Saturday, April 9, 2016

The Foursquare Churches In Las Vegas

By Helen Roberts


The name Foursquare church is the short form of International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. The full name is often abbreviated as ICFG. ICFG is a Protestant evangelical Pentecostal Christian denomination that was founded by A preacher named Aimee Semple McPherson in the year 1923. Its global membership in 2000 totaled some 8 million people. It has a presence in more than 144 countries and the number of churches is over 60, 000.

In the US alone, the denomination was estimated to have more than 353, 995 members. The distribution is quite fair within the whole country although there is a higher concentration of churches along the West Coast. California, Washington, Hawaii, Montana, and Oregon are some among the states with the highest members. Thus when in need of Foursquare churches in Las Vegas, it should not be a problem locating one.

The headquarters is housed in the city of Los Angeles, California. It has always been located there since time immemorial partly because McPherson based their entire ministry in the state of California. The source of the name Foursquare is the 4-fold ministry Jesus had on earth. This ministry refers to Jesus Christ as the Savior, Baptizer with Holy Spirit, Healer, and Soon-returning King. These four represent the purpose Jesus set to accomplish on earth when He came down.

The compilation named the Declaration of Faith contains an expression of ICFG beliefs. The Declaration of Faith was written by McPherson. Creedal statement is also available go complement the major compilation. The two offer instructions and guidance for the congregation and leaders to follow. The ICFG belief system bases on the verbal inspiration of Bible, doctrine of Holy Trinity, and deity of Jesus.

The denomination believes that man was created following the likeness of God but became sinful and depraved as result of the Fall. However, the sins of man were atoned for when Jesus died on the cross. Justification of faith occurs when believers repent their sins to be reborn again and accept Jesus as their savior. It is believed that humans can still backslide and commit sin even after salvation.

The highest-ranking body for making decisions in the church is the Foursquare Convention. The convention holds biannual meetings to vote for leaders. Licensed ministers and international officers are some among the members of the convention. Voting delegates can be sent to the convention by US church. Internationally, all ICFG churches in a country may send a single delegate.

Management of ICFG churches is in the hands of a board of directors which is composed of between 12 to 20 people. This board is in charge of appointing officers and ordaining and licensing ministers. Board members comprise of a president, vice president, and a minimum of 9 ministers who represent geographic regions. Members of this church in good standing may also serve on the board when appointed.

The church in the US is divided into individual churches, divisions, and districts. These units have leaders who oversee them. The church has a very comprehensive management structure in place to make sure that all operations and decisions are made in an efficient manner.




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