WA Foursquare History

  • The church of the Foursquare Gospel in Australia has been operating in Western Australia since 1953.
  • The West Australian church is a part of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel (ICFG) which was founded by American evangelist Amiee Semple McPherson in 1923.
  • Foursquare is word used in the Bible to indicate something that is equally balanced on all sides, established and enduring.
  • In 2000 the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel had a worldwide membership of over five million, with almost 30,000 churches in 123 countries.
  • In Western Australia, there are currently 17 Foursquare churches with approximately 1,000 members.
  • The first Foursquare church in Western Australia was established in 1953 by Elmer and Jean Darnall who were sent by the Foursquare Gospel headquarters in Los Angeles. (Pope 2000: 1).
  • By the early sixties there were churches in Canning Vale, Donnybrook, Frankland, Kalgoorlie, Leederville, Midland Junction, Morley Park, Cottesloe and North Innaloo as well as Victoria Park (Pope 2000:1). A church was also started in Albany in 1961 (Bavoillot n.d: 8).
  • From its inception, Foursquare W.A. has supported overseas missions.
  • Foursquare in Papua New Guinea was established in 1956 by Mason Hughes. Missionaries were sent from Western Australian Foursquare churches along with considerable financial support.
  • New Guinea is now a national church, but WA Foursquare churches continue to support missions.
  • Currently, we provide some support to the churches in Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Solomon Islands, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Sources:

  1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Church_of_the_Foursquare_Gospel
  2. Bavoillot, Maureen. N.d. History of the Albany church of the foursquare gospel of Australia inc.
  3. Pope, Will. Retired Foursquare minister and former supervisor of Foursquare W.A. 2000.
    • Correspondence. Sunbury, Victoria, 19th October.