Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-29
AIMEE TO RESIGN
ASTEMP[ELEADER
Will Leave Los Angeles as
Soon as New Leader
Is Found.

LOS ANGELES. July 90 up -
Aimee Semple Mcpherson declared
today that there lis no thought OF
an immediate change" at her An.
gelus Temple here. although she
announced publicly last night that
she was going To resign as leader
Of the temple and move to other
fields.
BY the Associated Press.
LOS ANGELES. July % OP).-The
Times SAYS Aimee Semple McPhNr-
son will surrender control Of Angelus
Temple as soon as her position as
pastor can be filled and the present
squabbIe between the evangelist and
her mother, Mrs. Minnie Kennedy.
can be settled.
Torn between her desire TO continue
her work here and the wish to en-
gage in world evangelical work, the
evangelist said she had made her
choice and would leave Los Angeles,
according to the Times. She an
nounced she would submit her resig-
nation to the church committee now
engaged in recognizing the business
affairs OF the temple.
Climax a Surprise.
Announcement OF her impending
resignation came as an unexpected
climax to more than a year of activ-
ity involving the woman evangelist.
The trouble started with her disap-
pearance at an ocean resort, and a
report that she had been drowned.
She reappeared later in Arizona with
a story that she had been kidnapped
and taken into Mexico but had
escaped.
Mrs. Mcpherson was taken before
a county grand jury. which discredited
the kidnapping story. Later she was
charged with conspiracy, when the
State produced witnesses, who said
she had spent a part OF the time OF
her disappearance in a cottage at Car
mel, Calf. with her radio operator.
Kenneth G. Ormiston. This charge
was dropped when the principal wit
ness changed her story
The newest difficulty broke ont a
few days ago. when Mrs. Mcpherson
cut short a revival campaign in Al
ton, ILL.,, to return to face an outbreak
in the temple She charged her
mother. Mrs. Minnie Kennedy. busi-
ness manager of the temple, had at
tempted to usurp her place as head
Of the temple, and removed Mrs. Ken
nedy on the ground that other church
leaders demanded it. Mrs. Kennedy
charged her daughter with under
hand methods and declared she had
not been grateful for the protection"
which the mother gave her while her
story of the kidnapping was being at
tackled.
Hopes for New Leader.
1T will be necessary for me to re-
main in charge until the unfortunate
diff1culties between the church and my
mother have been amicably settled"
Mrs. Mcpherson said. II am hopinr
that new leader can be found and
the church difficulties can be stra :sht-
ened out during the next three
weeks"
The Rev. Marvin Craig Of Des
Moines, Iowa, may be the choice of
the retiring pastor as her successor,
she said. 1T seems that ever since
escaped from those who kidnaped
me, have been the center of a storm
created by outside influences" Mrs.
Mcpherson said.
Through their heckling of me they
have 1mperiled the wonderful institu.
ton we have built through the wears
OF devotion and effort"
Denver. she said, had started a
movement to found a temple similar
to Angelus Temple, where she would
appear periodically. The same plan
would be followed in Chicago and
New York. From these points her
organization would extend throughout
the United States and into foreign
countries.
Would Extend Work Abroad.
At least three Canadian cities. in.
Guiding Toronto and Montreal. would
build permanent temples, or light
houses" England, Ireland, Scotland
and Wales would be in her program
of expansion.
She said she had not yet revealed
her plans to either her mother, her
congregation or the church commit.
tee which hacked her in her present
struggle with her mother. She said
she would do so today.
new mystery injected into the
squabble between mother and daugh.
ter when the evangelist's committee
said that Mrs. Kennedy was the wife
of w. Whittebeck of New York. still l.,
was uncleared last night.
Mrs. Kennedy. when told that
Whittebeck had denied he was mar
rled to her or even knew her, refused
to comment.
Just let them go on and have all
the rope they want" she said. THEY'LL
soon get enough to hang themselves
and then fhcU will ho,, f,,o.-.