“Sister, The Certain”: Ascension and fall

There are two types of Angelenos: Those who heard about Aimee Semple McPherson and those who should. She was vulnerable to show, radio star, publisher, writer, lover, and celebrities – it is difficult to achieve as a row in the early twentieth century. Its unlikely success and unlikely fall, and what her story says about belief, self -selection and fame, in the lifeline in Los Angeles.

The Angelus Temple, which is still on the other side of Echo Park Lake, has sparked my curiosity for years. I learned that McFireson built it and held a competition similar to the competition there, and he went at the sea and was believed to be drowned. The spoiler is alert: after weeks, she survived, in the desert, and her story (kidnapped) did not match the scandal that appeared (claimed to have been in love with a married man).

Claire Hoffman’s wonderful biography tells “sister, wrong” that story and much more. It has a severe sensitivity to McFireson’s religious beliefs and wide knowledge of the times she lived. Starting with the original Canada in McFireson, you follow the future missionary through early marriages, the stoiled preaching, and its church in Los Angeles, her fame, her fall and what came yet.

In 1890, Mother Maine walked through a terrible snowstorm in her church, and like the King of the Winter Lion, she carried her child Amy high and pledged the girl’s life to God. Mini was devoted to the Army of Salvation due to the church’s dedication to preaching and doing good work.

Throughout their lives, both the mother and her daughter left the husbands behind them for their activities in their church, as they eventually traveling America together in a car that drew “Jesus saves!” Fortunately, she got married well enough when her daughter needed help, she could provide.

I grew up in the countryside of Canada, Amy was a dynamic teenager attracted to a secular world until Robert Simbel saw the Irish proponent preacher. It is amazing than him and was angry at the practice of speaking in tongues, which he believed was the direction of the divine, she married Amy in 1908. The two traveled to China to preach, but he became very sick. Amy was pregnant and restored; Robert did not die in Hong Kong before the birth of their daughter Roberta. Friends brought them to bring the widow and the child home; The couple arrived in Mini in New York City in 1910.

In her grief, Amy found strength in preaching. It is still linked to the Army of Salvation, it came out in the streets of New York to exchange a good word. Here I met Harold McFireson, who was by all standards a kind of mercy. However, they got married and moved with him to Provence, Rey, where Amy was expected to stay at home. She wanted her to cook, clean and raise her family – they had a son together, Rolf – which made her miserable.

Hoffman did a great reading action through Emmy’s huge pink writings and create a narration that works with modern ear. For example, to describe depression, Amy wrote, “It seemed that” life “was just a tangled maze whose colors had suddenly fell from the mountainous peaks of the glory of the sun’s rays to the depths of an endless valley apparently from confusing depression.” “During this time, Amy described herself as very alone, and the passion that comes in those days like” terrifying fist. ”

To suit Amy, Harold fill the children in the car and went to Florida where it could herald. It was not easy – they slept in the fields and photographed a tent for her sermons. As a woman, she was a curiosity. As one welcomed all races, she faced cultural standards. During this time, Amy was the development of her religious scheme – she preached joy and love; He said that everyone can contact God personally; And that Jesus was about to appear on the ground. I traveled widely with her reputation growth. When Harold was burned as helping the rising star, Maine took his place. She and Amy arrived in Los Angeles in 1918, children along the ride.

In California, Emmy formed the Bible in the Chapter 4 stories, the principles of pelvis that were reinterated with its shine. Her fans have grown in Los Angeles and on the road. She was chasing the records recorded by the famous missionary of the Billy Billy Sunday fire; Where he preached the curse, you preached salvation. In the end, she won it.

She was on hand, describing herself “sister Amy” (instead of, for example, the “father” of the priest). Her clothes were very modest-full-length white dresses topped with a blue head. I put on their hands and people said they were healing. She was so popular that her followers did not mind when she and Harold divorced. She seized the hearts of Angelinus and was mired of donations. Her mother helped her to manage money, and make some major decisions that will help Aimee during difficult times.

With the money they collected, Aimee built what was called a million dollars, the Grand Echo Park Church that opened in 1923. There, it strengthened its reputation in its presentation in a great show. To accompany her inflamed speeches, a copper band, the orchestra and the choir of 100 people used. When the radio came, she had a site built on the site so that she could live. On the day she made a motorcycle on the stage, photographers encountered there.

It was a good time to be a good story in Los Angeles. He fought the competing newspapers for stories, from strange to scandal. Sister Amy, with her modest behavior and excess crowds, was a vibrant curiosity. She has learned to grow her press relationships, and she is always ready with a quick and intelligent response that would make a great copy. She was so known that people were invited to her on the street.

What happened after that is narrated by Hoffman, a former correspondent in Los Angeles Times, where the story played in actual time. On the afternoon of May 18, 1926, Amy went to swim at the Beach of Venice while she waited for her secretary on the beach. Amy no longer. A huge search process was followed by the missionary, during which diver died when his equipment failed. Crows gathered from her sudden followers along the beach, one of whom sank when she threw herself at sea to follow Amy to the next world. Was it missing? The viewer was reported; The tips were flooded in the Angelos Temple, which was offered and then abolished a $ 25,000 bonus. Thirty -three days after Amy’s disappearance, her mother held a funeral for her; 20,000 people attended, and empty their pockets in honor.

Two days later, Amy came out of the desert in Mexico, across the border from Douglas, Areez.

“Amy’s disappearance has released national news, but her resurrection topped the headlines of international newspapers,” Hoffman wrote. Amy’s story was: She was walking on the beach and went to help the people who asked for help, kidnapped her, transferred her from a safe house to another and threatened to sell her to sexual slavery in Mexico. She fled, walking 22 miles across the desert until she found a house at about one in the morning, and collapsed at his gate. On the day of death, her story never changed.

Emmy was alive, and Mini and McFrson children went amazing to meet her in Arizona. The media raced each other on the plane to be the first to get a miraculous picture of Al -Bashul. When Amy returned to Los Angeles, the crowd welcomed between 50,000 to 150,000 people.

From the beginning, though, Amy had doubts. Asa Keys, Los Angeles County lawyer in the Los Angeles region (which he called himself due to corruption), publicly asked how a woman was fame from the street. The physical evidence strongly suggested that instead of walking long distances across a flaming desert after weeks of torment, Amy came out of a car and a secret distance to discover it.

Meanwhile, Amy and her supporters demanded to find the kidnappers and bring them to justice. Keyes launched a high -level achievement and high risks, soon out of control.

An investigation was held in the Grand Corporation if the charges should be brought against Emmy’s kidnappers – but that has already worked to challenge her story – was publicly taken. This unusual circumstance means all the development and rotation of the story in the main headlines. Witnesses appeared and were seen. Amy, and perhaps for the first time in her life, she could not use her words to the influence of the audience. The Grand jury did not issue any charges, but let her know that they did not believe it.

A few days later, a woman moved forward claiming that she knew that Amy was in a love hut in Carmel with Kenneth Ormeston, the radio operator of her church. A man for married women, Ormeston was seen completely with Amy, and left his job shortly before her disappearance. Amy was not kidnapped at all; She was hiding in a romantic hut.

The story was a ring of truth. An investigator was sent to Carmel, late by newspaper correspondents who have helped him to collect evidence effectively. There was a grocery list, spice boxes, and copies of Los Angeles newspapers. I swore some witnesses yes, I was Amy, while others said no. Finally, Ormaniston, who remained out of reach of the press, issued a statement saying yes, he was, but he was with “Miss X”, not Aimee.

Keys was hesitant to push the matter forward, but the story was going like a trial in the press. This was followed by a zigzag from the drama of the courtroom and the media, and Hoffman described it exciting. The jaw dropping novel includes the support of Amy’s story, a blind lawyer that an agent deals with her to kidnap her, and a ransom note that was ignored and twins claimed that she was her sister’s sister who was immersed by Amy’s character in Carmel. To contradict it, the Ormiston trunk appeared to fall behind while it seemed that the fleeing reporters contained the foundations of Aimee. Moreover, Amy trained the twins to be double for her to support the story, switch the woman both sides, and revealed the tampering with me. The blind lawyer died in a car accident.

However, Amy holds her story. In the end, her legal ordeal ended. Amy has confirmed that she was established by the La’s scientist, the people participating in the dance halls that she needed, alcohol and illegal imports. Hoffman specifies that Emmy may have taken a gesture from them, however, he may resort to rewards for freedom from her legal problems.

She heard her bruises, but Amy survived. She continued to preach at the Angelos Temple, and continued to draw lovers. She still does good work, as she runs the largest soup kitchen in Los Angeles during depression. She is still hitting the road, and traveled to reach new fans.

Something, however, deeply changed. Hoffman describes a shift in the content of her sermons – more persecution, less light. She constitutes a dispute between her and her mother, with a mini separation from the Emmy Church. This is where the stories can be delightedly qualified – we left imagine the reason. Was this the reason that she was excluded from the fact that Amy’s disappearance, in mourning for her death while her daughter was in an experiment? Have you thought Amy’s story to the end, but losing faith otherwise? Was this because of Amy’s upcoming husband, another player, who managed their resources and kept Amy isolated from friends and family?

Today, we are used to the religious leaders of hypocrisy, but in 1926, Emmy’s story was a exciting journey that must be read. As it is again today in “Sister, Poor”.

Kellogg, a former book editor in La Times, is a writer and editor in Los Angeles.