Being "Congregational"

Congregationalism is one of the many expressions of Christianity in the world today.  Although there are spontaneously formed Congregational churches Congregationalism is generally understood as emerging in the latter part of the 16th Century in the United Kingdom.

Its beginnings are within the Puritan movement which was a reaction against corruption within the State Church in Britain at that time.  As some lost hope in real reformation in England and Wales a number of Christians began to dissent.  This formed the roots for not only Congregationalism but also Baptists, Presbyterians and Quakers.  Known firstly as "Separatists" those that were eventually defined as Congregationalists became defined as "Independents" as each congregation was autonomous.  The term "Congregational" comes with the formation of associational bodies of these independent churches from the early 19th Century.

Presbyterianism also arose about this time, but with a different form of governance.

Early Congregationalists paid dearly for the stand they had taken.  Many were heavily fined for their failure to attend the State Church.  Their leaders and sometimes whole congregations were cast into prison.  Some paid with their lives.  Some sought refuge in Holland, and some travelled to the New World and became known as the Pilgrim Fathers.

Reflection on the spiritual journey they had taken led to a growing awareness that this new form of ecclesiology (how churches are structured) resonated with the biblical pattern and, more importantly, with the teaching of Jesus.  In 1658 it was given a formulaic definition in the Savoy Declaration.

Many outstanding theologians, hymn writers, scholars, and reformers are to be found within the history of Congregationalism.

At the end of the 18th Century the Congregationalists, in partnership with some others, formed the London Missionary Society.  Although the aim was never to propagate Congregational churches around the world but rather to spread the gospel of Christ, their labours inevitably led to the establishing of Congregationally ordered churches in many parts of the world.

In the latter part of the 20th Century many Congregational churches and Associational bodes united with other denominations and are often now found within "United" or "Uniting" Churches.  But many thousands of Congregational churches continue around the world.  There is probably no such thing as "a typical Congregational church" but, to varying degrees, the following characteristics will be found:

• Each (local) church is autonomous
• Governance is through a meeting of all the church members
• The churches are non-hierarchical (no bishops etc)
• The ministers are non-priestly and remain accountable to the local church that has called them
• While trinitarian and orthodox in matters of faith the churches are usually non-creedal
• Membership of a Congregational church is usually upon confession of faith alone and not dependent upon any rite such as baptism
• There is often a covenanted membership
• They are commonly (but not exclusively) paedo-baptist in belief and practice.