My guess is that congregationalism was conceived as a response to hierarchical episcopal churches. In England they are sometimes known as the dissenting tradition and the dissent was towards the Church of England as much as the Catholics. In their origins these movements were on the radical fringes of the churches. They have a long history of being persecuted and marginalised.
They are often found in histories of English Radicalism. Levellers, Diggers and Ranters (and of course the Quakers) are some of the movements that were too radical for even Cromwell's Puritans. Some might argue these traditions have lost their radical edge today. Perhaps they have but it would be hasty to conclude we'll never see such dissent again.
The local church is fully the church and requires nothing else to be the church. This is the basic philosophy of congregationalism. This does not prevent local churches from banding with others; an important example today is the Baptist Union of Great Britain. But the local church decides whether or not it wishes to join and retains its ability to make all decisions through its church meeting.
The Church Meeting is the main decision maker and all other committees in the church act for the church meeting. An interesting issue arises where congregationalist churches are registered as charities. Under charity legislation, the church meeting cannot be trustees as it might include people who are disqualified as trustees. Also, the trustees' meeting must be able to make decisions on behalf of the charity without interference. In the main, church meetings have found a way to accommodate this without compromising their independence.
Disclaimer: My aim in these accounts of ecclesiology is to paint a positive overall picture, although I may from time to time touch upon problems and issues. I am not an expert in this field and may make some mistakes. I welcome any comments that will help me present a clearer and more accurate picture. Please note I am not aiming for an in-depth analysis at this stage.
Comments