Aimee Semple McPherson (1890-1944) founded the Foursquare Church in 1927. Los Angeles was her center of operations, and the Angelus Temple, seating 5,300 people, was opened there in 1923.  She built the temple, and
 L. I. F. E. Bible College next door to it, on the northwest corner of the land that she owned in the middle of the city.

Her son, Rolf K. McPherson, became president and leader of the church after her death in 1944.  The denomination under his leadership grew from around 400 churches when his leadership began, to 10,000+ after his departure.

Pastor Jack W. Hayford, founder of The Church on the Way in Van Nuys, California, and Living Way Ministries is currently the denomination's president.

The Foursquare Church believes in the following:

• The Bible as the inspired word of God
• The Trinity
• The atoning death of Christ for sinners
• Salvation through the grace of God by Faith Alone in the Lord Jesus Christ
• The necessity of repentance
• The new birth (Sanctification)
• Baptism by immersion
• The memorial of The Lord's Supper as church ordinances
• The baptism of the Holy Spirit
• Divine healing
• The imminent return of Jesus Christ
• Final judgment

As of 2000, the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, commonly referred to as the Foursquare Church, had grown to 1844 churches with 218,981 members¹ in the United States. Worldwide membership is over 3.5 million in almost 30,000 churches in 123 countries. Corporate headquarters are maintained in Los Angeles, California. In the United States, the church is divided into districts and local congregations affiliate with the district in their area. A General Supervisor oversees the national office and district supervisors. Glenn C. Burris, Jr., currently (2004) serves as General Supervisor. Jack W. Hayford has been the president of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel since October 1, 2004. A number of educational institutions are affiliated with the Foursquare Church. Among these are Life Pacific College, formerly "L. I. F. E. Bible College", in San Dimas, California and Pacific Life Bible College in Surrey, British Columbia.

Affiliations

Together with the Assemblies of God, the Church of God, the Open Bible Standard Churches, the Pentecostal Holiness Church, and others, the Foursquare Church formed the "Pentecostal Fellowship of North America" in 1948 in Des Moines, Iowa. In 1994. The Fellowship reorganized as the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America after reconciliation with African Americans, particularly the constituency of the Church of God in Christ.