Congregationalism speaks of a form

Congregationalism speaks of a form of church government. “Episcopal” church government is rule by bishops, “presbyterian” church government is rule by elders, and “congregational” church government is rule by the congregation. Episcopal government usually includes a hierarchy over the local church, and presbyterian government sometimes does as well. Congregational government nearly always avoids such hierarchy, maintaining that the local church is answerable directly to God, not some man or organization. Congregational government is found in many Baptist and non-denominational churches.

In addition to those churches which practice a congregational form of government, there are also those which call themselves Congregational Churches. Most of these are affiliated with the United Church of Christ, the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, or the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference. These groups share a common history which is traced to the New England Puritans.

In 1648, the Massachusetts Bay Colony Puritans drew up the Cambridge Platform as a means of protecting their assemblies from interference by unfriendly authorities in England and to formulate a common church polity based on Scripture. While formally still a part of the Church of England, these Puritans were unwilling to conform to the corruptions in the forms of worship and government that they saw in the church. Stepping outside the authority of the mother church, the Platform declared that “a company of professed believers ecclesiastically confederate” is a church, with or without officers. This clearly separated them from all forms of hierarchical church government.

The Congregational churches eventually merged with the Christian churches, which had separated from the Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterians in the late 1700s and early 1800s. This new group maintained the congregational form of government, and with the strong emphasis on the autonomy of the local church, tolerance of doctrinal variations was essential.

While the Congregational Christian Churches were growing, two other groups were formed that would eventually become part of the United Church of Christ. German settlers in Pennsylvania formed the Reformed Church in 1725, and many years later, German settlers in Missouri formed the Evangelical Church in 1841. These bodies merged in 1934 to become the Evangelical and Reformed Church.

In 1957, the Evangelical Reformed Church merged with the Congregational Christian Churches to become the United Church of Christ. According to their web page, the UCC is an “extremely pluralistic and diverse denomination.” Because of their firm adherence to the autonomy of the local church, the denomination cannot impose doctrine onto individual churches. Likewise, because of the belief in freedom of individual conscience, the local church has a hard time imposing doctrine on its members. While they celebrate the historic creeds and confessions of the church, they do not recognize them as authoritative tests of orthodoxy, but as “testimonies of faith.” Since “faith can be expressed in many different ways,” the UCC has no formula that is a test of faith. Members of each congregation covenant with one another and with God in “trustful relationships rather than legal agreements.” The result of this doctrine is a wide variance of beliefs and practices, with no consistency or standard for churches or people.

The National Association of Congregational Christian Churches was formed in 1955 in response to the pending formation of the United Church of Christ. These churches believed that the new denomination would create unwieldy bureaucracies and hinder the freedoms of local churches. These churches are more independent and self-directing than those within the UCC and tend to hold even more liberal positions in doctrine and practice.

Results (Chinese Traditional) 1:

公理講的教會政府形式。"主教"教會政府是由主教的規則，"長老會"的教會政府就是長老，法治，"公理"教會政府規則由會眾。主教的政府在當地的教堂，通常包括層次結構和長老會政府有時也會如此。公理會政府幾乎總是避免了這種層次結構，維持當地的教堂直接向上帝，不是一些人或組織負責。公理會政府是發現在許多浸禮會教友和非教派教堂。除了那些教會實踐公理的形式的政府，也有那些自稱公理會教堂。其中大多數都被隸屬于基督聯合教會、 國家協會的公理會基督教會或保守公理會基督教會議。這些團體分享共同的歷史追溯到新英格蘭的清教徒。In 1648, the Massachusetts Bay Colony Puritans drew up the Cambridge Platform as a means of protecting their assemblies from interference by unfriendly authorities in England and to formulate a common church polity based on Scripture. While formally still a part of the Church of England, these Puritans were unwilling to conform to the corruptions in the forms of worship and government that they saw in the church. Stepping outside the authority of the mother church, the Platform declared that “a company of professed believers ecclesiastically confederate” is a church, with or without officers. This clearly separated them from all forms of hierarchical church government.The Congregational churches eventually merged with the Christian churches, which had separated from the Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterians in the late 1700s and early 1800s. This new group maintained the congregational form of government, and with the strong emphasis on the autonomy of the local church, tolerance of doctrinal variations was essential. While the Congregational Christian Churches were growing, two other groups were formed that would eventually become part of the United Church of Christ. German settlers in Pennsylvania formed the Reformed Church in 1725, and many years later, German settlers in Missouri formed the Evangelical Church in 1841. These bodies merged in 1934 to become the Evangelical and Reformed Church. 1957 年，福音派被改革的教會合並與公理的基督教教會成為基督聯合教會。根據他們的 web 頁，UCC 是"非常多元化和多樣化的教派"。由於他們堅定堅持自主的地方教會，面額不能強加到各自的教會的教義。同樣，個人良心自由的信仰，因為當地的教堂也很難實行對其成員的學說。雖然他們慶祝歷史信條和坦白的教會，他們不承認他們作為權威測試的正統觀念，而是作為"信仰的證詞"。因為"信仰可以在許多不同的方式表達，"UCC 有沒有公式，是信心的考驗。成員的每個會眾盟約與另一個與神在"信任關係而不是法律協定。這一學說的結果相差不是一個廣泛的信仰和習俗，與不一致性或教會或人的標準。公理會基督教會全國協會成立于 1955 年在基督聯合教會的掛起形成回應。這些教會相信新的衡量單位將創建的臃腫官僚體制，阻礙當地教會的自由。這些教會更獨立，比那些在 UCC 內自我導引和傾向于持有更多的自由立場在理論和實踐。

Results (Chinese Traditional) 2:

公理教會講政府的一種形式。“主教”的教會，政府是由主教統治，“長老會”的教會，政府是長輩規則，“公理”教會的政府是由眾規則。主教政府通常包括一個層次在當地的教堂，和長老政府有時確實也是如此。公理政府幾乎總是避免了這樣的層次，認為當地的教會是直接聽命於神，而不是某個男人或組織。公理政府在許多浸信會和非宗派的教會發現，除了那些教會。政府實行的公理的形式，也有那些自稱公理教會。這些大多隸屬於美國基督的教會，基督教公理教會協會，或保守黨基督教公理會。這些群體分享其追溯到新英格蘭清教徒一個共同的歷史。1648年，馬薩諸塞灣殖民地清教徒制定了劍橋平台即保護其組件的干擾不友好當局在英格蘭和制訂基於一個共同的教會政體的一種手段在聖經。而英格蘭教會的正式仍然是一個組成部分，這些清教徒不願意遵守的崇拜和政府，他們在教堂看見形式的腐敗。母親教會的權威之外步進，該平台宣稱“公司自稱信徒教規邦聯”，是一個教堂，有無人員。這顯然免受一切形式的分層教會，政府把他們分開。公理教會最終與基督教堂，其中有來自衛，浸信會，長老會和在18世紀晚期和19世紀初分開合併。這組新政府保持的公理的形式，並與大力強調地方教會的自主權，變化較濃寬容是必不可少的。雖然基督教公理教會在成長，形成兩個群體，最終將成為一部分聯合基督教會。在賓夕法尼亞州的德國移民形成的歸正教會於1725年，許多年以後，在密蘇里州德國移民形成的福音派教會在1841年這些機構合併，於1934年成為福音派和歸正會。1957年，福音派改革教會合併與基督教公理教會成為基督聯合教會。根據他們的網頁，上島咖啡是因為他們堅定奉行地方教會的自主權的“極端多元化和多樣性的面額。”，面額不能強加主義到個人的教堂。因為信仰個人良心的自由。同樣，地方教會也很難對其成員實施的學說。雖然他們慶祝教堂的歷史信經和信條，他們不承認他們是正統的權威測試，但作為“信仰的見證。”既然“信心可以表現在許多不同的方式，”上島咖啡沒有公式是測試的信心。每一堂契約的成員彼此之間以及與上帝“信任關係，而不是法律協議。”這一原則的結果是信仰和習俗千差萬別，沒有一致性或標準的教堂或個人，公理會全國協會基督教會成立於1955年，為響應基督聯合教會的未決形成。這些教會認為，新教派會造成臃腫的官僚機構，阻礙當地教會的自由。這些教堂都高於UCC內更加獨立和自我指導和傾向於持有甚至在理論和實踐更自由的位置。