Maria Woodworth-Etter

[5] Unlike her first husband, Mr. Etter often aided Woodworth with her evangelist activities and remained alongside her during preaching tours.

The Quakers, Methodism and "Bible Christians" made her lucrative offers, but her dream was to evangelize in the western states.

[6] Many denominations did not allow female pastors, and she shied away from those groups, feeling that they contradicted her calling from God.

She was briefly affiliated with the Brethren in Christ but eventually joined the Church of God of the General Eldership founded by John Winebrenner.

Newspapers around the United States printed articles about Faith healing that was reported to have occurred at these events.

Her meetings also became known for people falling to the floor in trance-like states, similar to being Slain in the Spirit common a few decades later in the Pentecostal movement.

As she preached throughout the nation, her reputation grew, leading her to purchase an 8,000-seat tent in which to conduct her services.

[9] In 1918 she founded Woodworth-Etter's Tabernacle, what is today the Lakeview Church (Temple) of Indianapolis, Indiana.

[5] She had chosen Indianapolis for her church because of its central location in the United States at the time, having been known as the Crossroads of America.

[10] While Woodworth-Etter felt that Aimee Semple McPherson's flashy style was too worldly, the founder of Foursquare Church was greatly influenced by Maria's popularity, faith, and breaking of gender barriers.

[11] Early on, Woodworth lacked the confidence in being an evangelist, in part because of the stigma against women preachers at the time.

Woodworth studied the Bible and saw all of the times God used women to spread his message and enact his will.

Due to this belief in spiritual conflict, Woodworth warned believers to "try the spirits" in accordance with Paul's letter to the Corinthians.