Part of a series of articles on Christianity

History of Christianity Timeline of Christianity The Apostles Ecumenical councils The Great Schism The Crusades The Reformation Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on Jesus of Nazareth, and on his life and teachings as presented in the New Testament. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on Jesus of Nazareth, and on his life and teachings as presented in the New Testament. ... Image File history File links Christian_cross. ... This article outlines the history of Christianity and provides links to relevant topics. ... The purpose of this chronology is to give a detailed account of Christianity from the beginning of the current era to the present. ... The Twelve Apostles (, apostolos, Liddell & Scott, Strongs G652, someone sent forth/sent out) were men that according to the Synoptic Gospels and Christian tradition, were chosen from among the disciples (students) of Jesus for a mission. ... In Christianity, an Ecumenical Council or general council is a meeting of the bishops of the whole church convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice. ... Great Schism redirects here. ... This article is about the medieval crusades. ... The Protestant Reformation, also referred to as the Protestant Revolution or Protestant Revolt, was a movement in the 16th century to reform the Catholic Church in Western Europe. ...

The Trinity God the Father God the Son (Jesus Christ) God the Holy Spirit For other uses, see Trinity (disambiguation). ... In many religions, the supreme God is given the title and attributions of Father. ... This article presents a description of Jesus as based on the views of Christians. ... Jesus (8–2 BC/BCE to 29–36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ... This page is about the title or the Divine Person. For the Christian figure, see Jesus. ... This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers, and should be edited to rectify this. ...

The Bible Old Testament · LXX New Testament The Gospels Ten Commandments Sermon on the Mount For other uses, see Bible (disambiguation). ... NOTE: Judaism commonly uses the term Tanakh, but not Old Testament, because it does not recognize the New Testament as a continuation or completion of the Jewish bible. ... The Septuagint: A page from Codex vaticanus, the basis of Sir Lancelot Brentons English translation. ... John 21:1 Jesus Appears to His Disciples--Alessandro Mantovani: the Vatican, Rome. ... For other uses, see Gospel (disambiguation). ... This 1768 parchment (612x502 mm) by Jekuthiel Sofer emulated the 1675 Decalogue at the Esnoga synagogue of Amsterdam The Ten Commandments, or Decalogue, are a list of religious and moral imperatives which, according to religious tradition, were written by God and given to Moses on Mount Sinai in the form... The Sermon on the Mount was, according to the Gospel of Matthew, a particular sermon given by Jesus of Nazareth (estimated around AD 30) on a mountainside to his disciples and a large crowd (Matt 5:1-7:29). ...

Christian theology Fall of Man · Divine Grace Salvation · Justification Christian worship Ecclesiology · Eschatology It has been suggested that Christian theological controversy be merged into this article or section. ... Essentially, original sin is the doctrine, shared in one form or another by most Christian churches, that the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden changed or damaged human nature, such that all human beings since then are innately predisposed to sin, and are powerless to overcome... In Christianity, divine grace refers to the sovereign favor of God for humankind, as manifest in the blessings bestowed upon all —irrespective of actions (deeds), earned worth, or proven goodness. ... In religion, salvation refers to being saved from an undesirable state or condition. ... In Christian theology, justification is Gods act of making or declaring a sinner righteous before God. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... In Christian theology, ecclesiology is a branch of study that deals with the doctrines pertaining to the Church itself as a community or organic entity, and with the understanding of what the church is —ie. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Christian Church Eastern Christianity Eastern Orthodoxy Oriental Orthodoxy Assyrian Church of the East Western Christianity Catholicism · Protestantism Anglicanism · Lutheranism · Methodism In Christian theology, One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church is a phrase describing the nature of the Christian community and/or Christian Church, in the various meanings it has. ... Eastern Christianity refers collectively to the Christian traditions and churches which developed in Greece, the Balkans, the rest of Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East, northeastern Africa and southern India over several centuries of religious antiquity. ... The Eastern Orthodox Church is a religious organization which claims to be the continuation of the original Christian body, founded by Jesus and his Twelve Apostles. ... The term Oriental Orthodoxy refers to the communion of Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only the first three ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the Council of Ephesus — and rejected the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon. ... The Holy Apostolic and Catholic Assyrian Church of the East under His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV, is a Christian church that traces its origins to the See of Babylon, said to be founded by Saint Thomas the Apostle. ... Western Christianity refers to Catholicism, Protestantism, and Anglicanism (which is also usually included in the Protestant category). ... Catholic Church redirects here. ... Protestantism is one of three primary branches of Christianity. ... The term Anglican (from medieval Latin ecclesia Anglicana meaning the English church) is used to describe the people, institutions, and churches as well as the liturgical traditions and theological concepts developed by the established Church of England, the Anglican Communion and the Continuing Anglican Churches (a loosely affiliated group of... Lutheranism is a movement within Christianity that began with the theological insights of Martin Luther in the 16th century> Luthers writings launched the Protestant Reformation of the Western church. ... Methodism or the Methodist movement is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... Christian denominations Christian movements A denomination, in the Christian sense of the word, is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and/or doctrine. ... Christian movements are theological, political, or philosophical intepretations of Christianity that are not generally represented by a specific church, sect, or denomination. ...

Congregationalist polity, often known as congregationalism, is a system of church governance in which every local congregation is independent. The Anabaptist movement, Baptists and others besides the Congregational churches are organized according to it. In Christianity, it is distinguished from presbyterian polity, which is governance by a structure of democratically-elected representative bodies of clergy and lay "elders", and from episcopal polity, which is governance by a hierarchy of bishops. A congregation is the group of members who make up a local Christian church or Jewish synagogue (or those who are present at a service thereat), as opposed to the building itself. ... Anabaptists (Greek ανα (again) +βαπτιζω (baptize), thus, re-baptizers [1], German: Wiedertäufer) are Christians of the Radical Reformation. ... A Baptist is a member of a Baptist church. ... Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on Jesus of Nazareth, and on his life and teachings as presented in the New Testament. ... Presbyterian governance of a church is typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. ... Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. ... In religious organizations, the laity comprises all lay persons collectively. ... It has been suggested that episcopal be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that Valid Bishops be merged into this article or section. ...

Congregationalism is not limited only to organization of Christian congregations. The principles of congregationalism have been inherited by the Unitarian Universalist Association, some of which are Christian assemblies, by direct historical descent from the Congregational Church. The flaming chalice is a widely used symbol for Unitarian Universalism. ...

The basics of congregationalism in Christianity

Congregationalism is the theory that (1) every local church is a full realization in miniature of the entire Church of Jesus Christ; and (2) the Church, while on earth, besides the local church, can only be invisible and ideal. While other theories may insist on the truth of the former, the latter precept of Congregationalism gives the entire theory a unique character among plans of church government. There is no other reference than the local congregation for the "visible church" in Congregationalism. And yet, the connection of all Christians is also asserted, albeit in a way that can't be clearly or consistently described. This first, foundational principle by which Congregationalism is guided results in the extreme limitation of authority, confining it to operate with the consent of each gathering of believers. The phrase One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church appears in the Nicene Creed () and, in part, in the Apostles Creed (the holy catholic church, sanctam ecclesiam catholicam). ... Jesus (8–2 BC/BCE to 29–36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ... This page is about the title or the Divine Person. For the Christian figure, see Jesus. ...

Although "congregational rule" may seem to suggest that pure democracy reigns in Congregational churches, this is usually not really the case. It is granted, with rare exception, that God has given the government of the Church into the hands of an ordained ministry. What makes Congregationalism unique is its system of checks and balances, which constrains the authority of the minister, the lay officers, and the members. Direct democracy, classically termed pure democracy,[1] comprises a form of democracy and theory of civics wherein sovereignty is lodged in the assembly of all citizens who choose to participate. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Ordination is the process in which clergy become authorized by their religious denomination and/or seminary to perform religious rituals and ceremonies. ...

Most importantly, the boundaries of the powers of the ministers and church officers are set by clear and constant reminders of the freedoms guaranteed by the Gospel to the laity, and to every person. With that freedom, as the shepherd in a Congregationalist church is quite likely to frequently remind his flock, comes the responsibility upon each member to govern himself under Christ. The theory of Congregationalism designs its own failure upon lay members who will not meditate on the sermons and apply their lessons in their lives, who will not study the Bible, who will not charitably and patiently debate issues with one another, or vote with the glory and service of God as the foremost consideration in all of their decisions. Congregationalism provides no safety net for an ungodly people, and therefore envisions ideally that none but truly converted Christians will be members of the church. For other uses, see Gospel (disambiguation). ... A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. ... For other uses, see Bible (disambiguation). ...

The authority of all of the people, including the officers, is limited in the local congregation by a definition of union, or a covenant, by which the terms of their cooperation together are spelled out and agreed to. This might be something as minimal as a charter specifying a handful of doctrines and behavioral expectations, or even a statement only guaranteeing specific freedoms. Or, it may be a constitution describing a comprehensive doctrinal system and specifying terms under which the local church is connected to other local churches, to which participating congregations give their assent. In Congregationalism, rather uniquely, the church is understood to be a truly voluntary association. Covenant, in its most general sense, is a word for a solemn promise or similar undertaking. ... Doctrine, from Latin doctrina, (compare doctor), means a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system. ...

Finally, the congregational theory strictly forbids ministers from ruling their local churches by themselves. Not only does the minister serve by the approval of the congregation, but in addition committees must be elected, consisting of lay officers and the pastor. It is a contradiction of the Congregational principle if a minister makes decisions concerning the congregation without the vote of these other officers. The other officers may be called "The Board of Deacons", "The Board of Elders" or "The Session" (borrowing Presbyterian terminology), or even "The Vestry" (borrowing the Anglican term) — it is not their label that is important to the theory, but rather their lay status and their equal vote, together with the pastor, in deciding the issues of the church. While other forms of church government are more likely to define "tyranny" as "the imposition of unjust rule", a Congregationalist church would more likely define tyranny as "transgression of liberty" or equivalently, "rule by one man". The reason for insisting upon Congregationalism, besides the belief that it is the Biblical and primitive pattern of Church government, is to prevent any transgression of liberty by those in authority. To a Congregationalist, no abuse of authority is worse than the concentration of all decisive power in the hands of one ruling body, or one person. Following this sentiment, Congregationalism has evolved over time to include even more participation of the congregation, more kinds of lay committees to whom various tasks are apportioned, and more decisions subject to the vote of the entire membership. Consequently, with the onset of the Enlightenment, Congregationalist churches easily adopted and contributed to the Enlightenment ideal of the Individual, against which there has simultaneously been a continuous revolt as it is perceived to have eroded legitimate Congregationalist principles of authority and connectionalism. Presbyterianism is a form of Protestant Christianity, primarily in the Reformed branch of Western Christendom, as well as a particular form of church government. ... A vestry is a room within or attached to a church which is used to store vestments and other items used in worship. ... The term Anglican (from medieval Latin ecclesia Anglicana meaning the English church) is used to describe the people, institutions, and churches as well as the liturgical traditions and theological concepts developed by the established Church of England, the Anglican Communion and the Continuing Anglican Churches (a loosely affiliated group of... ...

Ministry and Ordination in Congregational Christian Churches

The understanding of ministry in the Congregational Christian Church generally follows a Priesthood of all believers model in the sense that all Christians have ministry roles within the church but that God calls certain people to be ordained ministers. The process of calling and ordaining ministers is managed by the congregation, but the ordination ceremony may involve more than just the congregation calling the pastor. Typically, neighboring congregational churches within a vicinage council or association will be invited to lay hands an ordination ceremony. [1] In most Protestant churches, a minister is a member of the ordained clergy who leads a congregation; such a person may also be called a Pastor, Preacher, or Elder. ... Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation indepedently and autonomously runs its own affairs. ... The priesthood of all believers is a Protestant doctrine founded on the First Epistle of Peter, 2:9: But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into... This article is about the sacrament. ... The laying on of hands is a religious practice found throughout the world in varying forms. ...

Congregationalism as a theory of union

It may seem ironic given its adamant emphasis on independence, but one of the most notable characteristics of the Congregationalist Church has been its consistent leadership role in the formation of "Unions" with other churches. In fact, the persistence of the Congregational Church is owed simply to the fact that these Unions tend (by the inherent nature of congregationalism) to be imperfect, because some congregations decide not to enter into them. The congregationalist theory of independence within a union has been a cornerstone of most ecumenical movements since the 18th century. An older, competing, but somewhat related theory, is sometimes called nationalism (in the Reformed churches tradition), or autocephaly (in the Eastern Orthodox Church tradition). Between these latter two there are further differences. In both nationalism and autocephaly, one unifying doctrine is given local expression, according to differences in language and customs. Autocephaly is strictly episcopal, and assures the self-government of distinct patriarchates within a structure of common doctrine, comparable practices, with some degree of mutual accountability through which they remain in communion with one another. In nationalism (in recent times, more accurately called "culturalism"), there is no institutional accountability to churches with separate general assemblies, although churches with separate histories typically form voluntary confederations with one another. Congregationalism, in contrast, guarantees a completely independent government for all of the uniting parties, down to the level of every local congregation. The Reformed churches are a group of Christian Protestant denominations historically related by a similar Calvinist system of doctrine, which first arose especially in the Swiss Reformation led by Huldrych Zwingli, but soon afterward appeared in nations throughout Western Europe. ... In hierarchical Christian churches, especially Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches, autocephaly is the status of a hierarchical church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop. ... The Eastern Orthodox Church is a religious organization which claims to be the continuation of the original Christian body, founded by Jesus and his Twelve Apostles. ... It has been suggested that episcopal be merged into this article or section. ... A patriarchate is the office or jurisdiction of a patriarch. ...

The congregationalist principles of complete autonomy and strictly voluntary union produces a practically indescribable diversity of beliefs within the congregational unions. The United Church of Christ is the result of a series of Unions constructed according to congregationalist theory, as a union between the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches. These uniting congregations were the result of several previous unions. The General Council of Congregational Christian Churches was formed from a merger between the National Council of Congregational Churches and the General Convention of the Christian Church, also known as Christian Churches or Christian Connection (not to be confused with the Disciples of Christ (Christian Church)). The Evangelical and Reformed Church was the result of a partial union of the Reformed Church in the United States and the Evangelical Synod of North America (a union of Lutherans and Reformed). The UCC is by far the most diverse of the Reformed churches at the present time. In the United Kingdom, the United Reformed Church is the merger of the Presbyterian churches and the Congregational churches, on congregational principles of union. The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination principally in the United States, generally considered within the Reformed tradition, and formed in 1957 by the merger of two denominations, the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches. ... History The Christians or Christian Connection religious movement began in several places and were secessions from three different religious denominations during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. ... The insignia of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). ... Lutheranism is a movement within Christianity that began with the theological insights of Martin Luther in the 16th century> Luthers writings launched the Protestant Reformation of the Western church. ... Logo of The United Reformed Church The United Reformed Church (URC) is a Christian denomination (church) in the United Kingdom. ...

A "liberal" theory?

Churches such as the Unitarian Universalists and the United Church of Christ are often accused of or thought of as being politically liberal or morally permissive. Similarly, the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches have been accused by conservative groups of being "liberal," in one or more senses of that term. However, while self-avowed liberals or freethinkers may find some permissive congregations in which to practice their beliefs, conservatives and more orthodox believers can also be found in large numbers in other congregations. In short, while the idea of congregationalism itself is tolerant of differences between congregations, this liberal theory in principle assures a place for both conservatives and liberals, as far as their uniting covenants allow. At least in principle, this kind of diversity may be regarded as both inevitable and tolerable under a congregational theory of union. While a similar diversity might be found under other forms of government, it is less likely to be regarded as normal or tolerable. For Christian theological modernism in the Roman Catholic Church, see Modernism (Roman Catholicism). ... The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (usually identified as National Council of Churches, or NCC) is a religious organization currently (2006) consisting of 35 Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, African-American and historic peace Christian denominations in the United States, and is widely regarded as a leading... The World Council of Churches (WCC) is the principal international Christian ecumenical organization. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The word freethinker has different meanings: A freethinker is a proponent of the philosophical practice known as Freethinking, thus being a practitioner of Freethought. ...

A conservative theory of congregationalism

Contrary to the congregationalism to which the abovementioned churches adhere, there is a conservative theory of congregationalism that obtains in some non-Southern Baptist Baptist churches and in the Churches of Christ. Churches of Christ stand autonomously. These churches have developed ideas about idependence of congregational authority that are quite different from the United Church of Christ. The Church of Christ does not condone the theories of unity and "merger" outlined above, as such consolidation constitutes a threat to the sovereingnty of individual congregations. Interdenominational unity is generally eschewed. Calls for tolerance are often viewed as attempts to be politically (rather than scripturally) correct. Church government beyond the level of the stand-alone congregation does not exist. Even in small towns, most Church of Christ preachers do not meet on a regular basis, and preachers are not formally ordained in the Church of Christ, because this would constitute a transcongregational authority. This is based upon the New Testament practice of epistle-writing in which letters were written from one church leader to another; but whereas these letters had some practical, doctrinal, or interpretational authority, because they were written by apostles and/or those directly inspired by God, such missives do not retain similar authority in modern times. The Church at Corinth cannot tell the churches at Ephesus and Thessalonica what to do and vice versa. The practice of writing rather than meeting is what gives rise to the well-known maxim that "Churches of Christ don't have Bishops; they have editors instead." These editors publish such magazines as the Gospel Advocate and the Herald of Truth. Other than these editors and the occasional lectureship (in which preachers from many churches come together to speak publicly on pressing issues), the only ways in which Churches of Christ generally coordinate is in disaster relief. This principle of rigorous independence even extends to some colleges in the Church of Christ, such as Florida College, which does not accept donations from churches for fear of undue influence and because it is not scriptural for churches to donate money to education. (However, most mainstream universities and colleges affiliated with the Church of Christ, such as Pepperdine, Harding University, and Lipscomb University, do accept money from churches. Note, however, that these colleges are generally as conservative as the Churches of Christ that support them.) The Church of Christ has no headquarters. The Church of Christ follows the first century church's practice of having preachers or ministers and elders and deacons. The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a United States-based cooperative ministry agency serving Baptist churches around the world. ... Alternate meanings: see Church of Christ (disambiguation). ... The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination principally in the United States, generally considered within the Reformed tradition, and formed in 1957 by the merger of two denominations, the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches. ... John 21:1 Jesus Appears to His Disciples--Alessandro Mantovani: the Vatican, Rome. ... An epistle is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of persons, usually a letter and a very formal, often didactic and elegant one. ... Corinth, or Korinth (Greek: Κόρινθος, Kórinthos; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is a Greek city-state, on the Isthmus of Corinth, the narrow stretch of land that joins the Peloponnesus to the mainland of Greece. ... Ephesus (Greek: Έφεσος see also List of traditional Greek place names, Turkish: Efes) was one of the great cities of the Ionian Greeks in Asia Minor, located in Lydia where the Cayster river flows into the Aegean Sea (in modern day Turkey). ... The White Tower The Arch of Galerius Map showing the Thessaloníki prefecture Thessaloníki (Θεσσαλονίκη) is the second-largest city of Greece and is the principal city and the capital of the Greek region of Macedonia. ... It has been suggested that Valid Bishops be merged into this article or section. ... The Gospel Advocate is a religious magazine published monthly in Nashville, Tennessee. ... Emergency operations or Emergency preparedness is a set of doctrines to prepare civil society to cope with natural or man-made disasters. ... Florida College is a small, accredited, coeducational Christian college located in Temple Terrace, Florida, in the Tampa metropolitan area. ... Church of Christ affiliated colleges and universities include these institutions. ... Pepperdine University is a private institution of higher learning affiliated with the Church of Christ. ... Heritage Center on Harding University campus Harding University is located in Searcy, Arkansas, in the United States, about 50 miles north-east of Little Rock. ... Lipscomb University is a Church of Christ-affiliated university in Nashville, Tennessee. ...

See also

• Ecclesiastical polity
  • Episcopal polity
  • Presbyterian polity

And Ecclesiastical polity is the operational and governance structure of a church or Christian denomination. ... It has been suggested that episcopal be merged into this article or section. ... Presbyterian governance of a church is typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. ...

• Baptist
• Church of Christ
• Reformed churches
• Restoration Movement
• United and uniting churches

A Baptist is a member of a Baptist church. ... Alternate meanings: see Church of Christ (disambiguation). ... The Reformed churches are a group of Christian Protestant denominations historically related by a similar Calvinist system of doctrine, which first arose especially in the Swiss Reformation led by Huldrych Zwingli, but soon afterward appeared in nations throughout Western Europe. ... For information related to Dispensational Christian views regarding Jewish people in the End times see Restorationism The Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement (or simply, Restoration Movement) is a religious reform movement born in the early 1800s in the United States. ... United and uniting churches are churches that bring together (or unite) different (predominantly) Protestant denominations in one organisation. ...

External links

• Baptist World Alliance (BWA)
• BWA Heritage and Identity Commission
• International Congregational Fellowship
• National Association of Congregational Christian Churches
• World Evangelical Congregational Fellowship
• World Convention - Christian - Churches of Christ - Disciples of Christ
• Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopaedia Online
• Mennonite Ethereal Library
• Conservative Congregational Christian Conference