Rolf McPherson was born March 23, 1913 and died May 21, 2009 of natural causes. Born in Providence, R.I., he was the son of Harold S. and Aimee Semple McPherson, founder of the Angelus Temple in Echo Park and spark for the Foursquare Christian movement of the 1920s and '30s.
McPherson initially studied to be an engineer but shifted his focus to the church when his mother became ill in the late 1930s. He assumed leadership of Angelus Temple in 1944 after she died from an accidental overdose of barbiturates.
He remained as pastor until his 1988 retirement. Under McPherson's tenure, the Foursquare ranks grew from 29,000 in 410 churches and meeting places in 1944 to 1.2 million members in 19,000 places of worship internationally at his retirement.
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In addition to his parents, McPherson is also preceded in death by his half-sister, Roberta Semple Salter. A memorial service was held May 30, 2009 at .