Christianity • Protestantism
91-557: The Avon Congregational Church is a Congregational Church building at 6 West Main Street in Avon, Connecticut . Built in 1819 for a congregation founded in 1754, it is a high-quality example of Federal period architecture, and one of the finest works of architect David Hoadley . The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The congregation is affiliated with
182-562: A Bible College was opened in Ruse, Bulgaria for people wanting to become pastors. At the 1876 annual conference of missionaries, the beginning of organizational activity in the country was established. The evangelical churches of Bulgaria formed a united association in 1909. The missionaries played a significant role in assisting the Bulgarians throw off "the Turkish Yoke", which included publishing
273-758: A Higher Biblical Institute that offers an official degree: "Profesorado en Ciencias Sagradas". In 1977, most congregations of the Congregational Union of Australia merged with all Churches of the Methodist Church of Australasia and a majority of Churches of the Presbyterian Church of Australia to form the Uniting Church in Australia . Those congregations that did not join the Uniting Church formed
364-460: A campaign developed to raise money for the proposed society, and its first meeting was organised at Baker's Coffee House on Change Alley in the City of London. Eighteen supporters showed up and helped agree the aims of the proposed missionary society – to spread the knowledge of Christ among heathen and other unenlightened nations . By Christmas over thirty men were committed to forming the society. In
455-683: A group of these believers adopted the name of "Congregation of Evangelical Brothers" and when they began the process of registration in the National Register of Cults, they became aware of the Evangelical Congregational Church, decided to join it, and in 1935 the North American missionary, Pastor Federico Gross visited them for an Extraordinary Assembly, where they approved their statutes with the name of "Evangelical Lutheran Congregational Church". This consolidated their union with
546-475: A missionary work started in 1995. In the first 100 years, it has spread from Entre Ríos to several provinces: Misiones, Corrientes, Chaco, Formosa, Córdoba, Santa Fe, Buenos Aires and CABA. It has spread to southern Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. It is currently present in more than 150 towns and cities in Argentina. It has a social commitment, working among the most vulnerable, deprived and marginalised. It serves in
637-796: A primary school for girls in Stara Zagora . In 1871 the two schools were moved to Samokov and merged as the American College, now considered the oldest American educational institution outside the US. In 1928, new facilities were constructed in Sofia, and the Samokov operation transferred to the American College of Sofia (ACS), now operated at a very high level by the Sofia American Schools, Inc. In 1874,
728-563: A result of the migration of congregational members from the interior of the country, it was started in Rivadavia 6001 in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, in 1937 by the missionary Federico Gross. From that moment on they received pastoral care from Entre Ríos. In 1946 the missionary Otto Tiede organised the first board of directors in the Colegiales neighbourhood, when the congregation met in
819-559: A result, the number of Congregationalists is small and estimated by Paul Mojzes in 1982 to number about 5,000, in 20 churches. (Total Protestants in Bulgaria were estimated in 1965 to have been between 10,000 and 20,000.) More recent estimates indicate enrollment in Protestant ("Evangelical" or "Gospel") churches of between 100,000 and 200,000, presumably reflecting the success of more recent missionary efforts of evangelical groups. In Canada,
910-670: Is a Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity that enjoins a church polity in which congregations are self-governing (cf. congregational polity ). Through the years, Congregationalists have adopted various confessional statements , including the Savoy Declaration , the Cambridge Platform and the Kansas City Statement of Faith . Unlike Presbyterians, Congregationalists practise congregational polity (from which they derive their name), which holds that
1001-506: Is a priest and ... every seeking child of God is given directly wisdom, guidance, power". Consequently, there is an absence of godparents , since the whole congregation is the godparent to all the children in the church. Congregationalists have two sacraments: baptism and the Lord's Supper . Congregationalists practise infant baptism , but hold that ".. there is no distinction between "infant baptism" and "believer's baptism"." The Lord's Supper
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#17331062820421092-524: Is also surrounded by a low spindled balustrade. The church congregation was organized in 1754, when the area was still part of Farmington . Its first church building, located on the east bank of the Farmington River , was destroyed by fire in 1817. That congregation then divided, and the present church was completed in 1819 for the western half. The building has been judged one of the finest works of David Hoadley, showing evidence of influence on him by
1183-664: Is commemorated to this day by the Torres Strait Islanders in the annual Coming of the Light Festival . The Society soon sent missionaries all over the world, notably to India, China, Australia, Madagascar and Africa. Famous LMS missionaries included: The London Missionary Society merged with the Commonwealth Missionary Society (formerly the Colonial Missionary Society ) in 1966 to form
1274-638: Is normally celebrated once or twice a month. Congregationalists do not invoke the intercession of saints . Certain Congregationalist hymns that have become popular across Christendom include When I Survey the Wondrous Cross and Hark the Glad Sound . The origins of Congregationalism are found in 16th-century Puritanism , a movement that sought to complete the English Reformation begun with
1365-433: Is topped by a fully pedimented modillioned gable. The tower begins with a plain square clapboarded stage, which has a circular panel with a globe motif, and is topped by a low balustrade with urned posts. The next stage is an octagonal belfry with louvered round-arch openings separated by pilasters. The third stage is also octagonal but smaller in footprint, and is capped by a short spire and weathervane. Each of these stages
1456-727: The Mayflower , establishing the Plymouth Colony and bringing the Congregational tradition to America. In 1639 William Wroth , then Rector of the parish church at Llanvaches in Monmouthshire , established the first Independent Church in Wales "according to the New England pattern", i.e. Congregational. The Tabernacle United Reformed Church at Llanvaches survives to this day. During
1547-636: The Cambridge Platform (1648) and the Savoy Declaration (1658), Congregationalist confessions of faith . The Congregationalist Churches are a continuity of the theological tradition upheld by the Puritans . Their genesis was through the work of Congregationalist divines Robert Browne , Henry Barrowe , and John Greenwood . In the United Kingdom, the Puritan Reformation of the Church of England laid
1638-592: The Cape Colony by British settlers. The Congregational Union of England and Wales was established in 1831. It had no authority over the affiliated churches, but instead aimed to advise and support them. In 1972, about three-quarters of English Congregational churches merged with the Presbyterian Church of England to form the United Reformed Church (URC). However, about 600 Congregational churches have continued in their historic independent tradition. Under
1729-611: The Congregational Council for World Mission (CCWM). At the formation of the United Reformed Church in 1972 it underwent another name change, becoming the Council for World Mission (Congregational and Reformed) . The CWM (Congregational and Reformed) was again restructured in 1977 to create a more internationalist and global body, the Council for World Mission . The records of the London Missionary Society are held at
1820-475: The Council for World Mission . In 1793, Edward Williams , then minister at Carr's Lane, Birmingham, wrote a letter to the churches of the Midlands, expressing the need for interdenominational world evangelization and foreign missions. It was effective and Williams began to play an active part in the plans for a missionary society. He left Birmingham in 1795, becoming pastor at Masbrough , Rotherham, and tutor of
1911-639: The English Civil War , those who supported the Parliamentary cause were invited by Parliament to discuss religious matters. The Westminster Confession of Faith (1646) was officially claimed to be the statement of faith for both the Church of England (Anglican/Episcopal) and Church of Scotland (Presbyterian), which was politically expedient for those in the Presbyterian dominated English Parliament who approved of
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#17331062820422002-638: The Evangelical Fellowship of Congregational Churches , which has offices in Beverley, and about 100 Congregational churches that are loosely federated with other congregations in the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches , or are unaffiliated. The unaffiliated churches' share of the assets of the Congregational Union/Church of England and Wales is administered by a registered charity ,
2093-634: The Fellowship of Congregational Churches or continued as Presbyterians. Some more ecumenically minded Congregationalists left the Fellowship of Congregational Churches in 1995 and formed the Congregational Federation of Australia . Congregationalists (called "Evangelicals" in Bulgaria ; the word "Protestant" is not used ) were among the first Protestant missionaries to the Ottoman Empire and to
2184-483: The Miss Stone Affair when missionary Ellen Maria Stone, of Roxbury, Massachusetts, and her pregnant fellow missionary friend Macedonian-Bulgarian Katerina Stefanova–Tsilka, wife of an Albanian Protestant minister, were kidnapped while traveling between Bansko and Gorna Dzhumaya (now Blagoevgrad ), by an Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization detachment led by the voivoda Yane Sandanski and
2275-655: The Solemn League and Covenant (1643). After the Second Civil War , the New Model Army which was dominated by Congregationalists (or Independents ) seized control of the parliament with Pride's purge (1648), arranged for the trial and execution of Charles I in January 1649 and subsequently introduced a republican Commonwealth dominated by Independents such as Oliver Cromwell . This government lasted until 1660 when
2366-514: The United Church of Christ . The Avon Congregational Church is prominently located in Avon's town center, at the northwest corner of Route 44 and 202. It is a two-story rectangular wood-frame structure, with a projecting entry section and a multistage tower with steeple. The projecting section consists of three bays, separated by two-story Doric pilasters, with an entry and window above in each bay. It
2457-655: The United Reformed Church Act 1972 (c. xviii), which dealt with the financial and property issues arising from the merger between what had become by then the Congregational Church of England and Wales and the Presbyterian Church of England , certain assets were divided between the various parties. In England, there are three main groups of continuing Congregationalists. These are the Congregational Federation , which has offices in Nottingham and Manchester,
2548-924: The gospels . After attending Homerton College , then in Hampstead, William Ellis was ordained in 1815. Soon atter his marriage to Mary Mercy Moor on 9 November 1815 they were posted to the South Sea Islands returning in 1824. He later become Chief Foreign Secretary. In September 1816, Robert Moffat (1795–1883) was commissioned in the Surrey Chapel, Southwark , on the same day as John Williams . Moffat served in South Africa until 1870. Mary Moffat joined him and they married in 1819. The LMS only employed male missionaries and it preferred them to be married. The Moffats were to have several children who also became and/or married missionaries. In 1817, Edward Stallybrass
2639-632: The monarch was restored and Episcopalism was re-established (see the Penal Laws and Great Ejection ). In 1662, two years after the Restoration, two thousand Independent, Presbyterian, and congregational ministers were evicted from their parishes as dissenters and not being in Holy Orders conferred by bishops. In 1658 (during the interregnum ) the Congregationalists created their own version of
2730-501: The Church of England and outside of it. Puritans who left the established church were known as Separatists . Congregationalism may have first developed in the London Underground Church under Richard Fitz in the late 1560s and 1570s. The Congregational historian Albert Peel argued that it was accepted that the evidence for a fully thought out congregational ecclesiology is not overwhelming. Robert Browne (1550–1633)
2821-705: The Congregational Federation. Wales traditionally is the part which has the largest share of Congregationalists among the population, most Congregationalists being members of Undeb yr Annibynwyr Cymraeg (the Union of Welsh Independents ), which is particularly important in Carmarthenshire and Brecknockshire . The London Missionary Society was effectively the world mission arm of British Congregationalists, sponsoring missionaries including Eric Liddell and David Livingstone . After mergers and changes of name,
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2912-843: The IEC of Argentina. In other cities of Misiones the Congregational work began in Oberá in the 1930s, in San Francisco de Asís a work began with believers from Brazil in 1935, in Dos de Mayo since 1945, in Valle Hermoso a group of Lutheran origin joined the Evangelical Congregational Church in 1949, in El Soberbio since 1950, in San Vicente since 1966, in Posadas since 1970 and later many more congregations. In Buenos Aires, as
3003-427: The LMS mission was accepted and grew rapidly throughout the Samoan Islands. The eastern end of the Samoan archipelago, was the kingdom of Manu'a . The paramount chief, Tui-Manu'a embraced Christianity and Manu'a also became a LMS island kingdom. 1832 – John Williams ( Ioane Viliamu as he is known to Samoans) landed at Leone Bay in what was later to become American Samoa . (Tala faasolopito o le Ekalesia Samoa) He
3094-478: The Methodist Church on the region north of the Balkan Mountains (Stara Planina, or "Old Mountains"). In 1857, Cyrus Hamlin and Charles Morse established three missionary centres in southern Bulgaria – in Odrin ( Edirne , former capital city of the Ottoman Empire, in Turkey), Plovdiv and Stara Zagora . They were joined in 1859 by Russian-born naturalized America Frederic Flocken in 1859. American Presbyterian minister Elias Riggs commissioned, supported and edited
3185-411: The National level. The Congregational Union of Ireland was founded in 1829 and currently has around 26 member churches. In 1899 it absorbed the Irish Evangelical Society. The Congregational Christian Church of Samoa is one of the largest group of churches throughout the Pacific Region. It was founded in 1830 by the London Missionary Society missionary John Williams on the island of Savai'i in
3276-448: The Northwestern part of the European Ottoman Empire which is now Bulgaria, where their work to convert these Orthodox Christians was unhampered by the death penalty imposed by the Ottomans on Muslim converts to Christianity. These missionaries were significant contributors to the Bulgarian National Revival movement. Today, Protestantism in Bulgaria represents the third largest religious group, behind Orthodox and Muslim. Missionaries from
3367-420: The Pacific region. It has been introduced either by immigrant dissenters or by missionary organizations such as the London Missionary Society . A number of evangelical Congregational churches are members of the World Evangelical Congregational Fellowship . Congregationalism, as defined by the Pew Research Center , is estimated to represent 0.5 percent of the worldwide Protestant population. Congregationalism
3458-508: The Puritans of New England , who wrote the Cambridge Platform of 1648 to describe the autonomy of the church and its association with others. Within the United States, the model of Congregational churches was carried by migrating settlers from New England into New York , then into the Old Northwest , and further. The Congregationalist tradition has a presence in the United States, the United Kingdom, Argentina, Ireland, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and various island nations in
3549-449: The Rev. Archibald Wright Murray evangelised among the inhabitants of the Ellice Islands . 15 October 1870 - Rev. Samuel James Whitmee arrived at Arorae (Gilbert Islands, now Kiribati ), and later that month he visited Tamana , Onoatoa and Beru . In August 1872, George Pratt of the LMS visited the Gilbert Islands. 1871 - London Missionary Society arrives in the Torres Strait Islands (now in Queensland , Australia). The event
3640-484: The Samoa Mission Press. In 1840, the medical missionary and explorer David Livingstone (1813–1873) departed for South Africa, arriving in 1841, and serving with the LMS until 1857. Moffat and Livingstone met circa 1841. In 1845, Livingstone married Robert and Mary Moffat's daughter Mary (1821–1862). Around 1842, founded the London Missionary Society's School for the Sons and Orphans of Missionaries, now known as Eltham College . David Livingstone sent his son Robert to
3731-530: The Society placed missionaries with the Rev. David Bogue of Gosport for preparation for their ministries. Captain James Wilson offered to sail the missionaries to their destination unpaid. The Society was able to afford the small ship Duff , of 267 tons ( bm ). It could carry 18 crew members and 30 missionaries. Seven months after the crew left port from the Woolwich docks in late 1796 they arrived in Tahiti , where seventeen missionaries departed. The missionaries were then instructed to become friendly with
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3822-463: The Society was succeeded in 1977 by the worldwide Council for World Mission . In the United States, the Congregational tradition traces its origins mainly to Puritan settlers of colonial New England . Congregational churches have had an important role in the political, religious and cultural history of the United States. Their practices concerning church governance influenced the early development of democratic institutions in New England, and some of
3913-406: The Tahitians, named Papehia, was used as intermediaries to convince local chiefs to join the new gospel. 1830 – John Williams sighted the coast of Savai'i in Samoa and landed on August 24, 1830 at Sapapali'i village in search of Malietoa Vai‘inupo , a paramount chief of Samoa. John Williams was greeted by his brother Taimalelagi. Upon meeting Malietoa at a large gathering in Sapapali'i,
4004-450: The Unaffiliated Congregational Churches Charities, which supports the unaffiliated churches and their retired ministers. In 1981, the United Reformed Church merged with the re-formed Association of Churches of Christ and, in 2000, just over half of the churches in the Congregational Union of Scotland also joined the United Reformed Church (via the United Reformed Church Act 2000 ). The remainder of Congregational churches in Scotland joined
4095-461: The United States and in Canada. The South American Germans from Russia had learned about Congregationalism in letters from relatives in the United States. In 1924 general missionary John Hoelzer, while in Argentina for a brief visit, organised six churches. In the province of Entre Ríos , congregations began to join the Evangelical Congregational Church in Crespo . Information indicates that since 1923 there were activities in private homes and in 1928
4186-436: The United States first arrived in 1857–58, sent to Istanbul by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM). The ABCFM was proposed in 1810 by the Congregationalist graduates of Williams College, MA, and was chartered in 1812 to support missions by Congregationalists, Presbyterian (1812–1870), Dutch-Reformed (1819–1857) and other denominational members. The ABCFM focused its efforts on southern Bulgaria and
4277-690: The West and hence more politically dangerous than traditional Orthodox Christianity. This prompted repressive legislation in the form of "Regulations for the Organization and Administration of the Evangelical Churches in the People's Republic of Bulgaria" and resulted in the harshest government repression, possibly the worst in the entire Eastern Bloc , intended to extinguish Protestantism altogether. Mass arrests of pastors (and often their families), torture, long prison sentences (including four life sentences) and even disappearance were common. Similar tactics were used on parishioners. In fifteen highly publicized mock show-trials between 8 February and 8 March 1949, all
4368-501: The Westminster Confession, called the Savoy Declaration , which remains the principal subordinate standard of Congregationalism. The mission to Argentina was the second foreign field tended by German Congregationalists. The work in South America began in 1921 when four Argentine churches urgently requested that denominational recognition be given to George Geier, serving them. The Illinois Conference licensed Geier, who worked among Germans from Russia who were very similar to their kin in
4459-430: The accused pastors confessed to a range of charges against them, including treason, spying (for both the US and Yugoslavia), black marketing, and various immoral acts. State appointed pastors were foisted on surviving congregations. As late as the 1980s, imprisonment and exile were still employed to destroy the remaining Protestant churches. The Congregationalist magazine "Zornitsa" was banned; Bibles became unobtainable. As
4550-439: The central north coast of Savai'i island in Samoa in August 1837. He left the LMS in 1850 when he accepted a position with the Congregational church in Auckland, New Zealand. 1839–1879 – The Rev. George Pratt served as a missionary in Samoa for many years, at the station at Matautu on Savai'i island. Pratt was a linguist and authored the first grammar and dictionary on the Samoan language , first published in 1862 at
4641-502: The church "El Buen Pastor", which was lent to them by the Disciples of Christ. In 1947, Pastor Ludwig Serfas became the first local pastor, with residence in Olivos, and it was decided to build the first church in Villa Ballester, which was inaugurated in 1950. The Evangelical Congregational Church spread to Córdoba in 1972, with itinerant missionary work from Basavilbaso (Entre Ríos). In the province of Santa Fe from 1980, from Paraná (Entre Ríos). In Corrientes (capital) from 1982 and in CABA
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#17331062820424732-592: The church by abolishing all remaining Catholic practices, such as clerical vestments, wedding rings, organ music in church, kneeling at Holy Communion , using the term priest for a minister, bowing at the name of Jesus, and making the sign of the cross in baptism and communion. Many Puritans believed the Church of England should follow the example of Reformed churches in other parts of Europe and adopt presbyterian polity , in which an egalitarian network of local ministers cooperated through regional synods . Other Puritans experimented with congregational polity both within
4823-968: The congregation as a whole should govern the church: "The meetings together… of every whole church, and of the elders therein, is above the apostle, above the prophet, the evangelist, the pastor, the teacher, and every particular elder" and "The voice of the whole people, guided by the elders and the forwardest, is said [in Scripture] to be the voice of God". While each church would be independent, separate churches would still come together to discuss matters of common concern. Short lifespans were typical of Separatist churches (also known as Brownist congregations). These were small congregations who met in secret and faced persecution. They were often forced to go into exile in Holland and tended to disintegrate quickly. Notable Separatists who faced exile or death included Henry Barrow ( c. 1550 –1593), John Greenwood (died 1593), John Penry (1559–1593), Francis Johnson (1563–1618), and Henry Ainsworth (1571–1622). In
4914-543: The containment of families in the most varied contexts. With specific programmes for children, adolescents, young people, married couples and the elderly. With presence in formal and informal education, training and instructing people of all ages, in arts and crafts, in values and principles that make solidarity, human rights, and a better quality of life for all, according to the possibilities and opportunities. With canteens and picnic areas, with an integral pastoral care, which includes accompaniment in hospitals and prisons. It has
5005-439: The crew. Of the seventeen missionaries that arrived in Tahiti, eight soon left on the first British ship to arrive in Tahiti. When Duff returned to Britain it was immediately sent back to Tahiti with thirty more missionaries. This journey was disastrous. A French privateer captured Duff , landed its prisoners in Montevideo, and sold her. The expense of the journey cost 'The Missionary Society' ten thousand pounds , which
5096-416: The early 1600s, a Separatist congregation in Scrooby was founded through the efforts of John Smyth (who later rejected infant baptism and became a founder of the Baptist movement). John Robinson was the congregation's pastor and William Brewster was an elder . In 1607, the congregation moved to Holland fleeing persecution. In 1620, the group (known in history as the Pilgrims ) sailed to North America on
5187-417: The essential features of Congregationalism. Browne argued for a church only of genuine, regenerate believers and criticized the Anglicans for including all English people within their church. The congregation should choose its own leaders, and the ministers should be ordained by the congregation itself not by bishops or fellow ministers. Each congregation should be founded on a written church covenant , and
5278-406: The existence of the Evangelical Congregational Church, they contacted and invited the North American missionary Guillermo Strauch to visit them. This took place on August 25, 1928, when the first service was held and as a result of the meeting they decided to join the I. E. C. The following year, their first church was inaugurated. Due to a great drought, in 1945 this church had to close its doors, and
5369-622: The families emigrated to Villa Ángela, Coronel Du Graty or Santa Sylvina, in the province of Chaco, or to El Colorado, in Formosa. In each of these places, new faith communities emerged from the relocation of members of Colonia Palmar. In Villa Ángela, the first church was actually established in Colonia Juan José Paso in 1947, and two years later the first church was inaugurated. In Coronel Du Graty, it originated from prayer meetings in 1947 (with those who came from Colonia Palmar) in "Campo Ugarte" and "Campo Ñandubay". Later they joined together to build their own place for worship, which happened in 1954. In
5460-566: The finance because evangelicals belonged to many denominations and churches; all too often their missions would only reach a small group of people and be hard to sustain. Edward Williams continued his involvement and, in July 1796, gave the charge to the first missionaries sent out by the Society. The Society aimed to create a forum where evangelicals could work together, give overseas missions financial support and co-ordination. It also advocated against opponents who wanted unrestricted commercial and military relations with native peoples throughout
5551-426: The first foreign field, thirty-one churches that had been affiliated with the General Conference became part of the United Church of Canada when that denomination was founded in 1925 by the merger of the Canadian Congregationalist and Methodist churches, and two-thirds of the congregations of the Presbyterian Church in Canada . In 1988, a number of UCC congregations separated from the national church, which they felt
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#17331062820425642-428: The first pastoral house was inaugurated, in San Salvador from 1928, in Concordia, from 1929–1930, in Federal from 1934, in Paraná since the 1940's. In Concepción del Uruguay since 1942. Basavilbaso from 1944. Gualeguaychú from 1950. And then many more followed. In the province of Chaco, immigrants from Germany, Russia and neighbouring areas settled in Colonia Palmar, between Charata and General Pinedo. When they heard about
5733-619: The first two weeks. Congregational churches were established in Bansko , Veliko Turnovo , and Svishtov between 1840 and 1878, followed by Sofia in 1899. By 1909, there were 19 Congregational churches, with a total congregation of 1,456 in southern Bulgaria offering normal Sunday services, Sunday schools for children, biblical instruction for adults; as well as women's groups and youth groups. Summer Bible schools were held annually from 1896 to 1948. Congregationalists led by James F. Clarke opened Bulgaria's first Protestant primary school for boys in Plovdiv in 1860, followed three years later by
5824-403: The following year, 1795, Spa Fields Chapel was approached for permission to preach a sermon to the various ministers and others by now keenly associated with the plan to send missionaries abroad. This was organised for Tuesday 22 September 1795, the host chapel insisting that no collection for the proposed society must be made during the founding event which would be more solemn, and formally mark
5915-415: The foundation for these churches. In England , the early Congregationalists were called Separatists or Independents to distinguish them from the similarly Calvinistic Presbyterians , whose churches embrace a polity based on the governance of elders ; this commitment to self-governing congregations was codified in the Savoy Declaration. Congregationalism in the United States traces its origins to
6006-415: The island of Erromango whilst he was preaching to them. He was traveling at the time in the Missionary ship Camden commanded by Captain Robert Clark Morgan (1798–1864). A memorial stone was erected on the island of Rarotonga in 1839 and is still there today. His widow is buried with their son, Samuel Tamatoa Williams, at the old Cedar Circle in London's Abney Park Cemetery , the name of her husband and
6097-464: The magazine Zornitsa (Зорница, "Dawn"), founded in 1864 by the initiative of Riggs and Long. Zornitsa became the most powerful and most widespread newspaper of the Bulgarian Renaissance. A small roadside marker on Bulgarian Highway 19 in the Rila Mountains, close to Gradevo commemorates the support given the Bulgarian Resistance by these early Congregationalist missionaries. On 3 September 1901 Congregationalist missionaries came to world attention in
6188-438: The media at the time, the event has been often dubbed "America's first modern hostage crisis". The Bulgarian royal house, of Catholic German extraction, was unsympathetic to the American inspired Protestants, and this mood became worse when Bulgaria sided with Germany in WWI and WWII. Matters became much worse when the Bulgarian Communist Party took power in 1944. Like the royal family, it too saw Protestantism closely linked to
6279-427: The members of a local church have the right to decide their church's forms of worship and confessional statements, choose their own officers and administer their own affairs without any outside interference. Congregationalist polity is rooted in a foundational tenet of Congregationalism: the priesthood of all believers . According to Congregationalist minister Charles Edward Jefferson , this means that "Every believer
6370-613: The nation's oldest educational institutions, such as Harvard and Yale University , were founded to train Congregational clergy. In the 21st century, the Congregational tradition is represented by the United Church of Christ , the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches , Conservative Congregational Christian Conference , the Evangelical Association and many unaffiliated local churches. Some congregations and denominations are conservative on social issues, (e.g. CCCC ) while others are liberal (e.g. UCC ). London Missionary Society The London Missionary Society
6461-465: The nations which are in like condition with yourselves of old, to entreat them that they turn from their dumb idol to the living God, and to wait for His Son from heaven? Verily their debtors ye are. John Eyre responded by inviting a leading and influential evangelical, the Rev. Thomas Haweis , to write a response to Bogue's appeal. The Cornishman sided firmly with Bogue, and immediately identified two donors, one of £500, and one of £100. From this start,
6552-417: The natives, build a mission house for sleeping and worship, and learn the native language. The missionaries faced unforeseen problems. The natives had firearms and were anxious to gain possessions from the crew. The Tahitians also had faced difficulties with diseases spread from the crews of ships that had previously docked there. The natives saw this as retribution from the gods, and they were very suspicious of
6643-639: The need to spread Christianity . Carey suggested that Ryland join forces with others along the non-denominational lines of the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade , to design a society that could prevail against the difficulties that evangelicals often faced when spreading the Word. This aimed to overcome the difficulties that establishment of overseas missions had faced. It had frequently proved hard to raise
6734-648: The newly formed Masbrough academy . Also in 1793, the Anglican cleric John Eyre of Hackney founded the Evangelical Magazine . He had the support of the presbyterian John Love , and congregationalists Edward Parsons and John Townshend (1757–1826). Proposals for the Missionary Society began in 1794 after a Baptist minister, John Ryland , received word from William Carey , the pioneer British Baptist missionary who had recently moved to Calcutta , about
6825-823: The origin of the Missionary Society . Hundreds of evangelicals attended, and the newly launched society quickly began receiving letters of financial support, and interest from prospective missionaries. Joseph Hardcastle of Hatcham House, Deptford became the first Treasurer, and the Rev. John Eyre of Hackney (editor of the Evangelical Magazine ) became the first Secretary to the Missionary Society—the latter appointment providing it with an effective 'newspaper' to promote its cause. The Missionary Society's board quickly began interviewing prospective candidates. In 1800
6916-530: The province of Misiones, in Leandro N. Alem and the surrounding area, immigrants from Poland, Germany and Brazil began to arrive between 1929 and 1938. Although their economic condition was precarious, they were rich in their desire to work, to progress and in their spirituality. They began to hold prayer meetings, and faith communities were formed in Alem Sud, Picada Almafuerte and Picada Flor (Colonia El Chatón). In 1932
7007-915: The record of his death described first on the stone. John Williams' remains were sought by a group from Samoa and his bones were brought back to Samoa, where throngs of the LMS mission attended a funeral service attended by Samoan royalty, high-ranking chiefs and the LMS missionaries. His remains were interred at the native LMS church in Apia. A monument stands in his memory across from the Congregational Christian Church of Apia chapel. The Rev. Alexander MacDonald and his wife Selina ( née Blomfield ) arrived in Rarotonga in May 1836, then Samoa in April 1837 and settled at Safune on
7098-587: The school during the 1850s. Eric Liddell , Olympic athlete and Missionary, also attended the school. 1844 – London Missionary Society established Malua Theological College at the village of Malua on Upolu to educate local men to become village clergy for the rapidly growing mission with over 250 villages and 25,000 membership. 1844 – London Missionary Society sent Samoan missionaries to surrounding islands; Rotuma , Niue , Tokelau , Ellice Islands , Papua , Vanuatu . Over 300 served in Papua alone. 1865 -
7189-648: The separation of the Church of England from the Catholic Church during the reign of Henry VIII (1509–47). During the reign of Elizabeth I (1558–1603), the Church of England was considered a Reformed or Calvinist church, but it also preserved certain characteristics of medieval Catholicism, such as cathedrals , church choirs , a formal liturgy contained in the Book of Common Prayer , traditional clerical vestments and episcopal polity (government by bishops ). The Puritans were Calvinists who wanted to further reform
7280-566: The sub-voivodas Hristo Chernopeev and Krǎstyo Asenov and ransomed to provide funds for revolutionary activities. Eventually, a heavy ransom (14,000 Ottoman lira (about US$ 62,000 at 1902 gold prices or $ 5 million at 2012 gold prices) raised by public subscription in the USA was paid on 18 January 1902 in Bansko and the hostages (now including a newborn baby) were released on 2 February near Strumica —a full five months after being kidnapped. Widely covered by
7371-547: The village of Sapapali'i. As the church grew it established and continues to support theological colleges in Samoa and Fiji. There are over 100,000 members attending over 2,000 congregations throughout the world, most of which are located in Samoa, American Samoa, New Zealand, Australia and America. The Christian Congregational Church of Jamaica falls under the constitution of the Samoan Church. Congregational churches were brought to
7462-451: The work of Bulgarian monk Neofit Rilski to create a Bible translations into Bulgarian which was then distributed widely in Bulgaria in 1871 and thereafter. This effort was supported by Congregationalist missionary Albert Long, Konstantin Fotinov , Hristodul Sechan-Nikolov and Petko Slaveikov . Reportedly, 2,000 copies of the newly translated Bulgarian language New Testament were sold within
7553-504: The works of Charles Bulfinch . The church was damaged by fire in 1876, and lost part of its steeple (since restored) in the 1938 New England hurricane . Congregational church Congregationalism (also Congregationalist churches or Congregational churches ) is a Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice congregational government . Each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs. These principles are enshrined in
7644-758: The world. After Ryland showed Carey's letter to Henry Overton Wills , an anti-slavery campaigner in Bristol , he quickly gained support. Scottish ministers in the London area, David Bogue and James Steven, as well as other evangelicals such as John Hey, joined forces to organize a new society. Bogue wrote an influential appeal in the Evangelical Magazine for September 1794: Ye were once Pagans, living in cruel and abominable idolatry. The servants of Jesus came from other lands, and preached His Gospel among you. Hence your knowledge of salvation. And ought ye not, as an equitable compensation for their kindness, to send messengers to
7735-632: Was an interdenominational evangelical missionary society formed in England in 1795 at the instigation of Welsh Congregationalist minister Edward Williams. It was largely Reformed in outlook, with Congregational missions in Oceania, Africa, and the Americas, although there were also Presbyterians (notable for their work in China), Methodists , Baptists , and various other Protestants involved. It now forms part of
7826-573: Was appointed superintendent of the London Missionary Society stations in South Africa where he fought for the rights of the indigenous people. 1821 – John Williams is the first recorded reverend of the Cook Islands Christian Church (CICC) in Arutanga, Aitutaki, Cook Islands. It is here that the missionary work was first established. In later years John Williams visited Rarotonga, taking with him two Tahitians he picked up from Tahiti. One of
7917-568: Was informed that men of their village have accepted the 'lotu' brought by Ioane Viliamu in Savai'i; not knowing John Williams now stood before them. A monument stands before the large Siona Chapel – now CCCAS in Leone, American Samoa – in honor of John Williams. In 1839, John Williams's missionary work whilst visiting the New Hebrides came to an abrupt end, when he was killed and eaten by cannibals on
8008-676: Was initially devastating to the Society. Gradually it recovered, however, and in 1807 was able to establish a mission in Guangzhou (Canton), China under Robert Morrison . Another missionary who served in China was John Kenneth Mackenzie. A native of Yarmouth in England, he served in Hankow and Tientsin . Starting in 1815, they hired Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir as a translator, to work on many texts including
8099-788: Was moving away theologically and in practice from Biblical Christianity. Many of the former UCC congregations banded together as the new Congregational Christian Churches in Canada . The Congregational Christian Churches in Canada (or 4Cs) is an evangelical, Protestant, Christian denomination, headquartered in Brantford, Ontario, and a member of the World Evangelical Congregational Fellowship . The name "congregational" generally describes its preferred organizational style, which promotes local church autonomy and ownership, while fostering fellowship and accountability between churches at
8190-478: Was sent out to Russia to start a mission among the Buryat people of Siberia. The mission received the blessing of Alexander I of Russia , but was suppressed in 1840 under his successor Nicholas I . Alongside Stallybrass worked Cornelius Rahmn [ Wikidata ] of Sweden, William Swan and Robert Yuille of Scotland. In 1818, the Society was renamed The London Missionary Society . In 1822, John Philip
8281-512: Was the first person to set out explicit congregational principles and is considered the founder of Congregationalism. While studying for ordination , Browne became convinced that the Church of England was a false church. He moved to Norwich and together with Robert Harrison formed an illegal Separatist congregation. In 1581, Browne and his followers moved to Holland in order to worship freely. While in Holland, Browne wrote treatises that laid out
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