Congregationalism was carried to America in 1620 by the Pilgrims, who were members of John Robinson’s congregation in Holland, originally of Scrooby, England. 

In America, Congregationalism reached its greatest public influence and largest membership.  In New England numerous communities were established based on Congregational-type religious principles.  In 1648 in the Cambridge Platform a summary of principles of church government and discipline was drawn up.  Congregationalists took a leading part in the Great Awakening that, in New England, was started in 1734 by the preaching of Jonathan Edwards .  As the country expanded, Congregational churches were established in the newly opened frontier regions.

In 1810 the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions began its work; in 1826 the American Home Missionary Society was formed.  These were followed in 1846 by the American Missionary Association, primarily devoted to missionary work among African Americans and Native Americans.  The early part of the 19th century brought the Unitarian secession, when over 100 churches left the main Congregational body.

Congregational churches began to meet in local and then in statewide conferences, out of which developed (1871) the National Council of the Congregational Churches of the United States.  But each local church remained free to make its own declaration of faith and free to decide its own form of worship; in the conduct of the local church each member was granted an equal voice.  The principal assistants of the pastor are the deacons.

The trend toward broader fellowship and larger cooperation was notably indicated in the merging in 1931 of the National Council of the Congregational Churches of the United States and the General Convention of the Christian Church (see Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) ) to form the General Council of the Congregational and Christian Churches of the United States.   A move to unite the Congregational Christian Churches with the Evangelical and Reformed Church was approved by the councils of the two denominations in 1957, forming the United Church of Christ .  The National Association of Congregational Christian Churches was formed in 1955 by churches that chose not to join in the merger; it had about 70,000 members in 1997.

“Christian Connection/Connexion” or “Christian Church”

The Christian Connection or Christian Connexion was a Christian movement which began in several places in the United States during the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries and were secessions from three different religious denomination.  The Christian Church merged with the Congregational Churches in 1931 to form the Congregational Christian Churches.

Congregational Christian Churches

The Congregational Christian Churches were a Protestant Christian denomination that operated in the U.S. from 1931 through 1957.  On the latter date, most of its churches joined the Evangelical and Reformed Church in a merger to become the United Church of Christ. During the fore mentioned period, its churches were organized nationally into a General Council, with Parallel state conferences, sectional associations, and missionary instrumentalities.

The body came into being in Seattle, Washington in 1931 by the merger of two American bodies that practiced congregational church governance, the General Council of Congregational Churches and the General Convention of the Christian Church.  Initially using the word “and” between the words “Congregational” and “Christian”, the new denomination decided to combine the predecessor churches’ identities into one nationally, while its constituent churches remained free to either retain their original names or adopt the new usage.

National Association Of Congregational Christian Churches

The NACCC has cordial relationships with a number of state and regional Congregational associations.  These, however, are independent of the National Association, and the NA is likewise independent of them.  Many Congregational Christian Churches choose to belong to both the NA and a state or regional association, but they are not required to belong to either.

The National Association itself is governed by Articles of Association and Bylaws designed to allow local congregations to consult and advise together as churches upon matters of common concern to them, both temporal and spiritual, without infringing on their s of self-government.  Churches which are members of the NA pay no dues or assessments.  Section VI of the Association's Bylaws states: "The expenses of the Association shall be met from voluntary contributions solicited from the Congregational Christian Churches . . . and also from . . . special gifts and legacies."

Once each year, normally in June, representatives of NA member churches gather for our Annual Meeting.  It lasts four days and is held in a different city each year.  Those who attend experience the joy of fellowship, take part in valuable seminars, hear dynamic and inspiring speakers, and make the major decisions of the Association during the business sessions.

Between Annual Meetings, the activities of the NA are conducted and supported by its Executive Committee and a number of other committees, divisions, and commissions, as well as a paid national office staff of just 9 people.

The Association's national office is in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee.  The staff includes professional and clerical workers. All of whom, from the Executive Secretary on down, are employees of the NACCC.  They have no spiritual or temporal authority over member churches or individuals.

In sum, it might well be said that the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches is a body purposely designed to have no power.  It is designed this way so that local churches may enjoy the benefits of national fellowship without the slightest compromise of their freedom.

The Cambridge Platform 

The Cambridge Platform was a doctrinal statement for the Congregational churches in Colonial America .  It was drawn up in August, 1648 by a synod of ministers from Massachusetts and Connecticut , which met pursuant to a request of the Massachusetts General Court .  The New England authorities desired a formal statement of polity and a confession of faith because of the current Presbyterian ascendancy in England and the activities of local Presbyterians such as Dr. Robert Child .  The declaration endorsed the Westminster Confession and for ecclesiastical organization upheld the existing Congregational practice.  The Cambridge Platform remained the standard formulation in Massachusetts through the 18th century and in Connecticut until the Saybrook Platform of 1708 .

The Saybrook Platform

Saybrook Platform, a revision of the ecclesiastical polity of the colony of Connecticut, drawn up by a synod meeting at the call of the legislature in Saybrook, 9 September 1708.  Those in conservative circles, fearing that the Cambridge Platform (1648) did not furnish adequate authority for keeping all churches in line, reorganized the church into county associations ruled by a council of ministers and lay delegates empowered to discipline erring congregations and to supervise the choice of new pastors; county associations then sent delegates to a colony-wide regulatory assembly.  Governmental support of the platform in Connecticut effectively transformed the eighteenth-century polity into a centrally administered unit, making the church practically a form of Presbyterianism.

Declaration of Faith of the National Council of Congregational Churches, held at Boston, Mass., June 14–24, 1865.

[This Declaration was adopted at Plymouth, Massachusetts, on the spot where the first meeting-house of the 'Pilgrim Fathers' stood.  The text is taken from the Debates and Proceedings of the National Council of Congregational Churches (Boston, 1866), pp. 401–403, as compared with the Congregational Manual on Ecclesiastical Polity, published by the Congregational Board, Boston, 1872, pp. 76–80.]

Standing by the rock where the Pilgrims set foot upon these shores, upon the spot where they worshiped God, and among the graves of the early generations, we, Elders and Messengers of the Congregational churches of the United States in National Council assembled—like them acknowledging no rule of faith but the Word of God—do now declare our adherence to the faith and order of the apostolic and primitive churches held by our fathers, and substantially as embodied in the confessions and platforms which our Synods of 1648 and 1680 set forth or reaffirmed.  We declare that the experience of the nearly two and a half centuries which have elapsed since the memorable day when our sires founded here a Christian Commonwealth, with all the development of new forms of error since their times, has only deepened our confidence in the faith and polity of those fathers.  We bless God for the inheritance of these doctrines.  We invoke the help of the Divine Redeemer, that, through the presence of the promised Comforter, he will enable us to transmit them in purity to our children.

In the times that are before us as a nation, times at once of duty and of danger, we rest all our hope in the gospel of the Son of God. It was the grand peculiarity of our Puritan fathers that they held this gospel, not merely as the ground of their personal salvation, but as declaring the worth of man by the incarnation and sacrifice of the Son of God, and therefore applied its principles to elevate society, to regulate education, to civilize humanity, to purify law, to reform the Church and the State, and to assert and defend liberty; in short, to mold and redeem, by its all-transforming energy, every thing that belongs to man in his individual and social relations.

It was the faith of our fathers that gave us this free land in which we dwell. It is by this faith only that we can transmit to our children a free and happy, because a Christian, commonwealth.

We hold it to be a distinctive excellence of our Congregational system that it exalts that which is more above that which is less important, and by the simplicity of its organization facilitates, in communities where the population is limited, the union of all true believers in one Christian church, and that the division of such communities into several weak and jealous societies, holding the same common faith, is a sin against the unity of the body of Christ, and at once the shame and scandal of Christendom.

We rejoice that, through the influence of our free system of apostolic order, we can hold fellowship with all who acknowledge Christ, and act efficiently in the work of restoring unity to the divided Church, and of bringing back harmony and peace among all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.'

Thus recognizing the unity of the Church of Christ in all the world, and knowing that we are but one branch of Christ's people, while adhering to our peculiar faith and order, we extend to all believers the hand of Christian fellowship upon the basis of those great fundamental truths in which all Christians should agree.

With them we confess our faith in God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost [the only living and true God] in Jesus Christ, the in Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word, who is exalted to be our Redeemer and King; and in the Holy Comforter, who is present in the Church to regenerate and sanctify the soul.

With the whole Church, we confess the common sinfulness and ruin of our race, and acknowledge that it is only through the work accomplished by the life and expiatory death of Christ that believers in him are justified before God, receive the remission of sins, and through the presence and grace of the Holy Comforter are delivered from the power of sin and perfected in holiness.

We believe also in the organized and visible Church, in the ministry of the Word, in the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, in the resurrection of the body, and in the final judgment, the issues of which are eternal life and everlasting punishment.

We receive these truths on the testimony of God, given through prophets and apostles, and in the life, the miracles, the death, the resurrection of his Son, our Divine Redeemer—a testimony preserved for the Church in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, which were composed by holy men, as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Affirming now our belief that those who thus hold 'one faith, one Lord, one baptism, together constitute the one catholic Church, the several households of which, though called by different names, are the one body of Christ, and that these members of his body are sacredly bound to keep 'the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,' we declare that we will co-operate with all who hold these truths.  With them we will carry the gospel into every part of this land, and with them we will go into all the world, and 'preach the gospel to every creature.'  May He to whom 'all power is given in heaven and earth' fulfill the promise which is all our hope: 'Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the World.' Amen.

National Council’s Commission in 1883

American Congregational Declarations of Faith

The following Statement of Doctrine was issued, 1883, by a commission of the National Council of the Congregational Churches of the U. S., appointed in St. Louis, 1880. Among the members of the commission of twenty-five were President Seelye of Amherst, Dr. Henry M. Dexter, and Professor George P. Fisher of Yale.  Its duty was defined to be the preparation 'in the form of a Creed or Catechism, or both, of a simple, clear, and comprehensive exposition of the truths of the Glorious Gospel of the Blessed God, for the instruction and edification of our churches,' not to be adopted by the Council but to be sent out 'to the churches and to the world through the public press, to carry such weight of authority as the character of the Commission and the intrinsic merit of their exposition of truth may command.'  See Walker: Creeds and Platforms of Congregationalism, 576–84.

Statement of Doctrine

I.  We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible;

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who is of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made;

And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, who is sent from the Father and Son, and who together with the Father and Son is worshipped and glorified.

II.  We believe that the Providence of God, by which He executes His eternal purposes in the government of the world, is in and over all events; yet so that the freedom and responsibility of man are not impaired, and sin is the act of the creature alone.

III.  We believe that man was made in the image of God, that he might know, love, and obey God, and enjoy Him forever; that our first parents by disobedience fell under the righteous condemnation of God; and that all men are so alienated from God that there is no salvation from the guilt and power of sin except through God's redeeming grace.

IV.  We believe that God would have all men return to Him; that to this end He has made Himself known, not only through the works of nature, the course of His providence, and the consciences of men, but also through supernatural revelations made especially to a chosen people, and above all, when the fulness of time was come, through Jesus Christ His Son.

V.  We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the record of God's revelation of Himself in the work of redemption; that they were written by men under the special guidance of the Holy Spirit; that they are able to make wise unto salvation; and that they constitute the authoritative standard by which religious teaching and human conduct are to be regulated and judged.

VI.  We believe that the love of God to sinful men has found its highest expression in the redemptive work of His Son; who became man, uniting His divine nature with our human nature in one person, who was tempted like other men, yet without sin; who, by His humiliation, His holy obedience, His sufferings, His death on the cross, and His resurrection, became a perfect Redeemer; whose sacrifice of Himself for the sins of the world declares the righteousness of God, and is the sole and sufficient ground of forgiveness and of reconciliation with Him.

VII.  We believe that Jesus Christ, after He had risen from the dead, ascended into heaven, where, as the one Mediator between God and man, He carries forward His work of saving men; that He sends the Holy Spirit to convict them of sin, and to lead them to repentance and faith; and that those who through renewing grace turn to righteousness, and trust in Jesus Christ as their Redeemer, receive for His sake the forgiveness of their sins, and are made the children of God.

VIII.  We believe that those who are thus regenerated and justified grow in sanctified character through fellowship with Christ, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and obedience to the truth; that a holy life is the fruit and evidence of saving faith; and that the believer's hope of continuance in such a life is in the preserving grace of God.

IX.  We believe that Jesus Christ came to establish among men the kingdom of God, the reign of truth and love, righteousness and peace; that to Jesus Christ, the Head of this kingdom, Christians are directly responsible in faith and conduct; and that to Him all have immediate access without mediatorial or priestly intervention.

X.  We believe that the Church of Christ, invisible and spiritual, comprises all true believers, whose duty it is to associate themselves in churches, for the maintenance of worship, for the promotion of spiritual growth and fellowship, and for the conversion of men; that these churches, under the guidance of the Holy Scriptures and in fellowship with one another, may determine—each for itself—their organization, statements of belief, and forms of worship; may appoint and set apart their own ministers; and should cooperate in the work which Christ has committed to them for the furtherance of the gospel throughout the world.

XI.  We believe in the observance of the Lord's day as a day of holy rest and worship; in the ministry of the Word; and in the two sacraments, which Christ has appointed for His church: Baptism, to be administered to believers and their children, as the sign of cleansing from sin, of union to Christ, and of the impartation of the Holy Spirit; and the Lord's Supper as a symbol of His atoning death, a seal of its efficacy, and a means whereby He confirms and strengthens the spiritual union and communion of believers with Himself.

XII.  We believe in the ultimate prevalence of the kingdom of Christ over all the earth; in the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; in the resurrection of the dead; and in a final judgment, the issues of which are everlasting punishment and everlasting life.

Kansas City Statement of Faith

The following 'Statement of Faith' was adopted by the National Council of the Congregational Churches of the U. S., in session at Kansas City, 1913, and is sometimes called the Kansas City Creed.  Of the six clauses, four are given, the last two being concerned with the 'purpose' and 'membership' of the National Council. See Barton: Congregational Creeds and Covenants, 1917, p. 203 sq., often reprinted in the Year Book of the Congregational Churches. According to Dr. Barton, the Statement 'is not a series of creedal articles, but is an inclusive statement of the essential things most surely believed by Christians.'

The Congregational Churches of the United States, by delegates in National Council assembled, reserving all the rights and cherished memories belonging to this organization under its former constitution and declaring the steadfast allegiance of the churches composing the Council to the faith which our fathers confessed, which from age to age has found its expression in the historic creeds of the Church universal and of this communion, and affirming our loyalty to the basic principles of our representative democracy, hereby set forth the things most surely believed among us concerning faith, polity, and fellowship.

Faith: We believe in God the Father, infinite in wisdom, goodness and love; and in Jesus Christ, his Son, our Lord and Saviour, who, for us and our salvation, lived and died, rose again, and liveth evermore; and in the Holy Spirit, who taketh of the things of Christ and revealeth them to us, renewing, comforting and inspiring the souls of men.  We are united in striving to know the will of God as taught in the Holy Scriptures, and in our purpose to walk in the ways of the Lord, made known or to be made known to us.  We hold it to be the mission of the Church of Christ to proclaim the gospel to all mankind, exalting the worship of the one true God, and laboring for the progress of knowledge, the promotion of justice, the reign of peace, and the realization of human brotherhood.  Depending, as did our fathers, upon the continued guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth, we work and pray for the transformation of the world into the kingdom of God; and we look with faith for the triumph of righteousness and the life everlasting.

Polity: We believe in the freedom and responsibility of the individual soul and the right of private judgment.  We hold to the autonomy of the local church and its independence of all ecclesiastical control. We cherish the fellowship of the churches united in district, state, and national bodies for counsel and co-operation in matters of common concern.

The Wider Fellowship: While affirming the liberty of our churches, and the validity of our ministry, we hold to the unity and catholicity of the Church of Christ, and will unite with all its branches in hearty co-operation; and will earnestly seek, so far as in us lies, that the prayer of our Lord for His disciples may be answered, that 'they all may be one.'

Kansas City Statement of Faith

Faith

We believe in God the Father,
   infinite in wisdom, goodness, and love,
   and in Jesus Christ, his Son, our Lord and Savior,
   who for us and for our salvation lived and died and rose again
   and liveth evermore,
   and in the Holy Spirit,
   who taketh of the things of Christ
   and revealeth them to us,
   renewing, comforting, and inspiring the souls of men.
We are united in striving to know the will of God
   as taught in the Holy Scriptures,
   and in our purpose to walk in the ways of the Lord,
   made known or to be made known to us.
We hold it to be the mission of the Church of Christ
   to proclaim the Gospel to all mankind,
   exalting the worship of the one true God,
   and laboring for the progress of knowledge,
   the promotion of justice, the reign of peace,
   and the realization of human brotherhood.
Depending, as did our fathers, upon the continued guidance
   of the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth,
   we work and pray for the transformation of the world
   into the Kingdom of God,
   and we look with faith for the triumph of righteousness,
   and the life everlasting.

Polity

We believe in the freedom and responsibility
of the individual soul, and the right of private judgment.
We hold to the autonomy of the local church
and its independence of all ecclesiastical control.
We cherish the fellowship of the churches,
united in district, state, and national bodies,
for counsel and cooperation in matters of common concern.

The Wider Fellowship

While affirming the liberty of our churches,
and the validity of our ministry,
we hold to the unity and catholicity of the Church of Christ,
and will unite with all its branches in hearty cooperation;
and will earnestly seek, so far as in us lies,
that the prayer of our Lord for his disciples may be answered,
that they all may be one.

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The basic creed of Reformed churches, as most familiarly known, is called the Apostles' Creed. It has received this title because of its great antiquity; it dates from very early times in the Church, a half century or so from the last writings of the New Testament.

---

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
    the Creator of heaven and earth,
    and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
    born of the Virgin Mary,
    suffered under Pontius Pilate,
    was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven
    and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
    whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy *catholic church,
    the communion of saints,
    the forgiveness of sins,
    the resurrection of the body,
    and life everlasting.

Amen.