Carter Roy

I'm Carter Roy.

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This episode contains discussions of kidnapping, drowning, and abortion.

Consider this when deciding how and when you'll listen.

Stay with us.

There's one part of this story everyone can agree on.

Amy Simple McPherson was a prime target for kidnapping.

She was rich, famous, and most importantly, people deeply cared about her.

In 1921, five years before her kidnapping, Amy officially founded the Foursquare Church.

In her sermons, Amy shared her unique take on the Bible, which she called the Foursquare Gospel.

The basic concept was that Jesus has four sides, the baptizer, the healer, the savior, and the future king.

It was an offshoot of Pentecostalism, promoting baptism and healing through faith in Jesus Christ.

Focused on this vision, Amy sermonized.

She healed, she spoke in tongues, and she taught thousands of yearning believers to do the same.

Think of her as the Billy Graham or Joel Osteen of the 1920s.

Amy literally opened the first megachurch in America, and it's still operating.

As of 2025, the Foursquare Church boasts over 8 million members worldwide.

When Amy's megachurch was built in 1923, locals nicknamed it the Million Dollar Temple due to its construction cost, a value closer to 19 million today.