Aimee Semple McPherson, the revivalist preacher sensation of the 1920s, was quite a star in her day. She had a tremendous following and people hung on her words.
She built a large church but seemed to enjoy her traveling revivals more. Aimee had a theatrical streak and enjoyed a spectacle. As you can see, she was an attractive woman:
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She had a husband but they lived apart. Mr. McPherson had, Aimee said, recognized God’s call in her life and had made the great sacrifice of releasing her to go travel around the world spreading the Good News as a missionary. Very generous of Mr. McPherson.
In the mid-1920s, Aimee was evidently involved in some sort of Gone Girl situation. Maybe she was the original Gone Girl. She inexplicably disappeared and was allegedly held prisoner for mysterious reasons by two “mean men” and a mean woman. If skeptical people snickered when Amy returned after escaping their evil clutches–well, it was evidence of their tragic inability to believe she was a chosen prophet. The fact a man rumored to be her boyfriend was missing during the same period of time has no bearing on the story—absolutely none at all.
After her escape, Aimee wrote her autobiography which she called In Service of the King. Friend of the site Dorothy Parker wrote a really funny review of this book. Parker summarized the book this way: “It may be that this autobiography is set down in sincerity, frankness, and simple effort. It may be, too, that the Statue of Liberty is situated in Lake Ontario.”
I haven’t read Ms. McPherson’s autobiography. After reading a few quotes Dorothy Parker provided, I don’t think I have it in me to read In Service of the King. Parker wrote, “It is difficult to say whether Mrs. McPherson is happier in her crackling exclamations or in her bead-curtain-and-chenille-fringe style. Presumably the lady is happy in both manners. That would make her two up on me.”
The old revival preachers were certainly their own breed, but Aimee Semple McPherson seemed to be a little extra, as the saying goes!
old spirituals 
A historical anecdote:
In 1915, she abandoned McPherson and set out on the road with her children to preach the gospel, fulfilling a promise she’d made to God while suffering from appendicitis. Her husband joined her and made a go of it for a while, but he ultimately went home to Rhode Island, divorcing her in 1922. In 1918, at the age of 28, McPherson arrived in Los Angeles in her trademark “Gospel Car,” a 1918 Oldsmobilewith “JESUS IS COMING SOON—GET READY” painted on the side.
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My guess is there were two Aimees. The one who was sincere and really attempting to make a difference in her way and the self-absorbed showboater, who gave into her temptations on the regular.
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Too much of anything is bad . . . . even evangelicalism.
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If there’s obvious hypocrisy involved, almost any amount of evangelism is too much. Evangelical hypocrisy is worse than other kinds because it unfairly smears the faithful
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Aimee Semple McFerson was another celebrity that my dad escorted/guarded when he was a policeman in Beaumont, TX, during the 1930’s. He told me she was a lovely, gracious person. He was escorting her to her speaking engagement at the auditorium. (I mentioned before that he had escorted/guarded Eleanor Roosevelt, also). I wish I had asked him more, but teenagers just don’t. Angeles Temple was a beautiful, wonderful church in the early 1950’s when I was about four years old. Aimee had passed by then and there were no theatrics, etc., just a wonderful choir, good Bible teaching and very good Christian people. My family attended there for the two years we lived in Los Angeles because of my dad’s job. When I was a teenager, Aimee’s son, Rolf McFerson spoke at our church here in Las Vegas. I was very impressed with what a fine man he was. He did speak about his mother and that they had a hard time financially when he was young. Apparently, his dad wasn’t even supporting his children. (my own take on that!). Nevertheless, I don’t approve of women leaving their husband as Aimee did. I’ve always thought Aimee had emotional issues. Agatha Christie did a disappearing act, too, and reading between the lines of her autobiography, I believe Agatha had a nervous breakdown. As far as Aimee’s autobiography, it would be best to go to the “source”. Instead of relying on Dorothy Parker’s review. Dorothy was an alcoholic and probably had nothing good to say about anyone that spoke out against alcohol. Aimee may have been a horrible writer and it could have been a crazy book. I haven’t read it so I can’t give an honest review of her book. BTW, if you haven’t read Agatha Christie’s autobiography, it’s better than her books.
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That’s fascinating your dad actually met these larger than life characters! I wish he’d told you more too. I trust a regular person’s judgement more than the Kitty Kelly types. I think Agatha Christie’s first husband cheated on her and she did have a nervous breakdown. She got remarried to an archaeologist later and once said, the older I get, the more fascinating I am to him.
As much as I enjoy Dorothy Parker, I’ve always felt thankful she couldn’t review my books. I’d never recover!
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Yes, my dad met many famous people. He just wasn’t a name-dropper. Things would come up when I was going through old photo albums, scrapbooks, or my mom would say something when a name would come up. Then I’d hear a story and my mom would tell me about it. Daddy never was a braggart. I think that generation was just that way.
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I think I know what you mean! People didn’t feel the need to attach themselves to someone or something famous to matter. Your identity was your name, not what or who you were attached to.
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