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Congregationalism (also Congregationalist churches or Congregational churches) is a Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice congregational government. Each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs.
Congregationalism, Christian movement that arose in England in the late 16th and 17th centuries. It occupies a theological position somewhere between Presbyterianism and the more radical Protestantism of the Baptist s and Quaker s.
What is a Congregational Church / Congregationalism? Congregationalism speaks of a form of church government. “Episcopal” church government is rule by bishops, “presbyterian” church government is rule by elders, and “congregational” church government is rule by the congregation.
What Is a Congregational Church? The Congregational Church, or Congregationalism, is a Protestant faith that’s committed to the autonomy of the congregation. True to its name, the Congregational Church is governed by the congregation.
To discover the essential characteristics of a Congregational Church, please read on… A Covenantal, not a Creedal Church. We are covenantal, not creedal. That is, we make a simple “agreement” to live together as people inspired by Christ’s life and teaching, seeking to know the truth and do good work in our world.
Congregational Churches accept Christ alone as the head of the Church and are completely responsible for hearing and responding to Christ’s guidance as they understand it. Each church is autonomous and self-governing, free from outside church authority to follow the leading of Christ’s Spirit.
One of the most common forms of church government is commonly referred to as “Congregationalism.” What is Congregationalism? At the heart of Congregationalism is the belief that local congregations are to govern their own affairs. This stands in contrast to both Episcopacy and Presbyterianism.
Congregational Churches are sometimes known as the “Church of the Pilgrims” after the small congregations of the early 1600’s. The people of these congregations moved from England to the new world in pursuit of religious freedom.
At its core, it is about women and men who voluntarily came together into religious community, cherishing an ideal dating back to the English Reformation of autonomous local churches free from liturgical ceremony and hierarchical control.
Congregationalism in the United States consists of Protestant churches in the Reformed tradition that have a congregational form of church government and trace their origins mainly to Puritan settlers of colonial New England.