Congregationalism is the idea that each church should consist only of those who have accepted the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ and covenanted with God and with one another to live together as His disciples. Adherents of this view in the English-speaking world were earlier known as Separatists; they became the forerunner of the Congregationalists.
The idea of congregationalism may be traced back to the time of Elizabeth I, who, as the sovereign of a nation and as "the Supreme Head of the Church," naturally sought after uniformity for the church. The leading separatist, Robert Browne, however, argued that "the Church planted or gathered is a company or number of Christians or believers, which, by a willing covenant made with their God, are under the government of God and Christ and keep His laws in one holy communion." Such churches are—though loyal to the sovereign—subject to neither bishop nor magistrates in their manner, e.g., of leadership, ordination or worship. Though the congregation may consult with others, the responsibility for managing such matters lay solely with the congregation.
Though Congregationalist churches grew up in England, many felt that the Elizabethan regime too confining, and migrated to Holland and, most of all, to Connecticut and Massachusetts in north America.
The great strength of Congregationalism is its idea of the local church as a Christ-ruled fellowship. This, however, also means that such churches tend to be small, because "large congregation finds it less practical to work out the principle of Christocracy as expressed through the medium of the church meeting" (G. W. Kirby). Historically, also, Congregational churches were also the most vulnerable to theological liberalism.
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