Congregationalism
religion
| Congregationalism link () | |
|---|---|
| Calvinist churches practicing congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs. |
Congregational churches (also Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition practicing congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs. Congregationalism is estimated to represent 0.5 percent of the worldwide Protestant population.[1]
Congregationalist tradition has a presence in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and various island nations in the Pacific region.
United States
Congregational churches have had an important impact on the religious, political, and cultural history of 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.[2]