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Sister Aimee Semple McPherson built the Angelus Temple in L.A.

William Schultz, Assistant Professor of American Religion, was featured on the August 12, 2025, episode of the popular podcast, 99% Invisible. The episode is about the impact of Sister Aimee Semple McPherson on the rise of American Pentecostalism and the Angelus Temple in Echo Park, Los Angeles. 

Unlike the testosterone-laden aggressive style of male preachers, Sister Aimee had a gentler approach. As William Schultz of the University of Chicago Divinity School explains, she packaged “a really domestic style,” projecting the image of a simple country person infused with divine power. She intuitively knew how to reach people, using megaphones and starting a monthly magazine. With her success, she was popularizing Pentecostalism itself.

Listen to the full episode: Sister Aimee and the Birth of the Megachurch.