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86-604: In 1831, Westbrook Seminary was established by the Kennebec Association of Universalists in Westbrook, Maine . The original 8- acre property was a gift from Zachariah Stevens, for whom Steven's Plains and Stevens Avenue are named, and Oliver Buckley . The seminary building, now called Alumni Hall, was not finished until 1834, and the first classes were finally held after its completion. The four tracks of study included English, scientific, ladies' classical, and preparatory. It

172-512: A gathered church of believers (i.e., only those who were thought to be among the elect and could give an account of a conversion experience were admitted as members). Every congregation was founded upon a church covenant , a written agreement signed by all members in which they agreed to uphold congregational principles, to be guided by sola scriptura in their decision making, and to submit to church discipline. The right of each congregation to elect its own officers and manage its own affairs

258-644: A synod of ministers and lay representatives to meet in Cambridge to craft such a statement. The Cambridge Platform was completed by the synod in 1648 and commended by the General Court as an accurate description of Congregational practice after the churches were given time to study the document, provide feedback, and finally, ratify it. While the Platform was legally nonbinding and intended only to be descriptive, it soon became regarded by ministers and laypeople alike as

344-640: A General Convention for that state in 1796. The University of Vermont and Middlebury College were founded by Congregationalists. Congregational churches had been present in eastern New York prior to the Revolution, but expansion into the central and western parts of that state took place in the 1790s as emigration increased from Massachusetts and Connecticut. As New Englanders settled in the Old Northwest , they brought Congregationalism with them. The First Congregational Church of Marietta, Ohio , gathered in 1796,

430-513: A college degree, usually a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Philosophy , and terminating in a higher degree, such as a Master of Arts in Theology or a Master of Divinity . The pastoral dimension helps to develop pastoral familiarity with situations such as bedside manner , marriage, and life in the parish. For Catholic seminarians, seminary formation can be divided into four distinct stages of formation. The Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS)

516-722: A modification of the Westminster Confession of Faith , was adopted as a Congregationalist confessional statement in Massachusetts in 1680 and Connecticut in 1708. In 1684, Massachusetts' colonial charter was revoked. It was merged with the other Bible Commonwealths along with New York and New Jersey into the Dominion of New England . Edmund Andros , an Anglican , was appointed royal governor and demanded that Anglicans be allowed to worship freely in Boston. The Dominion collapsed after

602-399: A seminary to become a priest must be sponsored by either a diocese or by a religious order. Often a diocese might be attached to or affiliated with a larger Catholic college or university so that the larger college and its faculty provides more general education in history or theology while the seminary focuses on topics specific to the needs of future priests, such as training in canon law ,

688-530: A seminary will train both that particular order's or diocese's priests and the priests of other orders or dioceses that select that particular seminary for its priests. For instance, Saint John's Seminary in Boston, Massachusetts trains priests for many of the other dioceses in New England which are suffragan dioceses of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston . Either way, a man who seeks to enter

774-491: A supply of educated ministers, Harvard University was founded in 1636. In the aftermath of the Antinomian Controversy (1636–1638), ministers realized the need for greater communication between churches and standardization of preaching. As a consequence, nonbinding ministerial conferences to discuss theological questions and address conflicts became more frequent in the following years. A more substantial innovation

860-584: Is an evangelical theological seminary in Dallas, Texas . It is known for popularizing the theological system of dispensationalism . DTS has campuses in Dallas, Houston , and Washington, D.C. , as well as extension sites in Atlanta , Austin , San Antonio , Nashville , Northwest Arkansas , Europe, and Guatemala , and a multilingual online education program. DTS is the largest non-denominational seminary accredited by

946-574: Is taken from Latin : seminarium , translated as 'seed-bed', an image taken from the Council of Trent document Cum adolescentium aetas , 'Since the age of adolescence' which called for the first modern seminaries. In the United States, the term is currently used for graduate-level theological institutions, but historically it was used for high schools . The establishment of seminaries in modern times resulted from Roman Catholic reforms of

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1032-630: Is the oldest Congregational church in the region. In 1798, the Connecticut General Association created the Connecticut Missionary Society to provide for the religious needs of the new settlements. Between 1798 and 1818, the society sent 148 ministers to the frontier settlements of northern New England, Pennsylvania, and the Old Northwest. Initially, the society recruited settled pastors to undertake four-month tours in

1118-847: The American Education Society in 1815 (which provided financial aid for seminary students), the American Bible Society in 1816, the American Colonization Society in 1817, and the American Temperance Society in 1826. Some of these were joint projects with Presbyterians. Following the example of the churches in Connecticut and Vermont, Congregationalists in other parts of the Northeast formed statewide associations. The Massachusetts General Association

1204-468: The Association of Theological Schools . DTS was founded as "Evangelical Theological College" in 1924 by Rollin T. Chafer and his brother, Lewis Sperry Chafer , who taught the first class of thirteen students, and William Henry Griffith Thomas , who was to have been the school's first theology professor but died before the first classes began. Their vision was a school where expository Bible preaching

1290-614: 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 . Congregational churches have had an important impact on the religious, political, and cultural history of

1376-558: The Connecticut Colony in 1636 and New Haven Colony in 1637. Eventually, there were 33 Congregational churches in New England. According to historian James F. Cooper Jr., Congregationalism helped imbue the political culture of Massachusetts with several important concepts: "adherence to fundamental or 'higher' laws, strict limitations upon all human authority, free consent, local self-government, and, especially, extensive lay participation." However, congregational polity also meant

1462-549: The Counter-Reformation after the Council of Trent . These Tridentine seminaries placed great emphasis on spiritual formation and personal discipline as well as the study, first of philosophy as a base, and, then, as the final crown, theology. The oldest Catholic seminary in the United States is St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore founded in 1791. In the United States, Protestant institutions also widely adopted

1548-583: The Glorious Revolution of 1688–89, and a new charter was granted in 1691. However, the power of the Congregational churches remained diminished. The governor continued to be appointed by the Crown , and voting rights were now based on wealth rather than church membership. In the 18th century, Congregational ministers began forming clerical associations for fellowship and consultation. The first association

1634-844: The Patriots and American independence. This was largely because ministers chose to stand with their congregations who felt the British government was becoming tyrannical. Ministers were also motivated by fear that the British would appoint Anglican bishops for the American colonies. This had been proposed as a practical measure; American bishops could ordain Anglican priests in the colonies without requiring candidates for ordination to travel to England. Congregationalists, however, remembered how their Puritan ancestors were oppressed by bishops in England and had no desire to see

1720-682: The Roman Catholic Church . As part of their reforms, Puritans desired to replace the Church of England's episcopal polity (rule by bishops ) with another form of church government. Some English Puritans favored presbyterian polity (rule by assemblies of presbyters ), as was utilized by the Church of Scotland , but those who founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony organized their churches according to congregational polity (rule by members of

1806-669: The sacraments , and preaching , or specific to the particular order or diocese. For instance the Theological College in Washington, D.C. , is part of The Catholic University of America . Further, in Rome there are several seminaries which educate seminarians or already ordained priests and bishops and which are maintained by orders or dioceses from outside of Italy. Many countries have their own pontifical seminary in Italy, usually very close to

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1892-599: The "Black Regiment" or "Black-Robed Regiment" by the British. By 1776, there were 668 Congregational churches—21 percent of all churches in America. Congregationalism had been a tradition largely confined to New England, but Congregationalists would migrate westward as the new United States expanded. Vermont was the first of these new territories to be opened up. The first church was established in 1762, but there were 74 Congregational churches in Vermont by 1800. Those churches organized

1978-540: The Awakening, with Old Lights opposing it and New Lights supporting it. A notable example of revival radicalism was James Davenport , a Congregational minister who preached to large crowds throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut. Davenport denounced ministers who opposed him as being "unconverted" and "leading their people blindfold to hell." In March 1743, he held a book burning of the works of Increase Mather, William Beveridge , John Flavel , and others. Concerns over

2064-567: The Bible, attended church, and raised their children as Christians. Nevertheless, they were barred from receiving the Lord's Supper, voting, or holding office in the church. In the 1660s, the Half-Way Covenant was proposed, which would allow the grandchildren of church members to be baptized as long as their parents accepted their congregation's covenant and lived Christian lives. Some churches maintained

2150-681: The Catholic Church are divided into minor seminaries for teenagers and major seminaries for adults, including both college seminaries, sometimes also known as minor seminaries, for undergraduate students and post-graduate seminaries for those who already have a bachelor's degree . There are also seminaries for older adults who are well out of school, such as the Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Massachusetts, and for other more specialized purposes. All seminaries are run either by religious orders or by dioceses or other similar structures. Often

2236-574: The Edwardsean school of thought, became known, sought to answer Arminian objections to Calvinism and to provide a theological basis for the revivalism that had been unleashed by the Great Awakening. The New Divinity would remain the dominant theological orientation within the Congregational churches into the 19th century. During the American Revolution , most Congregational ministers sided with

2322-531: The Great Awakening, for example, was " Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God ", delivered by Edwards at Enfield, Connecticut , in July 1741. Many in the congregation were affected by Edwards's sermon, with minister Stephen Williams reporting "amazing shrieks and cries" caused by the heightened religious excitement. By 1742, the revival had entered a more radical and disruptive phase. Lay people became more active participants in

2408-654: The Holy See. Only some Catholic universities may bestow these degrees; these are called ecclesiastical or pontifical universities . The only pontifical seminary outside of Italy is the Pontifical College Josephinum , in Columbus, Ohio . As outlined by the Ratio , Catholic seminary formation is composed of four major components, or dimensions: human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral. The human dimension focuses on

2494-782: The Massachusetts General Association to support the creation of a foreign missionary society. The Connecticut General Association was invited to participate as well and hosted the first meeting of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions . Through the American Board, Congregational churches supported missionaries in India, Ceylon, South Africa, Turkey, and the Hawaiian Islands. The American Board also established missions among Native American tribes, including

2580-472: The Massachusetts ministerial associations met in Boston in September 1705. They proposed a plan with two major features. The first was that associations examine and license ministerial candidates, investigate charges of ministerial misconduct, and annually elect delegates to a colony-wide general association. The second feature was the creation of "standing councils" of ministers and lay representatives to supervise

2666-584: The Moderates preached on practical topics and emphasized preparing for conversion through the use of the means of grace (preaching, catechizing , prayer) and pastoral care . Ezra Stiles was a notable Old Calvinist. In the two decades after the First Great Awakening, the tone of Congregational thought was set by New Light theologian Jonathan Edwards and his followers, the most notable being Joseph Bellamy and Samuel Hopkins . The New Divinity , as

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2752-518: The State of Religion in New England , which attacked the enthusiasm and extravagant behaviors of revival meetings. Other Congregationalists met at Boston in 1743 under the leadership of Benjamin Colman of Brattle Street Church and Thomas Prince of Old South Church . They issued a resolution supporting the revival as the work of God and downplaying the impact of "irregularities" that had occurred. Nevertheless,

2838-616: The United Church of Christ founded two alternative denominations: the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches and the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference . The Congregational tradition was brought to America in the 1620s and 1630s by the Puritans —a Calvinistic group within the Church of England that desired to purify it of any remaining teachings and practices of

2924-647: The United States Christianity • Protestantism Congregationalism in the United States consists of Protestant churches in the Reformed tradition that have a congregational form of church government and trace their origins mainly to Puritan settlers of colonial New England . Congregational churches in other parts of the world are often related to these in the United States due to American missionary activities. These principles are enshrined in

3010-574: The United States. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) hosts seminary classes for high school students ages 14 to 18, as part of the Church Educational System . Unlike use in other religious contexts, the word "seminary", in an LDS Church context, does not refer to a higher education program designed to train students that they may obtain a church-based career. LDS seminary students do not get high school credit for their seminary studies. Congregationalism in

3096-534: The United States. Congregational practices concerning church governance influenced the early development of democratic institutions in New England. Many of the nation's oldest educational institutions, such as Harvard University , Bowdoin College and Yale University , were founded to train Congregational clergy. Congregational churches and ministers influenced the First and Second Great Awakenings and were early promoters of

3182-821: The Vatican. For instance, the Pontifical North American College , which trains priests from the United States and elsewhere, is supported by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops . These colleges usually award degrees to seminarians and priests pursuing further education and specializing in specific fields such as Scripture , hagiography , moral theology , or Canon Law , among countless others. In addition to civil degrees, these pontifical seminaries confer ecclesiastical degrees ( Baccalaureate of Sacred Theology , Licentiate of Sacred Theology , and Doctorate of Sacred Theology ), which are backed by

3268-545: The Younger , William Brattle (pastor of First Parish in Cambridge ), Thomas Brattle , and Ebenezer Pemberton (pastor of Old South Church ) proposed a number of changes in Congregational practice. These changes included abandoning the consideration of conversion narratives in granting church membership and allowing all baptized members of a community (whether full members or not) to vote in elections for ministers. They also supported

3354-499: The absence of any centralized church authority. The result was that at times the first generation of Congregationalists struggled to agree on common beliefs and practices. To help achieve unity, Puritan clergy would often meet in conferences to discuss issues arising within the churches and to offer advice. Congregationalists also looked to the ministers of the First Church in Boston to set examples for other churches to follow. One of

3440-406: The atmosphere toward revival had changed by 1744 when Whitefield returned to New England. The faculties of Harvard and Yale issued statements critical of his methods, and ministerial associations throughout the region spoke against allowing him to preach in their churches. While most New Lights stayed within the established Congregational churches, there were still those in New England who embraced

3526-488: The baptism of all children presented by any Christian sponsor and the liturgical use of the Lord's Prayer . These changes were strongly opposed by Increase Mather , president of Harvard. The result was that Thomas Brattle and his associates built a new church in Boston in 1698. They invited Benjamin Colman, then in England, to become the pastor. Coleman was ordained by Presbyterians in England before leaving for America because it

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3612-535: The churches within a geographical area and to act as counterparts to the ministerial associations. The decisions of these councils were to be "final and decisive" but could be referred to a neighboring standing council for further review. If a church refused to adhere to a council's ruling, the neighboring churches would withdraw communion from the offending church. In Massachusetts, the proposals encountered much opposition as they were viewed as being inconsistent with congregational polity. The creation of standing councils

3698-515: The division over the Half-Way Covenant was part of a larger loss of confidence experienced by Puritans in the latter half of the 17th century. In the 1660s and 1670s, Puritans began noting signs of moral decline in New England, and ministers began preaching jeremiads calling people to account for their sins. The most popular jeremiad, Michael Wigglesworth 's " The Day of Doom ", became the first bestseller in America. The Savoy Declaration ,

3784-435: The earthquake of October 29, 1727. In 1735, Jonathan Edwards led his First Church congregation of Northampton, Massachusetts , through a religious revival. His Narrative of Surprising Conversions , describing the conversion experiences that occurred in the revival, was widely read throughout New England and raised hopes among Congregationalists of a general revival of religion. These hopes were seemingly fulfilled with

3870-500: The end of the 18th century, Congregationalists were divided between liberal, Old Calvinist, and New Divinity factions. Under the influence of Enlightenment thought, liberals rejected the Calvinism of their Puritan heritage, particularly the doctrines of total depravity , unconditional election, and double predestination . These taught that sinners were deserving of damnation while helpless to achieve salvation. Liberals believed this

3956-469: The governing document as of 2016 is Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis , 1992's Pastores dabo vobis , and the Code of Canon Law . Seminaries are overseen by regional conferences of bishops . In the United States, the governing document is Program of Priestly Formation: in the United States of America (6th Ed.) , published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2022. Seminaries in

4042-669: The ideology of its leaders, the society's literature heavily favored the writings of Jonathan Edwards and the New Divinity. Its most widely circulated publication was the Connecticut Evangelical Magazine , which provided coverage of revivals and missions around the world and which was read as far south as Georgia. In 1799, the Massachusetts Missionary Society was established under the leadership of Nathanael Emmons . Like its Connecticut counterpart, it

4128-472: The limitation of voting rights to full church members threatened to appeal to the English Parliament , raising fears that the English government might intervene to change the churches' restrictive membership policies. It was also thought necessary to combat the threat of Presbyterianism at home. Conflict erupted in the churches at Newbury and Hingham when their pastors began introducing presbyterian governance. The Massachusetts General Court called for

4214-408: The local church). The first Congregational church organized in America was First Parish Church in Plymouth , which was established in 1620 by Separatist Puritans known as Pilgrims . The first Congregational church organized in the Massachusetts Bay Colony was First Church in Salem , established in 1629. By 1640, 18 churches had been organized in Massachusetts. In addition, Puritans established

4300-400: The local pastor; violation of the law would result in the loss of a minister's state-provided salary. In 1743, the annual Massachusetts Ministerial Convention condemned "the disorderly tumults and indecent behaviors" that occurred in many revival meetings. Charles Chauncy of Boston's First Church became the leader of the revival's opponents with the publication of his Seasonable Thoughts on

4386-488: The middle of the 17th century, most churches did not have lay elders, and deacons assisted the minister in leading the church. Congregations also elected messengers to represent them in synods (church councils) for the purpose of offering non-binding advisory opinions. The Puritans created a society in which Congregationalism was the state church , its ministers were supported by taxpayers, and only full church members could vote in elections. To ensure that Massachusetts had

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4472-441: The missionary movement of the 19th century. The Congregational tradition has shaped both mainline and evangelical Protestantism in the United States. In the 20th century, the Congregational tradition in America fragmented into three different denominations . The largest of these is the United Church of Christ , which resulted from a 1957 merger with the Evangelical and Reformed Church . Congregationalists who chose not to join

4558-417: The most prominent of these ministers was John Cotton , considered by historians to be the "father of New England Congregationalism", who through his preaching, helped to standardize Congregational practices. Because of these efforts, agreement on baptism , church discipline , and the election of church officers were largely achieved by 1635. The colonists developed a system in which each community organized

4644-524: The new settlements. When this approach proved unworkable, the society shed its opposition to itinerant ministry and began ordaining young men to serve as full-time evangelists. These operated similarly to the Methodist circuit riders , "moving from town to town, preaching revival sermons, catechizing youth, administering the sacraments, and distributing religious literature." The society distributed tracts , hymnals, sermon collections, and theological treatises for use in religious worship and education. Reflecting

4730-474: The opposite end of the theological spectrum were the Old Calvinists, who continued to adhere to Reformed covenant theology and the doctrines contained in the Westminster Standards . The Old Calvinists included both Old Lights, New Lights, and Moderate Calvinists within their ranks. Moderate Calvinists avoided preaching on the doctrines of election and reprobation in response to attacks on Calvinism from Enlightenment philosophers. To make Calvinism less offensive,

4816-440: The opposition of Mather and other conservatives, however, the church gained recognition, and in time it became indistinguishable from other Congregational churches. By the 1730s, Colman was the leading evangelical pastor in Boston. Ultimately, the formation of Brattle Street Church spurred Congregationalists to modify their polity and strengthen the role of associations in order to promote greater uniformity. Representatives from

4902-430: The original standard into the 1700s. Other churches went beyond the Half-Way Covenant, opening baptism to all infants whether or not their parents or grandparents had been baptized. Other churches, citing the belief that baptism and the Lord's Supper were "converting ordinances" capable of helping the unconverted achieve salvation, allowed the unconverted to receive the Lord's Supper as well. The decline of conversions and

4988-462: The radical wing of the Awakening–with its trances, visions and shouting. When radical revivalists could not control their local churches, they separated from the state churches and formed new congregations. These Separate or Strict Congregationalists were often poor. They rejected the necessity of an educated ministry, ministerial associations (which had tried to control the revival), and the Half-Way Covenant. Prone to schisms and forced to pay taxes for

5074-404: The religious constitution of Massachusetts, guaranteeing the rights of church officers and members. Missionary efforts among the Native Americans began in the 1640s. John Eliot started missionary work among the natives in 1646 and later published the Eliot Indian Bible , a Massachusett language translation. The Mayhew family began their work among the natives of Martha's Vineyard around

5160-488: The revival led the Connecticut General Assembly to call a synod in 1741, which was the last Congregational synod convened under state authority. This "General Consociation" consisted of both lay and clerical representatives from all of the consociations in the colony. It ruled that itinerant ministers should preach in no parish except with the permission of the local pastor. In May 1742, the General Assembly passed legislation requiring ministers to receive permission to preach from

5246-400: The same system in America. Ministers preached patriotic sermons on Sundays and during militia musters. Jonathan Mayhew, for example, preached an early revolutionary sermon on The Danger of Unlimited Submission . Many went to war as chaplains , and some actually bore arms in times of extreme danger. Because of their overwhelming support for independence, Congregational ministers were called

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5332-458: The same time as Eliot. These missionary efforts suffered serious setbacks as a result of King Philip's War . By 1696, New England had over 130 white churches and 30 Native American towns with Native American preachers. In the years after the Antinomian Controversy, Congregationalists struggled with the problem of decreasing conversions among second-generation settlers. These unconverted adults had been baptized as infants, and most of them studied

5418-513: The same time. By the mid-1990s, the college was seeking to close and merge with another institution, and finally did so with the University of New England in 1996. In an odd twist, the merger actually took place under the Westbrook charter, technically making the new institution Westbook College and changing its name to University of New England. Westbrook College was originally located in Westbrook, Maine , then Deering, Maine , and finally Portland, Maine . The institution never actually moved, but

5504-424: The seminarian's ability to relate to others, show etiquette, and care for himself (in what he eats, frequency of exercise, healthcare, etc.). The spiritual dimension aids the seminarian in becoming more responsive to God and forming a habit of prayer throughout the day. It also emphasizes the importance of the Sacraments and liturgy . The intellectual dimension consists of academic classes, usually beginning with

5590-401: The services by crying out, exhorting, or having visions . Uneducated men and women began to preach without formal training, and some itinerant preachers were active in parishes without the approval of the local pastor. Enthusiasts even claimed that many of the clergies were unconverted themselves and thus unqualified to be ministers. Congregationalists split into Old Lights and New Lights over

5676-434: The southern United States. The International Council for Evangelical Theological Education was founded in 1980 by the Theological Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance . In 2015, it would have 1,000 member schools in 113 countries. In some countries, the term seminary is also used for secular schools of higher education that train teachers; in the nineteenth century, many female seminaries were established in

5762-412: The start of the Great Awakening , which was initiated by the preaching of George Whitefield , an Anglican priest who had preached revivalistic sermons to large audiences in England. He arrived in Boston in September 1740, preaching first at Brattle Street Church, and then visited other parts of New England. Though he was only in New England for a few weeks, the revival spread to every part of the region in

5848-443: The state churches, Separate Congregationalists did not survive long. The more traditional ones returned to the established Congregational churches, while the most radical embraced adult baptism and became Baptists . Shubal Stearns , a Separate Congregationalist missionary to the South , became the founding father of the Separate Baptists . The Great Awakening further aggravated theological divisions that had already existed. By

5934-619: The surrounding area changed hands and names at least twice. Today, the area where the campus is located is known as Portland's Deering Center neighborhood. The Westbrook College campus is now known by the University of New England as the UNE Portland Campus. Seminary A seminary , school of theology , theological college , or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians ) in scripture and theology , generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy , in academics, or mostly in Christian ministry . The English word

6020-493: The term 'seminary' for independent graduate schools (separate from a university) to train their ministers. The oldest such Protestant seminary in the United States was founded in Andover, Massachusetts , in 1807 as the Andover Theological Seminary and was affiliated with the Congregationalist Church . After two mergers and a number of relocations, Andover is now part of the Yale Divinity School , in New Haven, Connecticut . General guidelines for seminary formation are set out in

6106-506: The time as "low and unemotional." To spiritually awaken their congregations and rescue the original Puritan mission of creating a godly society, Congregational ministers promoted revivalism , the attempt to bring spiritual renewal to an entire community. The first two decades of the 18th century saw local revivals occur that resulted in large numbers of converts. These revivals sometimes resulted from natural disasters that were interpreted as divine judgment. For example, revival followed after

6192-531: The two years following his brief tour. Whitefield was followed by the itinerant preacher and Presbyterian minister Gilbert Tennent and dozens of other itinerants. Initially, the Awakening's strongest supporters came from Congregational ministers, who had already been working to foster revivals in their parishes . Itinerants and local pastors worked together to produce and nourish revivals, and often local pastors would cooperate together to lead revivals in neighboring parishes. The most famous sermon preached during

6278-518: Was co-educational , but women in the scientific or ladies' classical tracks received unique "laureate of arts" and "laureate of science" degrees upon completion. Westbrook became an all-female institution when the last co-educational class graduated in 1925, and gradually became a junior college , as well, and dropped all preparatory work by 1933. During this time, it seems to have been named Westbrook Junior College. The women's junior-college plan had been proposed by president Clarence Quimby in 1914, but

6364-475: Was a cleansing purgatory , not an eternal punishment. Many liberals rejected the doctrine of the Trinity in favor of an Arian Christology that preserved the unity of God. For this reason, their opponents disparagingly called them Unitarians , even though they called themselves liberal Christians or Arminians. Alongside Chauncy, Jonathan Mayhew of Boston's West Church was another prominent liberal minister. At

6450-516: Was approved by the General Assembly, and associations and consociations were formed in every county. The General Association of Connecticut was formed as a colony-wide organization of ministers and met for the first time in May 1709. The Saybrook Platform was legally recognized until 1784 and continued to govern the majority of Connecticut churches until the middle of the 19th century. Yale University

6536-459: Was assumed that the conservative churches of Boston would have opposed his ordination in New England. After arriving in November 1699, his manner of ordination was controversial given that it had not been done by the congregation he was to serve, as was Congregational practice. Brattle Street Church was organized on December 12, 1699, but without the support of the other churches in the colony. Despite

6622-591: Was dominated by Edwardseans and published its own periodical, the Massachusetts Missionary Magazine . The New Hampshire Missionary Society was organized in 1801, and the Vermont General Convention organized its own missionary society in 1807. Besides those dedicated to missions, Congregationalists created voluntary societies for encouraging education, Bible reading, and moral reform. Some of these became national organizations, such as

6708-407: Was established by the Congregational clergy of Connecticut in 1701. By 1740, there were 423 Congregational churches in colonial America—33.7 percent of all churches. Nevertheless, at the start of the 18th century, many believed that New England had become a morally degenerate society more focused on worldly gain than religious piety. Church historian Williston Walker described New England piety of

6794-731: Was founded in 1803 by the Old Calvinists and Edwardseans of that state. In 1808, the churches in Rhode Island organized the Evangelical Consociation of Rhode Island. The New Hampshire General Association was established in 1809. The General Conference of Maine was founded sometime in the 1820s, and the New York General Association was formed in 1834. In 1810, a group of students at Andover Theological Seminary , led by Samuel John Mills and Adoniram Judson , convinced

6880-613: Was never acted on, but Massachusetts associations did adopt a system of ministerial licensure. While largely rejected in Massachusetts, the proposals of 1705 received a more favorable reception in Connecticut. In September 1708, a synod met at the request of the Connecticut General Assembly to write a new platform of church government. The Saybrook Platform called for the creation of standing councils called consociations in every county and tasked associations with providing ministerial consultation and licensure. The platform

6966-421: Was rejected, and he later resigned in 1920. The college continued to grow through the 1970s, and the name was changed to Westbrook College. It became co-educational again in 1973, after the federal government stopped providing funds to gender-discriminating institutions. During the 1980s and 1990s, Westbrook made a commitment to a four-year liberal arts college education, but was hit hard by declining enrollment at

7052-546: Was taught simply, and under Chafers' leadership, DTS pioneered one of the first four-year degrees in theology, the Master of Theology (Th.M.). The present location of the school was purchased in 1926 and Doctor of Theology (Th.D.) program was started in 1927. Chafer remained president until his death in 1952. The seminary had a considerable influence in the fundamentalist movement by training students who established various Bible Colleges and independent fundamentalist churches in

7138-485: Was the Cambridge Association , formed in 1690 for ministers in and around Boston. It met in Cambridge on the grounds of Harvard. Its purpose was to "debate any matter referring to ourselves" and "to hear and consider any cases that shall be proposed unto us, from churches or private persons". By 1692, two other associations had been formed, and the number had increased to five by 1705. In the 1690s, John Leverett

7224-550: Was the implementation of the "third way of communion", a method of isolating a dissident or heretical church from neighboring churches. Members of an offending church would be unable to worship or receive the Lord's Supper in other churches. In the 1640s, Congregationalists were under pressure to craft a formal statement of congregational church government. This was partly motivated by the need to reassure English Puritans (who favored presbyterian polity) about congregational government. In 1645, residents of Massachusetts who resented

7310-414: Was unfair and adopted an Arminian theology that gave individuals a role in their own salvation. Liberal Arminians did not teach that good works could earn salvation, but they did teach that a person who strove for regeneration by virtuous living and the performance of good works could expect to receive eternal life. Liberals such as Charles Chauncy embraced universal salvation and believed that hell

7396-423: Was upheld. The major offices were elder (or presbyter) and deacon . Teaching elders or ministers were responsible for preaching and administering the sacraments . In some churches, prominent laymen would be elected for life as ruling elders to govern the church alongside teaching elders (lay elders could preach but not administer sacraments). In the beginning, deacons largely handled financial matters. By

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