CONGREGATIONALISM, or INDE PENDENCY, a form of evangelical Christianity which vests all ecclesiasti cal authority in the individual believers associated in a local church, complete in itself, but holding advisory cooperative relations with similar bodies. Congre gationalism holds in common with other evangelical Christians the great facts of sin and of redemption through the in carnation and atonement of Christ as taught in the Bible. Congregationalism denies that there is any authority in Scripture for uniting the churches of a nation or province into one Church or corporation, to be ruled by a bishop or bishops, superior to the bishop or pastor of particular congregations or by a pres bytery or synod consisting of the pastors or elders of the several congregations of the nation or province. This principle of Church polity is the specialty which plainly distinguishes Congregationalism from Episcopacy, Presbyterianism, Meth odism, and all denominations whose churches are organized into a body hav ing over its members any authority other than advisory.
Congregational polity is based upon three ideas: the right of each individual to take part in the government of •the community; the autonomy of the local church; and its independence of all ex ternal ecclesiastical authority. While complete in itself, the local church may voluntarily unite with other churches for consultation and common action; but no resolution of any such union binds the individual church without its own con sent. Usually each church has one min ister or pastor, who is chosen by the free suffrages of the membership, but there may be more than one. In addition to the pastor or pastors, home missionaries and evangelists are sometimes appointed. Home missionaries and evangelists, if employed by a church for local service, are under the supervision of the church and not of the pastor, save as he is an agent of the church. Those commonly known as home missionaries and many evangelists, while members of some local church, are usually clergymen who have been formally inducted into the minis terial office according to the usages of the denomination.
Standing in the ministry is given (1) by the action of the church authorizing one of its members or any other person it may deem qualified to exercise minis terial functions; (2) by the action of a voluntary association of Congregational ministers approving a candidate after due examination, and commending him for a limited time as such to the churches; (3) by an action of a Council of Churches called by some local church or acting in its name, ordaining a man as pastor or evangelist or missionary, or installing a minister as pastor of the church calling the council. The secular
affairs of the church are administered by trustees appointed by the church or by an ecclesiastical society called the parish, made up of members of the congregation, not all necessarily members of the church. In some matters, like calling and installing a pastor, the church and the society act conjointly. The princi ples of this polity are held also by the Baptists, Unitarians, Universalists, and other denominations.
The first Congregational Church in Eng land, of which there was any record, was formed in London about 1571. Robert Fitz was the minister, and his "True Marks of Christes Churche" is the first document relating to English Congrega tionalism known to be in existence. The most prominent name in connection with Congregationalism at this time is that of the Rev. Robert Browne, who left the Established Church, and, in conjunction with the Rev. Robert Harrison, formed a Congregational Church at Norwich in 1580. Another famous clergyman was John Robinson. The members of his church fled from persecution to Holland, and 12 years later crossed the Atlan tic "landing at Plymouth, the Pilgrim Fathers of the Mayflower." In the cabin of the "Mayflower" was signed the famous compact which might be called the magna charta of American Congregationalism. At this time the Congregationalists were sometimes called "Brownists" (after the Rev. Robert Browne), sometimes "Separatists" (be cause they would keep the church separate from the world), and some times "Independents." This last designa tion Congregationalists themselves soon adopted, and have ever since retained.