Evening star., 1927-02-16
MRS. MCPHERSON
CAUSES PROTESTS
Head of Her Local Committee
Admits Small Cloud Is on
EvangeIist's Horizon.

".All is well" with the Aimee Scmple
Mcpherson headquarters. according tt
| surface indications. but small. darh
cloud appeared today on the erStwh!if
sunny horizon of the evangelist :
Washington campaign
From Rev. Harry l.. Collier Of the
Full Gospel Mission. who is chairman
of the local committee on arrange
ments, reluctant admission was
; drawn today that some protests
have been received against Mrs. Nc
f'herson's somewhat sensational re
vival in the interests Of 'old-time
religion" More than that the local
chairman refused to say.
Remains at Headquarters.
AT the campaign headquarters in the
| Hamilton Hotel, where the ndefati-
gable revivalist was storing up more
| energy for her third sermon this after
noon to thousa nds OF waiting Wash
| ingtonians. no confirmation Of this
| situation was obtainab bic. At least no
| Washington pastor had come out in
the open TO question the right of Mrs.
| Mcpherson to spread her -four
square" gospel here. Despite persist
ent rumors that all is no. as well as
i
evangelist's demeanor TO indicate she
$ worrying on that score.
10000 Hear Sermons.
| Fully 10000 persons in all walks Of
life, some drawn by curiosity. others
by the appeal of her "Foursuuare Cos
pei" rallied about the picturesque
Los Angeles evangelist at her first
two meetings yesterday afternoon and
last night.
Who said ashingtonianS are
staid and conservatives" Sister Aimee
exclaimed. with cheeks aglow. after
more than usual hearty response
from the amen corner" in the Audi.
! torium. Why. you're all afire with
the spirit of the old-time revival"
And. sure enough, they were.
To judge by the fervent cries OF
"Hallelujah" that greeted this sortie
and others like it. these 10000 Wash
ingtonians seemed. indeed, to welcome
| return of this form of worship. For
Mrs. Mcpherson. in action. is the
spirit incarnate of the old type of re
vivaliSt, who takes her Bible seriously
and calls on the sinners and the
back ksliders"-there were many--to
stand up and bare their souls.
Has Message for Pastors.
This magnetic young woman. car
rying the message of an old-time re-
ligion into the homes Of Washington,
who bem0aned the fact that she has
stood in churches for an hour without
hearing a single amen" has some
thing, too, to tell the pastors of the
land.
THE mere the world enters into the
church the more God gets out" she
warned. Throw out the movies from
the church, take out the dance hall
and stop the friendly smokers A
church without the spirit of the Holy
Ghost is like an automobile without
gas. What you need is fire in your
churches, fire in the pews, not in the
cook stove in the basement room, but
fire in your pulpits. What the
churches need today is the oldtime re-
ligion."
For, as Mrs. Mcpherson reminded
her swaying. sympathetic audience,
"the twentieth century is moving in
seven-league boots and the church
trudging in leaden shoes
Enjoys Opening Here.
Mrs. Mcpherson enjoyed opening
her Washington campaign-her first
here since an appearance several years
ago in the McKendree Methodist Epis-
copal Church-and made no bones
about it. Yesterday afternoon she
preached on Ruth the Cleaner" while
last night for Is minutes she pleaded
the cause Of the "Foursquare Gospel"
described as dealing with the four
great phases of Jesus Christ-namely,
Christ, the only Saviour; Christ. the
baptizer with the Holy Split; Christ,
the Great Physician. and the coming
kingdom.
"Oh, it Is workable gospel" Mrs.
Mcpherson exclaimed THAT is what
the world is asking for today Beauti-
full oratory Is splendid, but 1t doesn't
satisfy a longing heart. Education Is
wonderful. but it will not heal a
broken and suffering body. When
sickness comes or bereavement pierces
the heart. when the night is dark and
there is no way to turn, then a gospel
Of words will not answer the need"
Where many seats were empty yes-
terday afternoon in the large Audi
torium. every seat and box was filled
last night. and persons stood up in
the rear, though the spontaneity of
the earlier audience, comprising most.
ly women, was far more noticeable.
For all that, the sinners" the back
sliders' and those who just go to
church to be prayed for" were more
numerous last night.
Refers to Recent Case.
1t is thus that Mrs Mcpherson
always concludes her revivals. Kneel-
ing in front Of the vast audience, as
the penitents stand silent. she leads in
prayer. Then with arms outstretched,
she sings in a soft mezzo-soprano:
Come into by heart, Lord Jesus
Mrs. Mcpherson, doesn't parade her
nI4 nIo
but she never fails to drag ii in by
the heels. Yesterday. she referred to
the Tower OF Babel erected by the
devil TO undo her work in Los
Angeles Temple, and last night she
again made pointed reference, by
song and speech. to the difficulties
that have beset her path in recent
months.
Referring TO this fire" last night,
during the course of her sermon, she
declared the devil found he had 10
put it out. What he threw on il.
he thought was water. and it turned
out TO be gasoline-then whoop 1t
went"
Mrs. Mcpherson is populariZing
in Washington an old time negro
spiritual, with Caalifornia words that
have an unquestioned meaning. Lead
ing the large white garbed choir OF
women's voices from the stage, the
audience finds itself singing with her:
You can talk about me as much as you
plese
III talk Abou: YOU down. on nv knees
But | aiut a-goin to grieve the Lord any
more
And then another verse:
On one of these DAYS the judgment Will come.
And the Lord will stop these falsifyng
tongues.
But / amt a-goin to grieve the Lord any
more.
Holds Center OF Stage.
Away from her audiences, Mrs. Nc
| Dbaronp draSSaS i'm the latest bacop