Congregationalists are members of a Protestant religious group. From 1620 to about 1800, the Congregationalists were the dominant religious tradition in New England. Unlike many other Christian denominations, Congregationalists rejected outside control by bishops and councils. They believed that each congregation should control its own affairs, including the selection of ministers. This principle strongly influenced the development of democratic government in the United States.
Congregational practices developed in England during the early 1600’s as a branch of Puritanism. Puritanism was a movement that attempted to “purify” the Church of England of Roman Catholic beliefs and practices. The Puritans were influenced by the teachings of John Calvin, a leader of the Protestant Reformation.
Some Puritans, called Separatists, broke away completely from the Church of England because they believed they could not reform it. The Pilgrims, a Separatist group, settled Plymouth Colony in 1620 in what is now Massachusetts. These Separatists later became known as Congregationalists because of their insistence on the rights of local congregations. They interacted with and finally merged with non-Separatist Puritans who settled in New England.
From the mid-1600’s to the early 1800’s, the Congregationalist doctrines of the Puritans dominated religious and cultural life in most of New England. Congregationalists later became known for their liberal social goals, their willingness to cooperate with other religious groups, and their emphasis on education. Several of the oldest colleges in the United States, including Harvard and Yale universities, were founded in part as schools for training Congregationalist ministers.
Congregationalism’s strong emphasis on local control in local religious matters contributed to the development of American beliefs in democratic civil government. During the early 1700’s, for example, John Wise and other Congregationalist ministers opposed efforts by some religious and political leaders to deprive people of the right to direct their own affairs. Later, many Congregationalist ministers supported the cause of American independence.
During the 1800’s, Congregationalism spread into the Midwestern and Western United States. However, Congregationalist churches in these areas later became Presbyterian. Also in the early 1800’s, serious differences developed within the church between orthodox Congregationalists and a more liberal group called Unitarians. During the 1820’s, many Congregationalist churches voted to become Unitarian and established their own association (see Unitarians). As a result, Congregationalism lost much of its influence in New England. Congregationalist churches formed a national council in 1871, but local congregations remained independent.
In 1931, Congregationalist churches merged with a union of three smaller groups to form the Congregational Christian Churches. These churches merged with the Evangelical and Reformed Church in 1957 to form the United Church of Christ. Several local churches in both groups did not join the merger.
