He Took My Hand
The Aimee Semple McPherson Story
In the same year that the big sign in Hollywood went up, heralding the dawn of a
worldwide movie industry, God's superstar, the amazing Aimee Semple McPherson
opened Angeles Temple in Los Angeles. Thus began the curtain call for two very
different shows, each with their own very real and different agenda. The press in LA had,
for some time before this, as a large part of it's mandate, advertising afar, to entice people
to the promised new western utopia that had sprung up, like a mirage in the dessert. And
come they did, in their numbers, flocking to Los Angeles for their part in the dream that
was made possible now that water had been diverted to the area. An area that was owned,
in very large measure, by the people who diverted the Owen river, and controlled the
newspaper.
This was an important time in the history of civilization, not only in America, but in
Europe. Long-standing Christian monarchies had been overthrown, like in Russia, to be
replaced by enemies of the Cross. In the face of this onslaught, a woman appeared, who
was to command the attention of the world, and preside over more utterly miraculous
healings than perhaps any other person in history!
Thousands witnessed things thought impossible, and doctors watched on, in stunned
approval. The American Medical Association secretly sent their people to one San
Francisco meeting, and reported that the healing was "genuine, beneficial and wonderful".
It wasn't just at one meeting that the deaf and blind, and crippled were completely and
immediately cured, but over many years, and in many cities and countries. Aimee Semple
Mcpherson was a thunderbolt of God's power, and her candle burned brightly at both
ends. She believed that Jesus was still actually alive, and every bit as able and willing to
miraculously help us, as He was 2000 years ago. Aimee would say, "Is Jesus Christ the
great I Am or the great I Was?" At a revival meeting in Denver, the wife of the city's
Mayor was healed, her foot had been broken three years ago, and now was lame, and
painfully arthritic, so, after seeing a friend's deaf ears opened, she too asked for prayer.
A few days later all pain was gone, and she was healed. The mayor decreed five minutes of
prayer at noon , as well as a 24 hour fast. The King of the Gypsies, and his mother were
also healed here, and Aimee became the Queen of the Gypsies, hundreds followed her
around the country, and supported her. They called her "Holy Lady", and in Rochester,
she had to set aside an entire service for the Gypsies. They kissed her hands, and feet, and
wept as they came to the altar. Aimee would use oil, in the biblical manner, and place it
on the sick she prayed for. Aimee said she couldn't heal anyone, Jesus did all the healing,
she was just the instrument. She had compassion on the multitude, sometimes almost
literally having to be pulled away from a meeting, unable to rest, or stop, or take time to
eat or drink, late into the night. It was always quite clear that the main priority of her
work was to give people Jesus, and His eternal life, and said that healing was only a small
part of it. Aimee insisted that her meetings were ninety nine percent salvation, and one
percent healing. She understood, though, that His death was also for our bodies, as well
as our spirits.·
It was incredible how many different denominations co-operated and loved this wonder
working woman. She didn't want to draw circles to keep people out, and firmly believed
that when you tried to fence God in, He would simply step over the fence! As she said
about denominational questions, at one revival "...we haven't time for them." She was
for "Biblical Christianity", and would not be boxed in by one denomination, opting
instead for cooperative evangelical efforts. Jesus Himself had much problems with the
religious folks, straining at little gnats, accusing Him, and attacking at every opportunity
even when He, for example, healed the sick on the Sabbath. Inevitably, Sister Aimee was
attacked by many of this type of folks who thought they were righteous. The Scofield
Reference Bible explained that the miracles of healing, and prophesy, and tongues had
ended with the apostles, so many adherents to this God is as good as dead, and not
working anymore scoffing Scofield skullduggery, chose to criticize Sister. But the sheer
power of God overcame most of these things. One example was in Wichita, where the
ministerial association opposed her work, and despite a front page headline shortly after
Aimee got to town that flaunted the ministerial opposition, police had to turn away
thousands waiting to get into the packed Riverside Park meeting. Also in the news that
week, had been news of the deaf receiving their hearing, large swellings on peoples
necks melting away, and the lame walking. Over the years there were some notable
enemies, including one fellow who liked to fight against God, and His children,
apparently, as well as whatever other fights he may have chose, 'Fighting Bob Shuler'.
He pushed the police to harass the healer, and when she was kidnapped for weeks, joined
with the media wolves who were howling not to find the kidnappers, but to prosecute
Mrs. McPherson, because she hadn't much proof of her ordeal! The press, had already
emerged by this time by and large, with some exceptions, as an anti Christian force.
Often, their fangs flashed clearly, and unashamedly, without even feigning fairness. The
big American show trial around that time, in which a small party orchestrated an assault
on Creation believing, was clearly aided and abetted by the media. When a bomb
exploded the newspaper building in Los Angeles years before, the suspects, were
successfully defended by Clarence Darrow although one of them later admitted doing it.
Also the famous Leopold and Loeb case, where two wealthy and intellectual young
homosexuals murdered a young man. His naked body was found stuffed in a drainage
culvert, with Nathan Leopold's glasses also at the scene. Darrow was able to get the case
brought before a judge, rather than a jury, and got these deciples of Nietzsche, jail,
instead of the expected death penalty. The Scopes case Darrow took on at no charge, it
was such an anti-God slam, that he wanted to do it for free. There were "experts"
prepared to testify on behalf of how wonderful evolution was, the information they had
was based largely on forgeries, hoaxes, and glued mix and match bones, the type of stuff
that naturally attracted the truth challenged, anything but God types. Still fairly new and
"scientific" sounding, it would be decades before the preposterous nonsense these
primitive primate pushing perverts propounded would be relegated to the dungheap. As it
turned out, though, the facts of how God's good Earth got here were not admitted anyhow.
William Jennings Bryan was a famous champion of the anti evolution cause at the time,
and became the sole witness called up by Clarence Darrow. Whereupon he was ridiculed
for those things he did believe in the Bible, such as about Cain and his children, Jonah,
etc. Mr. Bryan was also scorned for his not believing in things like a literal Biblical six·day creation. It seems a shame that the only witness called by the lively undertaker's son,
Darrow, could not be someone who actually believed in a literal Biblical Creation, in six
days. However Bryan fought as best he could, but in the end, was painted as the loser by
the press. Bryan had twice been a speaker at Angeles Temple, and had the prayers and
support of Aimee Semple McPherson. After all, it was the Godless books she was given
in school, that had prompted her to choose another way. Confronted as a young girl with
text books mocking her faith, she said she realized what an "...awful position one must be
in who accepts the teachings of this book,..." Bryan, who had been promised equal time,
never got it, because the judge ended the trial abruptly. William Jennings Bryan seemed
to be starting to sense that the trial had, with the help of the media, set him up, and said "
I shall have to trust to the justness of the press, which reported what was said yesterday,
to report what I will say, not to the court, but in the press in answer to the charge scattered
broadcast over the world." The man would not get the chance, however his role was
played, and the creation promoting freemason died "in his sleep" five short days later!
Hollywood made a movie which was shown very widely to students and others, as if
based on the trial, but actually a collage of inaccuracies wickedly woven into one sided
propaganda piece, hardly recognizable as having anything to do with the actual trial
events, except for the rabidly anti Creation theme. The gaseous, foul smelling movie was
called "Inherit the Wind".
Jesus was called a winebibber, and a glutton, among other things, during His time on
Earth, as were most of his followers since then also spoken badly of. Minnie Kennedy,
Aimee's mother had to wire the Thomas Cook travel agents to have them post a guard on
Sister, because of well circulated 'rumors' that Sister was romancing her radio engineer
while on a trip to the Holy Land. Aimee Semple McPherson was a radio pioneer, as well.
She set up her own station, KFSG, and it became one of the first stations in the world.
She was the first woman preacher on the air, and her voice became one of the most
familiar in America. Kenneth Ormiston , her engineer, around this time, had contacted the
Temple, and was asked to come by, to give lie to the latest gossip, about him and Sister,
which he did. He was having a marital crisis around that time, and so, was ripe to be
portrayed as having disappeared overseas with the evangelist. This was just a taste of the
flood of accusations, and lies, that would be to come. Out of this affair was also said to
have come an abortion, which was impossible, because as would later come to light,
Sister had a Hysterectomy. Any untrue story, though, given wide publicity, can cause
even friends, and family to have doubts about the victim. It was shortly after her return to
Los Angeles, that a major turning point in Aimee's life was to happen.
Even those not familiar with the life of Aimee may have heard something about how
she was kidnapped. One fine day in May, at the beach, her secretary, chaperon, and
companion for the day, grew concerned as Aimee still had not returned from the water.
Sister loved swimming, and was very good at it, able to swim literally for miles. She had
been working on an upcoming sermon, and had went to the water alone, as her secretary
was a less water loving individual. Out of Emma's sight, on the busy beach, a couple
approached the 'Holy Lady' and begged prayer for their baby, who was supposed to be in
a nearby car. This was not all that out of the ordinary, for the famous and gifted
evangelist, and she obliged. They pressed a cloth with anesthetic onto her mouth, and
forced her into the car. She awoke as a captive, in bonds, and was taken to a secret·location.
A ransom note had been sent. Minnie Kennedy received lots of crank letters, and
was inclined to believe that the note demanding a half million dollars for the release of
her daughter was fake. Although there had been an unsuccessful kidnap attempt about a
year earlier that the police had foiled. But, after all, she was presumed drowned, and there
had been a major search, with airplanes, divers, and the coast guard. Under a full moon,
the next day would be found ten thousand people on the beach, with bonfires, singing,
and beating drums, weeping, and embracing. Many 'reports' of Aimee sightings were
coming in from all over the country, on day alone, she was 'seen' coast to coast no less
than sixteen times!
Finally, a memorial service was held, almost a month after her disappearance, and three
days after, seemingly raising from the dead, Sister appeared! She had managed to cut her
ties on the metal edge of a five gallon can, when left alone for a short time, and escaped
out the window. She prayed, and walked till she saw the lights of Agua Prieta,
collapsing, and being rescued, and sent across the border to a hospital in Douglas,
Arizona.
She boarded a train for Los Angeles, seen off by two thousand people, and met at each
stop along the way by crowds. Fifty thousand souls at least lined the streets and for a mile
from the station no pavement could be seen, and fences, and rooftops were crowded.
People laughed, sang, and prayed. Firecrackers went off as Aimee passed a hundred
thousand people on her way to the crowded Angeles Temple.
At Jesus' triumphant entry by the east gate to Jerusalem, they threw branches down, and
cheered the king on a donkey. The same crowds who hailed their Messiah, were shortly
after shouting "Crucify Him!" Aimee's crowds would also change their tune, in large
measure, not because of rabble rousing Christ hating bullies in the crowd, cajoling people
to release the terrorist Barrabas, rather than the Prince of Peace, but as a result of their
modern media counterparts.
The storm kept blowing against Mrs. McPherson, and her ordeal brought no sympathy
from the press, who purposely disbelieved her kidnapping account, and set about to try to
crucify her. Gleefully jumping on the bandwagon was Fighting Bob, who called for a
complete investigation. Newspapers poured resources into the story, hiring private
detectives. The obliging District Attorney, Alan Keyes felt inspired to accept the case,
later, he would be in the penitentiary for accepting some inspiration money on another
case. Aimee's lawyer was found dead in an overturned car in a ditch, and the middleman
who was the only one to have had direct contact with the kidnappers, committed
"suicide". One chief witness, Lorainne Wiseman, became angry when she was caught
bouncing checks, and the Temple refused to bail her out. So she changed her story from
one saying it was her sister actually seen at a cottage with Ormiston, not Aimee, to now
say that Aimee hired her to perpetuate a hoax! Soon after this poor woman recanted
again, perhaps a tinge of conscience, and changed her story, leaving the government
without a case. Judge Jacob F. Denney dismissed the case without trial and stated:
"The vindication of Mrs. McPherson and Mrs. Kennedy could not be more complete.
...Seldom, if ever, in the history of American or English jurisprudence has so signal a
vindication been achieved without a single gun being fired by the defendants in their own
defense."·. The cost of the case to the state was very little, because the major cost of locating
witnesses, and unearthing 'evidence' was borne by the daily press.
Aimee decided to use all the publicity that her character assassination trial had
produced for God's benefit, like everything else in her life, and launch a new tour to
preach the gospel. This would be her vindication tour, and as she charged on, she would
feel an increasing split with the religionists in her Temple, and, painfully, her own family.
She took with her some of the folks who had so greatly helped her in the recent court
case. An ex reporter for the Los Angeles Examiner, who had gotten wealthy paper's
owner, Hearst, involved, as well as guiding the superstar with the press, was invited to
come along on the new tour. Ralph Jordan was his name, and having his former boss
contact the District Attorney on Aimee's behalf was a powerful force in the outcome.
Ralph was not pleasing to Minnie, and the chain smoking, bourbon drinking, card playing
new paid helper was an easy target for those who could quite easily feel "holier than
thou". Aimee was well chaperoned, though, with several Temple pillars always close by,
wary of new scandal that they knew her enemies would love to manufacture with only the
littlest bit of help. Despite this, Minnie felt it behooved her to send Gladwyn Nichols, and
Churchilla Bartling, from Angeles Temple to keep an eye on things as well. Nichols said
of his encounter with the new entourage, " I walked through their midst like Moses
through the Red Sea," no doubt with his nose in the air. One of the things that offended
their elevated religious sensitivity, was, horror of horrors, Aimee had cut her hair,
improved her wardrobe, and even used some makeup.
February 18 found a new gal on tour in New York, and her new look was put to good
use, as she visited some night clubs, including the famous Three Hundred Club, where
she invited the sinning patrons to come hear her. She received a long applause, and the
proprietor, Texas Guinan, put his arm around the evangelist, who was dressed in an
evening gown. The papers picked up on it, and her meeting was, of course, packed. The
vindication tour took in twenty two cities in three months, and was a wild success.
Right from the start of her career, Aimee had faith, and guts, and knew how to get a
crowd. Early on, she had been invited to a town called Mt. Forest to hold revival
meetings. Aimee accepted, but was soon disappointed that the small number of listeners,
were mostly the same people, as previous meetings. So she took a chair, to the main
intersection, stood on it, and raised her hands to Heaven. With closed eyes she stood still,
as a crowd gathered, then suddenly, she picked up the chair saying "Follow me!" She ran
to the mission, and the crowd followed, and she had to move the meetings outside to a
nearby vacant lot. By week's end, there was over five hundred people crowding in, many
coming from out of town. In Florida, St. Petersburg was engaged in a big celebration, and
it seemed a hopeless task, to draw people to her humble tent. She had dedicated her car
to God, having verses, and gospel messages put on it, and heard God's voice tell her to
enter it in the big parade that was going on there. So she built a little tent to put on the
car, as a float, covered it in flowers and palms, and streamers, and placed an organ under
the tent. She joined the parade the next morning, to the delight of the crowds, and sang
gospel songs, and displayed signs inviting all to the meetings. Their tent was filled after
that each night, and there didn't seem to be any 'holy' folks who objected to her not having
a license to enter the parade! In Florida, an "opposition preacher set up a meeting across
the fence from Sister's, and was railing how all supernatural power had stopped with the·last chapter of the Bible. Aimee was adjusting a calcium carbide lamp, and it blew up in
her face, flames covering her. Plunging her face into a pan of water, she was in much
pain, as her face began to blister. She was unable to get to the meeting to preach, when
she heard the scoffer across the fence announce the healer would not preach tonight,
because she was burned. She rushed to the stage, no eyebrows, hair singed, face blistered,
and bravely attempted to meet the challenge, to the shouts of the crowd. She could hardly
move her lips, to try to sing along with the first hymn, but as the song progressed, the
color returned to her face, and the blisters smoothed, and the pain instantly relieved.
Some meetings in Boston had been denied police protection, despite a rowdy Catholic
youth element that interrupted, and tried to break up the services. Instead, the police chief
called Aimee to see him, warning her of noise complaints of a fellow officer. The
evangelist tried to ask Jesus into his heart, which he didn't do, nor did he give her the
protection she asked for. The next day the police chief was sitting at his desk, and died of
a massive heart attack. For the rest of Aimee's time there, three uniformed officers made
sure nightly that there were no disturbances.
Another time, in San Diego, she had booked an arena, and was a little surprised when
she arrived the night before to find a sell out crowd at the twenty three thousand seat
building for a boxing match. She approached the manager, and was told she could be
introduced to the crowd between rounds. She was led to the blood stained ring, where she
challenged them to find the worst sinner in the city, and bring them to the meetings the
following evening. She then put up her fists, and started to shadow box, and invited them
to come tomorrow and watch, because she was going into the ring with the Devil, and
promised to knock him out! She seemed to thrive on adversity, and usually managed to
turn it around. One time Sister was faced with heavy rain, in Wichita, where crops were
being washed away, and floods had left thousands homeless. Services were just getting
underway, when a sudden thunderstorm poured down on them. Aimee jumped to her
feet, and began to pray, and as she finished, the rain instantly stopped.
Aimee's desire to please God, and do what He wanted, was, through her life to cost
Aimee dearly. Her first husband, Robert Semple had swept her off her feet, and helped
lead her to come to China, as a missionary, with him. He died soon after, and nineteen
year old Aimee had to return to the United States with their new daughter. Robert's last
words to her were "Good night dear, I'll see you in the morning"
Her next husband, despite an understanding to put God first in their lives, felt as time
went on that Aimee had a propensity to preach the gospel, and not sort of put him first.
He divorced her, and she went on alone to her ministry. Her mother was invaluable in
helping with the organizational nitty gritty, that Heavenly minded Sister was weak in.
God would not have been able to use Aimee to such an extent, without the anchor of her
mother, Minnie Kennedy's down to Earth help. But around the time of the vindication
tour, Minnie too would begin to fall behind her daughter's unrelenting quest to obey God,
both ends of the candle burning, and both barrels of the gun blasting. Aimee moved out of
the Temple parsonage only four days after her return from the tour. A full separation was
to come as the next few years saw Aimee standing up for her convictions, and leadings,
and moving to be free of mother's well intentioned, but smothering controls. It culminated
in August of 1930, where there was a flare up, and Aimee had a complete mental and
physical breakdown. Of course there was pressure from several fronts, revolts,·
backstabbing, and bickering and Temple infighting that weighed on Sister as well. Aimee
had always tried to stay above it, and when others would attack her, she would refrain
from attacking a fellow Christian. A song she liked to sing summed up her position on
such things, " You can talk about me all that you please, but I'll talk about you down on
my knees." She always tried to love people into Heaven, quite aware that folks knew
enough hell. "Honey attracts more flies than vinegar" as she put it. Her breakdown was
serious, and doctors said her life was in danger. The settlement that Minnie got was
secret, but from the start they had agreed on a fifty split. The court case may have been
inexpensive for the government, but it was heavy indeed for the victim, and the canceled
checks from the case were to be Aimee's share. When Aimee died, her estate was only
about ten thousand, as she put everything into the work, while her mother's was about two
hundred thousand. Another key defection also came not long after, as John Goben, who
had an interest in the growing number of branches of the Temple, called 'lighthouses',
balked at the leadership, opting to fight it, to retain some control. He even hired private
detectives to snoop on Sister, but all this poor man's efforts weren't to amount to much,
and as time went on, he died a homeless alcoholic.
Shortly after the great crash, Aimee went on a tour of the holy land, she was learning to
try to rest when needed. This venture, though, like many lately that she had been led into,
turned out to be unwise. Compounded by the world financial situation, these ill advised
investments would push the Temple into debt. Many people were supposed to have joined
the tour, and they were to have chartered their own ocean liner. As things turned out, they
had to settle for a scaled down version. Aimee ran afoul of the authorities in the "holy
land", because she was preaching to, and trying to win the Arabs. So she had to leave,
after all, sharing the Love of the Savior, with Arabs, was not something felt "holy"
enough in that land!
One mistake that Sister admitted was marrying her third husband, David Hutton. She
was lonely, and in need of a man's protection, and she wasn't quite ready, as her mother
would say, to "hang her harp on a willow". Hardly had they been married, when a lady
claimed she was a jilted lover of David's, and sued for what was commonly called, at the
time, heart balm money. Aimee trusted her new man's word, and wasn't too worried about
it. As the case progressed, the press had a field day, and the sordid details of the
relationship unfolded. Myrtle St. Pierre had been employed at a 'massage' parlor, and told
of some of her kinky 'treatments' with Mr. Hutton, adding that he had promised to marry
her. Aimee's health was still up and down, her bright light starting to flicker. When news
of David's being found guilty reached her, she passed out, and struck her head on some
concrete, being out for forty five minutes, and was rushed to a hospital, where it was
found that she had fractured her skull. This was to be her last marriage, as she dedicated
herself solely to the One Lover who would never let her down.
Perhaps the most trying family disappointment was her own daughter joining with her
enemies in a suit against her lawyer, who was angry at Sister's treatment, and used the
word "blackmail" describing Jacob Moidel, the attorney for Rheba Crawford. Aimee had
worked it out with Rheba Crawford, another famous female preacher, to have her fill in,
while she was away, and the arrangement worked well for awhile. Sister did have
concern, however, as time went on, and she saw how Rheba used the platform, and radio
show, to blast many politicians, the state governor, the cities fire chief, and chief of·police, members of boards, and officials. In trying to have her leave, there was a big fight,
in which people chose sides. Miss Semple won the case, largely because it centered on a
heated meeting, of which Aimee's word was outweighed by her daughter's, and Rheba's
witnesses. Jacob Moidel was brought up in a complaint to the bar, launched by the
secretary of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, where he was said to
have had grabbed, and shaken Sister, in the parsonage, till she screamed, and was rescued
by Giles Knight, who was also there. In addition, he was said to have threatened to have
Aimee declared insane, have the Temple taken from her, and harass her with a multitude
of lawsuits, among other things, if she didn't sign some documents. During the trial, the
judge had to order Moidel to stop making crazy, evil, contorted faces at Aimee, whom he
had in tears by this time. It wasn't a large settlement, only two thousand dollars, but it was
basically, the loss of a daughter, in this life, a daughter who it had been assumed would
step in and take over when Aimee was gone. It was also a loss to Rheba, who she felt was
very much out of God's will at the time, and leading a rebellion against her. Vivian
Denton, a convert of Miss Crawfords, had recently tried to sue Sister, for half a million
dollars. After Sister had to talk to her about some things that Vivian had said to temple
workers, she went home and supposedly attempted to kill herself. Blaming Sister, she
launched a suit. The case was settled out of court, like many that were thrown up against
the temple, or Aimee. In one period of a few years, there were about 45 lawsuits that one
news service counted, most of which never reached trial, and likely some of which were
settled quietly. After all, if one wanted to get a little preaching, or healing done, you
couldn't let yourself be tied up in court all the time. Rheba herself had filed a suit for
million, and eighty thousand dollars, outdoing her convert considerably in scope of how
much she desired to take from Aimee, and the Temple, but this also would be settled
quietly.
Through it all, as health permitted, Aimee continued with her amazing work, and her
illustrated sermons drew so many that extra trolleys, and traffic police had to be arranged
by the city during the popular services. Charlie Chaplin had helped to better design the
stage for Sister's acts. Anthony Quinn was involved too in the Temple, playing saxophone
sometimes on the streets, as they passed out literature, and was asked to translate for
Aimee to the L.A. Spanish speakers. He said she was "..one of the greatest actresses in the
world." He had met many famous personalities, but, comparing them to Aimee, said that
they all "..fell short of that first electric shock Aimee Semple McPherson produced in
me."
Aimee had prayed for ideas for an illustrated sermon, and got a speeding ticket, while
out driving. She thanked the officer, and soon she was up on stage, dressed like a
policewoman, near a motorcycle, sirens in the background, urging her audience to stop,
before they sped to hell! She might dress up as little Bo Peep, seeking the sheep, or in any
number of fun, and theatrical stories. One time she needed a parrot for a skit on the
Garden of Eden, and came up with the idea of checking with the circus, which was in
town, to see if they had one to loan her. She got a beautiful green macaw, and it sat on
stage on it's perch, adding effect to the Garden scene. When the orchestra began, however
the bird clearly said, "Oh, go to Hell." After a disbelieving silence, the macaw repeated
even louder "Oh go to Hell." Aimee pretended to be horrified, which wasn't much of a
stretch, and after several failed comical attempts to convert him, she condemned the bird's·voice as the voice of Satan, that caused Adam and Eve to be kicked out of the Garden.
The poor circus bird itself, though, she said was forgiven, and would be granted a perch
in Heaven. Always entertaining, there was one time, a sheep needed, to play the little lost
sheep, as Aimee, the Shepherd, was to find it, and carry it safely home. The supplier of
the animal, assured her it would be there on time for the play. So as "Little Bo Peep"
Aimee, after the drum role, laid eyes on her lost one hundredth sheep, she discovered it
was a large, full grown one. She continued on, shouting how happy she was to have found
it, and did manage to pick it up, and comically stagger around the stage, to the delight of
the audience. She grunted out her next line, "Even so it is not the will of your Father
which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish." Always ready to turn
around a seeming setback, another time, some little cardboard cutout people were pasted
to a conveyor belt, that carried men up to Heaven. In the middle of the sermon, It was
discovered that a stagehand had glued on some of the Heaven bound cardboard
"Christians" on backwards, so they faced away from their destined Paradise, as Aimee
declared, "Can you beat that? Some of those backsliders trying to get to heaven."
One night, the temple had been invaded by hundreds of hooded KKK. People gave up
their seats to the fearsome uninvited guests. Sister switched her sermon that night, and
told instead the story of an old Black man, who came into the big city, and at last wearily
sat down outside a big beautiful church. Hearing music, he decided to go in, whereupon
he was turned away by the usher, colored folks were not allowed in. Weeping, he sat on
the stairs outside, when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and someone comforting him that
he to had been trying to get into that church, without success, for years. When he turned
to look at the Stranger, he saw that it was Jesus. Looking at the Klan, she went on, to
challenge then not to hate. They began to file out, into the night, until all were gone. As
she preached, though one by one, and two by two, many of the former KKK drifted back
in, humbly to sit at the back and listen. Hundreds of white robes, and hoods were found
the next day wadded up in bushes, and abandoned in the nearby area.
Aimee gave over two million bibles to the enlisted men and women in the two world
wars. She also raised money for the government selling war bonds. One June afternoon
alone, in downtown L.A. talking to a crowd, she sold $150,000 worth in one hour. She
believed that Jesus would be coming soon, and that the wars were a part of the events
preceding this event. She also prepared, like there could be 50, or 100 years, such as in
building the temple. She knew the bible like a familiar friend, and realized with certainty
that the world indeed was entering the "latter days." She didn't have every endtime
biblical event perfectly straight, but she knew that they were definitely close at hand. She
looked forward to the a last period of seven years, the mark of the beast, the Second
Coming of Jesus, the Rapture of Christians, and the "Wedding in the clouds", as well as
the coming ruling Kingdom of God. She even requested that the song "He's Coming
Again" be played at her memorial. This was one of the four main planks of the
"foursquare" gospel she had developed.
Through the depression years, she had set up a huge operation to feed thousands, with
no questions asked, in Los Angeles. 80,000 were fed the first week in operation. This had
also been a financial drain in the tough years, as well as the onslaught of lawsuits, and
tough measures had to be taken to get out of debt. During the years after Roberta's suit
Sister allowed herself to be more or less restricted to her quarters, like a prisoner, and to
be protected from most visitors, as well as the press. Giles Knight, was determined to
avoid past mistakes, and took the necessary security steps to safeguard Aimee. He was
also successful in guiding the temple completely out of debt. As 1943 drew to a close,
though, Aimee and her faithful son Rolf, who had stuck with her all these years, decided
to let Giles go, and once again, excitement was in the air. She had plans to go back on the
road, that she so much loved. She joked with reporters that she was good for another fifty
years. That fall, she was in reasonable health, and was in Oakland, presiding over a new
branch church, where she preached a sermon to 10,000. She announced that tomorrow
she would preach on "The Story of My Life". Aimee was excited, at the prospects of the
bright future, her improved health, and speaking to the audience that day, as always
excited her. The world was still at war, and nighttime blackouts were in effect, and that
night, in the darkness of the room, stood a great fighter for God. A great force for
Christianity, and the cause of the gospel, as well as a superstar based in the heart of the
entertainment industry. Through her career, she was often seen, in a famous pose, on
stage, one hand up toward Heaven, touching it's power, and perhaps her other hand laid
on a deathly sick soul, making the connection with God himself. She had made it quite
clear who she was really in love with, quite literally, as she said I'm "Head over heals in
love with Jesus!" This special night, He took her hand, and they were finally together
forever, beyond the reach of any enemies.
The suspicious circumstances of her death were ruled not to be suicide. Some one
identifying themselves as Aimee called her doctor, who was performing emergency
surgery, and unreachable, and also called another doctor's office. Rolf found her
unconscious the next morning, and called for help, but was pronounced dead about two
hours later. When she was found, capsules lay on the floor, and on the pillow, and bed.
Her physician had not given Sister the capsules that contained a powerful barbiturate,
classified as an "hypnotic sedative" and there was no druggist's label on the bottle. You
could probably not have found a more deadly drug, to mix with Aimee's seriously
diseased kidneys, and damaged liver if you tried. Some of the pills, were moist, as if
having been stuffed in the mouth, and falling out, but more than enough were ingested to
be fatal. Since foul play never surfaced as a serious possible cause of death, and suicide
was ruled out, a fairly elaborate scenario was worked out on how it was thought to have
happened by natural course of events. The programmed chimes of Angeles Temple, set to
ring at noon, mysteriously failed, and were silent.
Aimee Semple McPherson's second memorial service, and the funeral, took place on
her birthday, October 9, 1944. This time, she really did spend the day, far away, in the
arms of her Lover.
Author: Enjay B Davidavich Vancouver, 2001·
Bibliography:
Sister Aimee The life of Aimee Semple Mcpherson, Daniel Mark Epstein, Harcourt Brace
Javonovich, Publishers, New York, San Deigo London, 1993
Aimee Semple Mcpherson Everybody's Sister, Edith L. Blumhofer, 1993, William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Storming Heaven
The lives and turmoils of Minnie Kennedy and Aimee Semple
Mcpherson Lately Thomas, 1970, William Morrow and Company, Inc, New York
http://www.libertyharbor.org/aimee.htm
lease contact:
CALLED TO THE HARVEST
By my mother, Helen Pearson Garrett
(Thanks Giving)
he Harvest is Ripe at last.
The ground was fresh -
Plowed
In The Spring.
The furrows went
Deep.
The Seed was freely
Sown.
The Harvest is Ripe;
The Standing Fields
of grain
Are laid low by
The Shining Scythe.
I labor long over Thy
Task,
And though Weary,
My Heart like that of
a Soaring Bird
Is Blithe.
I come Singing to Thee.
The warm, waving
Fields of Golden Grain
At last are Thine.
I bow low at Thy
Feet,
giving Trustingly into
Thy Precious Care
All that is Mine.
Helen Pearson Garrett
1905-1995
MORE OF HELEN GARRETT'S POETRY:
http://www.victory-cruises.com/christian_poetry.html
(PLEASE REMEMBER TO BOOKMARK THIS UKIKA PAGE)
OME RELATED LINKS:
Operation Tarshish
OT is a ministry which God is raising up to bring His
Covenanted Peoples, the Jews, home to Israel
by boat and plane. http://www.tarshish.org.il
Information Regarding Israel's Security: http://www.iris.org.il/
The Nehemiah Trust (ISRAEL): http://www.netvision.net.il/php/ntcf
The Jerusalem Post: http://www.jpost.com/
Christain Newsletter available at:
http://www.gospelcom.net/ifc/newsletter.shtml
TODAY'S WORD
http://www.crusade.org/word/index.phphttp://www.crusade.org/word/index.php
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