Angelus Temple
Encyclopedia
Angelus Temple was the central house of worship of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
in the Echo Park
district of Los Angeles
, California
.
It was constructed under the leadership of denominational founder Aimee Semple McPherson
and dedicated on January 1, 1923. The cornerstone of the building bears the inscription 'Dedicated unto the cause of inter-denominational and worldwide evangelism'. The temple, located opposite Echo Park Lake, had an original seating capacity
of 5,300, huge for a church then and now, but suited well for the crowds McPherson attracted as an evangelical sensation of the 1920s and 1930s. The halcyon days have never been repeated, and a 2002 renovation has left it with a capacity of only about 3,500.
The lighted cross, atop the temple's dome, is a longstanding landmark. The entire temple was designated a National Historic Landmark
in 1992.
L. I. F. E. Bible College
was founded in a building adjacent to Angelus Temple. The building is currently the home of the Angelus Temple Hispanic Church. The former Queen of Angels Hospital is the base of operations for the Dream Center
, which housed many people from the Gulf States displaced after Hurricane Katrina
and Hurricane Rita
. In 2001, Pastor Matthew Barnett and the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
united the Dream Center with Angelus Temple.
It is currently pastored by Matthew
and Caroline Barnett.
International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, commonly referred to as the Foursquare Church, is an evangelical Pentecostal Christian denomination. As of 2000 it had a worldwide membership of over 8,000,000, with almost 60,000 churches in 144 countries. In 2006, membership in the United States...
in the Echo Park
Echo Park, Los Angeles, California
Echo Park is a hilly neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, northwest of Downtown Los Angeles and southeast of Hollywood.-History:At the end of the 19th century, when the hills were still covered with native vegetation, a horse-drawn streetcar line served the dirt road that is now Echo Park Avenue...
district of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
It was constructed under the leadership of denominational founder Aimee Semple McPherson
Aimee Semple McPherson
Aimee Semple McPherson , also known as Sister Aimee, was a Canadian-American Los Angeles, California evangelist and media celebrity in the 1920s and 1930s. She founded the Foursquare Church...
and dedicated on January 1, 1923. The cornerstone of the building bears the inscription 'Dedicated unto the cause of inter-denominational and worldwide evangelism'. The temple, located opposite Echo Park Lake, had an original seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of 5,300, huge for a church then and now, but suited well for the crowds McPherson attracted as an evangelical sensation of the 1920s and 1930s. The halcyon days have never been repeated, and a 2002 renovation has left it with a capacity of only about 3,500.
The lighted cross, atop the temple's dome, is a longstanding landmark. The entire temple was designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1992.
L. I. F. E. Bible College
Life Pacific College
Life Pacific College was founded in Echo Park, Los Angeles, California, in 1923 as Echo Park Evangelistic and Missionary Training Institute by Aimee Semple McPherson. Its name was changed to LIFE Bible College, LIFE standing for "Lighthouse of International Foursquare Evangelism", in 1926 when it...
was founded in a building adjacent to Angelus Temple. The building is currently the home of the Angelus Temple Hispanic Church. The former Queen of Angels Hospital is the base of operations for the Dream Center
Dream Center
The Dream Center is a Pentecostal Christian Church mission located at 2301 Bellevue Avenue in Los Angeles, California, two blocks west of Alvarado Street on the north side of the 101 Freeway...
, which housed many people from the Gulf States displaced after Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
and Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico. Rita caused $11.3 billion in damage on the U.S. Gulf Coast in September 2005...
. In 2001, Pastor Matthew Barnett and the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, commonly referred to as the Foursquare Church, is an evangelical Pentecostal Christian denomination. As of 2000 it had a worldwide membership of over 8,000,000, with almost 60,000 churches in 144 countries. In 2006, membership in the United States...
united the Dream Center with Angelus Temple.
It is currently pastored by Matthew
Matthew Barnett
Matthew Barnett is co-founder of the Dream Center and senior pastor of the Angelus Temple, the central house of worship of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel in the Echo Park district of Los Angeles, California.-Dream Center:...
and Caroline Barnett.
See also
- List of Registered Historic Places in Los Angeles
- List of the largest churches in the USA