspapers suggested Aimee had eloped with

Ormiston--Minnie offered $25,000

• Memorial service held June 20, 1926 --14,000 attended • Surfaced five weeks after disappearance--near Tucson, Arizona--allegedly held by kidnappers--two men, one woman held hostage--managed to escape--wandered 15, 20 miles through desert to

safety

• Los Angeles police, reporters interviewed • June 26 1927 returned to Los Angeles--City turned out --Police escort --100,000 lined streets for motorcade--Went directly to temple to broadcast

kidnapping details

• Police, reporters skeptical--No signs of dehydration--Shoes unscuffed--Clothes perfect--Multiple sightings raised questions--Couldn't find shack--Aimee demanded police action to find

kidnapers

• Aimee launched national publicity tour --Goaded district attorney, Asa Keyes, to take

action--Impaneled grand jury --Returned "insufficient evidence"

• Reporters kept digging--Found Ormiston in Carmel--Witnesses identified Aimee as companion--Produced written receipts --Confirmed Aimee's kidnapping story a

fabrication

• New grand jury impaneled--Woman juror destroyed evidence--Police files disappeared--Prosecutor, chief investigator removed--Grand jury dismissed, new jury impaneled--Investigation continued

• September 1926 charges filed against Aimee, Minnie, Ormiston

--corruption of public morals--obstruction of justice--conspiracy to manufacture evidence--ordered to stand trial--charges eventually dismissed

• 1927 Aimee fired mother--Took over temple business--Gave mother $10K/year--Mother never forgave her--Leaked unflattering reports

• Aimee a poor manager--Made series of unfortunate business decisions--Tied Church, Aimee up in lawsuits--Several branches of Foursquare Gospel

defected• 1931 eloped with David Hutton--Member of choir--Separated two years later--1934 divorced

• By then, Aimee fueding with mother, daughter Roberta, evangelist Rheba Crawford

--Fired Roberta, Rheba--Rheba sued--1937 settled out of court--Now son Rolf only ally

GREAT DEPRESSION• Aimee redeemed public image during 1930s--November 1931 opened soup kitchens --served 5,000 persons a day--took over school hot lunch progam--City Sisters provided services citywide

--Convinced police, fire departments to distribute clothing

--Opened free medical, dental clinic--Convinced doctors, dentists to volunteer time--Opened nursing school esp for elder care --Pressured ranchers, farmers, growers for free

food--Convinced rrs, truckers to deliver free

• slowly rebuilt church--Number of Lighthouses grew--Rolf managed finances• September 1944 visited Oakland for revival

meeting--Entertaining troops, raising funds--10,000 showed up--Died during the night--Possible accidental overdose of sleeping pills• 50K mourners attended temple funeral

AIMEE SEMPLE MCPHERSON, MOTHER, AND DAUGHTERAimee Semple McPherson (center) with her mother (left) and daughter in the early 1920s. Los Angeles Public Library.

Aimee and ConvertsA regular feature of Sister Aimee's services included individuals possessed with "the spirit" clapping, shouting, and flopping on the floor. Many, overcome with emotion, had to be assisted by her helpers. Bancroft Library.

Massed Choirs at Angelus TempleAn example of Aimee Semple McPherson's showmanship is the way the stage at Angelus Temple is filled with the massed choirs during one of her services. Los Angeles Public Library.

The Glamorous AimeeBy the 1930s the "glamorous" Aimee had appeared. She loved fine clothes and rarely appeared without a corsage pinned to her dress. Her followers took great pride in her chic appearance. Los Angeles Public Library.