Our Pastor
Pastor Joe Van Koevering's worldwide teaching and preaching ministry has taken him throughout the country and world. Dr. Van Koevering is a dynamic personality and recognized by millions around the world through his hosting of the weekly, internationally syndicated television program, God’s News Behind The News.
His greatest passion however, is pastoring Gateway Christian Center in St. Petersburg FL. He jokingly says that he took every chance he could to leave St. Petersburg, but God kept bringing him back. He now knows that God has placed him in St. Petersburg to pastor this city.
Gateway Christian Center (formerly known as Calvary Foursquare Church) started in 1950. It has had several Pastors over the years. When Pastor Joe Van Koevering took the helm in 1998, the attendance had declined to less than forty. They have since outgrown that facility and have seen the Lord multiply the congregation several times over.
Core Values
Christ-Centered Worship
* We prioritize joyous worship, honoring the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as we extol the life and love of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 11:36-12:1-2).
* We hold to the creeds asserting Jesus as God’s virgin-born Son--His sinless life, atoning death and literal resurrection providing salvation (Acts 4:12).
* We focus a Christ-honoring, grace-based preaching and teaching ministry rooted in the authority of God’s eternal Word, the Holy Bible (2 Timothy 3:16).
Church Health and Biblical Balance
* We prioritize a personal and church lifestyle of vital joy and hope as Christ and His kingdom are described in John 10:10, Romans 14:17 and 15:13.
* We promote creative personal and church ministry that spreads the Gospel meets human need and multiplies life-begetting ministries (Phil. 1:9-11).
* We prioritize passion with order in worship, biblical grace with obedience in lifestyle, with liberty, wisdom and charity in all things (1 Corinthians 13:13; 14:40).
* We embrace all who love Christ, pursuing our distinct sense of mission and values, while affirming the whole church beyond our ranks (Philippians 2:1-10).
Spirit-Filled Discipleship
* We prioritize the apostolic plan for discipleship as in Acts 8:14-17; 19:1-6, calling believers to decisively open to the Holy Spirit’s fullness and fruit.
* We acknowledge the distinct and ongoing gift-giving ministry of the Spirit and instruct in how to minister in His power to Christ’s glory (1 Corinthians 12-14).
* We pursue faith-filled prayer, intercession and spiritual warfare with Holy Spirit enabled power and discernment as in Ephesians 6:10-20 and 1 Timothy 2:1-6.
Global Evangelism
* We prioritize the apostolic convictions in 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15; being constrained by the love of Christ knowing eternal souls are at risk, and commissioned by the grace of God since all who believe may be saved.
* We are constant to our founding call to worldwide, interdenominational evangelism, proclaiming to all that Jesus Christ is the Savior, Baptizer with the Holy Spirit, Healer, and Soon-Coming King (Acts 20:27).
Fellowship and Ministry
* We prioritize planting and growing local churches as in Acts 9:31 and Ephesians 3:14-19, that believers may be grown, nurtured and equipped for ministry.
* We cultivate every-member ministry as in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Christ’s will being that His church be the living evidence of His love and power to the world.
* We honor the Holy Spirit’s call to and giftings of church leaders under Christ’s commission and lordship, irrespective of age, gender or ethnicity (Acts 2:17-18).
Social Conscience
* We prioritize the Gospel of Jesus Christ as God’s power unto salvation for all, begetting works of compassion, justice and human aid (Matthew 5:13-16).
* We place high value on the sanctity of human life, of biblical marriage and morality, and we welcome ethnic diversity (Isaiah 56:7; Philippians 2:15-16).
* We accept the timeless purpose of God through his ancient people Israel, and reject anti-Semitism and all ethnic discrimination (Romans 11:11-27; Acts 17:26).
Our Founder
The early 20th century evangelist, Aimee Semple McPherson, was a pioneer of women in religion. Having experienced a profound religious conversion at age 17, Aimee began preaching across the United States and later, the world. In 1918, she established her base in Los Angeles, Calif., where in 1923, the 5,300 seat Angelus Temple was dedicated and became the center of her revival, healing and benevolent ministries. She was the first woman to own and operate a Christian radio station. Her sermons were the first to incorporate the contemporary communications of that day into her preaching of the Gospel. From Angelus Temple she performed an extensive social ministry, providing hot meals for more than 1.5 million people during the Great Depression. She summarized her message into four major points known as "The Foursquare Gospel," and founded a denomination called The Foursquare Church.
Aimee was born October 9, 1890 on a small farm near Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada and was the only child of James and Minnie Kennedy. While a student in high school, she attended a revival service conducted by Robert Semple. By her own account, she stated that at the time she was "cold and far from God" and began questioning the truths of the Bible. During this revival meeting, the message of "repentance" and a "born again experience" pierced her heart with conviction. When Robert began talking about the baptism with the Holy Spirit, it disturbed her so much that she left the meeting. But the Holy Spirit continued to grip at Aimee's heart, and for three days she struggled with such conviction until finally, alone in her room, she threw up her hands and said, "Lord, God, be merciful to me, a sinner." Immediately the burden was gone and the glory of the Lord filled her heart. She had been born again.
As she continued to attend the revival services, she learned that God had even more for her and so she began to seek the baptism with the Holy Spirit. After a time of prayer and seeking the Lord, she was gloriously filled and began speaking in her heavenly language and praising God. Aimee would describe that time by saying, "Each moment I could feel myself drawing nearer, nearer into His presence," and her heart cried out, "Take me, use me, have Thine own way. I am only a school girl. I live on a Canadian farm, but such as I am I give myself to Thee." Aimee said that, with the incoming of the Holy Spirit came a love and compassion for souls that melted her heart with longing for Christian service.
Her desire for serving the Lord seemed perfectly fitted to Robert Semple's evangelistic work and when he asked her to marry him, she quickly responded with a "yes." The two were married and this longing for service was first fulfilled when, before her twentieth birthday, she and her husband of less than two years, embarked on a missionary trip to China. Aimee would have been content to live out her days in obscurity. But what started out as a glorious adventure and fulfilment of God's calling ended with the tragic death of her husband three months after their arrival. Penniless, and alone with a one-month-old daughter, Aimee returned to the United States.
Shortly after returning home, Aimee met and married a businessman, Harold McPherson, with whom she had a son, Rolf. She tried to settle down to a "normal" home-life, but the call to Christian service remained constant. God continually knocked at the door of her heart and said, "Now will you go?" Growing weaker and weaker from sickness, Aimee, while on her deathbed after her second operation within two years, answered "yes" to God's call. Almost immediately thereafter, she was healed.
Knowing that she had to keep her promise to the Lord, she began evangelizing and holding tent revivals, first by traveling up and down the eastern part of the United States, then expanding to other parts of the country. She eventually held meetings in all parts of the world. People began coming in ever-increasing numbers to hear this remarkable lady evangelist. When not in a tent, she would need to find the largest auditorium in town in order to hold the record number of people that would come to her meetings. Often times she would have to share the time with whatever "event" was happening in the town. Like, on one occasion she met in a boxing ring, but had to hold her meetings before and after the boxing match. Once in San Diego, the National Guard had to be brought in to control the crowd of over 30,000 people. People would often stand in line and wait many hours for the next service to begin in order to be assured a seat.
Aimee's charismatic personality was a God-given gift used to draw people to hear her message. Her sermons were not the usual "fire and brimestone" messages given by contemporary evangelists, but ones which showed the face of a loving God, with continual outstretched arms. It was a message about heaven, as a place you wanted to be, and serving Jesus, as the only life that offered true fulfilment.
With Aimee, all were called and all were welcomed. God was no respecter of persons and neither was Aimee. She evangelized when segregation was rampant in the South. Although she invited all to come to her meetings, often times she would go to the "black" parts of town and hold meetings after the main meeting was over. She broke down racial barriers such that one time at Angelus Temple, some Klu Klux Klan members were in attendance, but after the service, many of their hoods and robes were found thrown on the ground in nearby Echo Park. She is also credited with helping many of the Hispanic ministries in Los Angeles get started, and there was even a great Gypsy following, after the wife of a Gypsy chief and the chief himself had been healed in a Denver revival meeting. With Aimee Semple McPherson there was no color, ethnic, or status separation line.
While holding a revival meeting in San Francisco in April 1922, Aimee became the first woman to preach a sermon over the radio. Being intrigued with the possibilities of this medium, Aimee purchased a radio station herself, thus making her the first woman to possess a radio license and operate a station. Through the wonder of radio, Aimee's voice became the most recognizable voice around the world. Since there were not many stations in Los Angeles at its inception, one could walk down the street, especially on a Sunday morning, hear the entire message from one open window to another, get to the destination, and not miss a single word of the sermon.
Weary of constant traveling and having no place to raise a family, Aimee rejoiced when in 1918, God called her to Los Angeles. This was to be her base of operation. God told her He would build her a house in Los Angeles and He did--one for her family and one for His people. For several years she continued to travel and raise money for the building of Angelus Temple and on January 1, 1923, Angelus Temple was dedicated. The church held 5,300 people and was filled to capacity three times each day, seven days a week. In the beginning, Aimee preached every service. It became the spiritual home for thousands of her followers and a base for her evangelistic ministry. What grew out of a desire to have a base of operation to preach the Gospel, quickly evolved into a church organization--supporting and sending out missionaries, providing commissary and community services that were more reliable than the city's own relief programs, as well as a full program of church ministries.
Aimee was famous inside and outside the church. Every city where services were held usually had in attendance civic leaders, as well as pastors representing the local churches of every denomination. She made sure that Angelus Temple was represented in local parades and entered floats into the famous Rose Parade in Pasadena. Her illustrated sermons attracted even those from the entertainment industry, looking to see a "show" that rivaled what Hollywood had to offer. These famous stage productions drew people who would never have thought to enter a church, and then presented them with the message of salvation. Aimee believed that the Gospel was to be presented at every opportunity and used worldly means at her disposal to present the Gospel to as many people as possible.
She was a woman in a man's world, and single at a time when women her age were suppose to be married. But she was willing to go, when God called, and was not limited by what she saw, but believed in the God who called her to fulfill the greatest call of all--the winning of souls.
Aimee once wrote:
"You don't need to be an orator. What God wants is plain people with the Good News in their hearts who are willing to go and tell it to others. The love of winning souls for Jesus Christ sets a fire burning in one's bones. Soul winning is the most important thing in the world. All I have is on the altar for the Lord, and while I have my life and strength, I will put my whole being into the carrying out of this Great Commission."
Sister McPherson, as she was affectionately called by her consistuents, went to be with the Lord, September 27, 1944, while conducting a revival service in Oakland, Calif. Memorial services were held on her birthday, October 9th, at Angelus Temple.
From its beginning at Angelus Temple, The Foursquare Church has now grown to include more than 50,000 churches worldwide. There are currently more than 5 million members in 147 countries around the globe. It presently ranks as one of the three or four most distinguished branches of Pentecostalism.
Doctrine
The Holy Scriptures
We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God: true, immutable, steadfast, and unchangeable (2 Timothy 3:16, 17).
The Eternal Godhead
We believe that God is triune: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; the Three are coexistent, coeternal, and equal in divine perfection (1 John 5:7).
The Fall of Man
We believe that man, created in the image of God, by voluntary disobedience fell into the depths of sin and iniquity, bequeathing sin’s nature and consequences to all mankind, with their accompanying loss of intended meaning and purpose (Genesis 1:27; Romans 5:12).
The Plan of Redemption
We believe that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us, took our place, and with His life’s blood purchased the pardon for all who believe in Him (John 3:16; Titus 2:14).
Salvation Through Grace
We believe that salvation is wholly through grace; that no human righteousness or merit can contribute to our receiving God’s love and favor (Ephesians 2:8).
Repentance and Acceptance
We believe that, upon sincere repentance and a whole-hearted acceptance of Christ, we are justified before God through Jesus’ sacrificial death (Romans 10:6-10; 1 John 1:9).
The New Birth
We believe that the change that takes place in people at conversion is a very real one; that having received righteousness in Christ and having received of His Spirit, people will have new desires, interests, and pursuits in life (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20).
Daily Christian Life
We believe that it is the will of God that those who have been born again grow in sanctification, become partakers of His holiness, and daily grow stronger in the faith, power, prayer, love, and service (2 Corinthians 7:1).
Water Baptism and the Lord's Supper
We believe that being baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is an essential response to Jesus’ command, testifying to His lordship as Christ and King (Romans 6:4). We believe in observing the Lord’s Supper, receiving the broken bread and the fruit of the vine with joy and faith as we partake anew of the life and triumph of Christ’s Cross (1 Corinthians 11:24-26)
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
We believe that the baptism in the Holy Spirit empowers believers to exalt Jesus, to live lives of holiness, and to be witnesses of God’s saving grace; we expect the Spirit’s incoming to be after the same manner as that in which He came upon believers in the days of the Early Church (Acts 1: 5, 8; 2:4).
The Spirit-Filled Life
We believe that it is the will of God that believers walk in the Spirit moment by moment, serving the Lord and living lives of patience, love, truth, sincerity, and prayer (Ephesians 4:30-32; Galatians 5:16, 25).
The Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit bestows enabling ministry gifts upon believers, and that these gifts will build up the Body of Christ through edification and evangelism(1 Corinthians 12:1-11); as evidence of a Spirit-filled life, believers should show spiritual “fruit”: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Galatians 5:22-25).
Moderation
We believe a Christians’ moderation should be obvious to others and that relationship with Jesus should never lead people into extremes of fanaticism; their lives should model that of Christ in uprightness, balance, humility, and self-sacrifice (Colossians 3:12, 13; Philippians 4:5).
Divine Healing
We believe that divine healing is the power of Jesus Christ to heal the sick in answer to the prayer of faith; He, who does not change, is still willing and able to heal the body, as well as the soul and spirit in answer to faith (Mark 16: 17, 18; James 5:14-16).
The Second Coming of Christ
We believe that the second coming of Christ is personal and imminent; the certainty of His coming and the fact that no man knows the hour of His coming prompt our evangelistic efforts; that the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven, the dead in Christ shall rise, and the redeemed will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air (Matthew 24:36, 42, 44; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17).
Church Relationship
We believe that it is our sacred duty to identify ourselves with a congregation of believers with whom we can worship God, observe the ordinances of Christ, exhort and support one another, labor for the salvation of others, and work together to advance the Lord’s Kingdom (Acts 16:5; Hebrews 10:24).
Civil Government
We believe that civil government is by divine appointment and that civil laws should be upheld at all times except in things opposed to the will of God (Acts 4: 18-20; Romans 13:1-5).
Judgement
We believe that all shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ: the redeemed to be delivered unto everlasting life, and the unrepentant unto everlasting punishment (Revelation 20:11, 12; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
Heaven
We believe that heaven is the glorious habitation of the living God and the eternal home of born-again believers (John 14:2; Revelation 7:15-17).
Hell
We believe that hell is a place of darkness, deepest sorrow, and unquenchable fire, which was not prepared for man but for the devil and his angels; yet it will become the place of eternal separation from God for all who reject Christ as Savior (Matthew 13: 41, 42; Revelation 10:10, 15).
Evangelism
We believe that soul winning is the “one big business” of the Church on earth, and that every hindrance to worldwide evangelism should be removed (James 5:20; Mark 16:15).
Tithing and Offerings
We believe that tithing and offerings are ordained of God to sustain His ministry, spread the Gospel, and release personal blessing (Malachi 3:10; 1 Corinthians 16: 1, 2).
