13. FRAUD: The Kidnapping of Sister Aimee

Why would a popular and accomplished preacher fake her own kidnapping? This is the tale of Aimee Semple McPherson, a trailblazing evangelist who founded the Foursquare Church and achieved incredible success. But everything changed in June 1926, when she stumbled out of the desert in Douglas, Arizona telling an unlikely story of being held captive for six weeks. 

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🐇 Go ahead, down the rabbit hole you go… Here’s the complete list of sources for this episode:
-Aimee Semple McPherson dies suddenly in Oakland. (1944, September 28). Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/archives/la-me-aimee-semple-mcpherson-19440928-story.html
-Grimley, N. (2014, November 25). The mysterious disappearance of a celebrity preacher. BBC Magazine. Retrieved January 9, 2025, from https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30148022
-King, G. (2013, June 17). The incredible disappearing evangelist. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-incredible-disappearing-evangelist-572829/
-Krist, G. (2018). The Mirage Factory: Illusion, imagination, and the invention of Los Angeles. Crown. Kindle Edition.
-McPherson, A. S. (1973). The story of my life. Word Books.
-Monrovia Daily News. (1926, June 4). Mrs. Kennedy will abandon ocean search. Monrovia, CA. https://www.newspapers.com/image/606324952/?match=1&terms=kidnap%20McKinley
-Monrovia Daily News. (1926, June 3). McPherson 4 questions. Newspapers.com. Retrieved August 29, 2025, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/monrovia-daily-news-mcpherson-4-question/179988527/
-PBS. (2007, April 2). Sister Aimee [Television documentary]. American Experience. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/sister/
-PBS. (n.d.). The Angelus Temple. American Experience. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/sister-angelus-temple/
-PBS. (n.d.). The Fight for Genesis. American Experience. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/sister-fight-genesis/
-Sutton, M. A. (2009). Aimee Semple McPherson and the resurrection of Christian America. Harvard University Press.

👏 Special thanks to our talented partners:
Paolo Sbrighi for Musical Composition (instagram.com/paulosbrighi/)
Mario Cintra for Logo Design (instagram.com/alacarala/)