Congregationalism

The roots of Congregationalism extend back to 16th Century England. Some “Puritans” out to purify the Church of England of unbiblical, despotic and tyrannical practices petitioned for change within the system without much success except for receiving a Bible in their own language (The King James Version).

Some became “Independents” and formed churches outside of the Church of England’s control, and, as a result, suffered much persecution. Some felt the pressures so great that in order to worship God with a free conscience they “felt called out of England to a new land.” First they went to Holland, then to America. Sailing the Atlantic on the Mayflower, they landed on Plymouth Rock in 1620. (For more information regarding these early pilgrims, see: www.plimoth.org. In the new land they formed a new society, democratic in style. Their Mayflower Compact was the main model for the emerging documents of our founding fathers: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and our Bill of Rights.

These Pilgrim fathers and mothers carved out a community in sheer wilderness. Many died during the first harsh winters. Still, they established the Congregational Church based upon the Holy Bible rather than man-made traditions. Congregationalists founded the early universities and colleges (Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Oberlin, Olivet) in New England to teach the biblical languages, history and science to create an educated clergy and membership.

The Congregational Way insists on the freedom of Christian men and women to think for themselves. It is a “seeking way” for individuals with inquiring minds. It is not for those looking for an authoritative voice demanding conformity or for unquestioning obedience in one’s personal religious journey throughout life.

The Congregational Way has never believed that the Bible is a closed book, but it has believed that there is always more truth and light yet to come from the Creator’s holy word.


They defended the right to individual interpretation of the scriptures and called on the pastor to stimulate thinking rather than to make rules. They fought any attempt to be ruled by a bishop or by the state. They found their spiritual journey to be in a personal relationship with God. With the expansion of the nation westward in the 1800’s, Congregational churches were established throughout the nation. The First Congregational Church of Frankfort was founded in 1868.

In more modern times, there have been two major schisms, or splits, in Congregational history. In 1825, liberal theologians, who differed on the point of the nature of Christ, broke off and formed the Unitarian church--taking many of the oldest New England churches with them. In the 1950's, many congregational churches decided to merge with the Reformed and Evangelical Church to form the United Church of Christ.

The most recent development in Congregational history was the establishment of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches in 1955. It is also known as the NACCC or just the NA. This is a voluntary association of free churches, each church having one vote in the affairs of the association.