Catholic To Foursquare

[Faith1960]

A childhood friend/neighbor of mine was raised Catholic – went to Catholic schools, was married in a Catholic Church, the whole nine yards.
We’d been out of touch for years but became Facebook friends a year or more ago. I was surprised and a little saddened to learn that she’d left Catholicism a long time ago and is involved in a Foursquare Gospel Church – or was – she moved to another state but I assume she’s still involved in that denom. The name of the church has Fellowship and Foursquare Church in it’s name so I’m not sure if “Fellowship” is part of the actual name of the church or it’s denomination.

After I asked her, online, if she’d left the Catholic Church and when, she seemed reluctant to answer me and it seems like she really doesn’t want to talk to me anymore. I’d like to ask her more about why she left and what she’s getting out of her church but since she wasn’t very receptive to talking about it then, I’m not going to ask her about it now.

What is a Foursquare Church and if anyone here left the CC for one, can you please tell me what made you leave and decide to join it instead?

 

[ltwin]

If she is going to a church affiliated with the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, these links should help you:

Official website

Creedal Statements

Declaration of Faith

This is the only denomination I’m aware of named “Foursquare,” but it’s possible that the church may not be involved with this group.

The Foursquare Church is a Pentecostal church. However, generally they are not the wild and crazy Pentecostal types. They are more of the how can I say “respectable” Pentecostal types. If that makes sense.

Because I’m not Catholic, I can’t tell you why she might have been drawn to the 4 Square Church.

 

[Faith1960]

I was hoping for more responses. Anyone else?

 

[ltwin]

There is a poster who posts here sometimes. Name is 4Squarebaby. I’m not sure if he/she was Catholic and converted or not. But you could ask him/her for more info.

 

[Izdaari]

The Foursquare Church is a Pentecostal church. However, generally they are not the wild and crazy Pentecostal types. They are more of the how can I say “respectable” Pentecostal types. If that makes sense.

Because I’m not Catholic, I can’t tell you why she might have been drawn to the 4 Square Church.

The first paragraph is correct, and the second applies to me as well.

I’m with Assemblies of God, which is very, very similar to Foursquare in our core beliefs. Both are “mainstream” (i.e., non-wacky), trinitarian Pentecostal.

Jack Hayford is a popular TV preacher, who can be found on Dayster or TBN (I forget which). He’s Foursquare and was recently the president of the denomination. He didn’t get kicked out, just that his term expired, so what he says is a pretty good example of what they’re like. Personally, I think he’s very sound and an excellent teacher, from a Pentecostal perspective of course. And though he appears on a WoF network, he is not WoF (those do host some non-WoF people).

 

[Zenas]

The great Marty Robbins was a member of the Foursquare Church.

 

[4Squarebaby]

The name of the church has Fellowship and Foursquare Church in it’s name so I’m not sure if “Fellowship” is part of the actual name of the church or it’s denomination.

What is a Foursquare Church and if anyone here left the CC for one, can you please tell me what made you leave and decide to join it instead?

If it is a Foursquare Church the official name will be the Foursquare Church of (the name of the community). Most also have a theme name.For example Church on the Way. Harvest Chapel, New Life Fellowship…

There is a poster who posts here sometimes. Name is 4Squarebaby. I’m not sure if he/she was Catholic and converted or not. But you could ask him/her for more info.

I guess it is time for my bio again since I was called. My mother was a Baptist and Dad was a Methodist in early childhood we went to United Methodist Church regularly then we got season tickets for the Rams and all of the major sports started having early games on Sundays; so by the time my father died when I was in high school we were Christmas and Easter attendees. For the next 20 years or so I was an atheist who would not even give the cultural “God bless You” when someone sneezed. Meanwhile my brother became a Minister Muhammad for the Nation of Islam. When I became a believer at first I went to different UMC congregations looking for a home and one Sunday went to a Foursquare Church were I have since been.

Now my wife’s eldest brother became Pentecostal from Catholic but he died years before I met her. It is possible part of the reason was when his father died he became the head of the house and was responsible for dealing with the father’s mistress who came demanding her share of the estate for the care of the brothers and sisters he just learned he had. This was after attending Mass religiously as a family. Meanwhile her youngest brother married a Muslim.

I’m with Assemblies of God, which is very, very similar to Foursquare in our core beliefs. Both are “mainstream” (i.e., non-wacky), trinitarian Pentecostal.

Jack Hayford is a popular TV preacher, who can be found on Dayster or TBN (I forget which). He’s Foursquare and was recently the president of the denomination. He didn’t get kicked out, just that his term expired, so what he says is a pretty good example of what they’re like. Personally, I think he’s very sound and an excellent teacher, from a Pentecostal perspective of course. And though he appears on a WoF network, he is not WoF (those do host some non-WoF people).

The AoG and ICFG are almost identical except for the legacy of racism and segregation when whites would not accept Black church leadership the AoG became a separate and distinct denomination in the Pentecostal movement. The legacy remains in that the only AoG churches in my community are Spanish language ones and the two main Pentecostal churches are the Black dominated Church of God In Christ with the Foursquare Church far behind in numbers.

Pastor Jack Hayford is an interesting case. He tried to retire when he headed the Church On The Way but his replacement suddenly died a few weeks into his term as senior pastor so Pastor Jack came out of retirement. He tried to retire again but the the serving Foursquare President was forced to resign after being taken by a con man as he invested church funds from the sale of our radio station to the Calvary Chapel. It wasn’t for his gain but the church however the the previous President also was taken similarly and he didn’t follow the church laws to take his action to the board first. So Pastor Hayford was called to the presidency but refused a second term as he is finally getting a well deserved retirement. TBN also replays sermons from his time as pastor of the Church On The Way

As for the “wacky” as the elders tell me that tended to go in waves through the church’s history and most of the seniors seem to miss it. The current wave seems to have started when Chuck Smith left to start what would become the Calvary Chapels saying the church was looking to much for the Holy Spirit and not doing enough teaching and discipleship. Looking at it without having lived through that era it seems as if most congregations thought Pastor Smith had a point