Congregational
ˌkɒŋɡrɪˈɡeɪʃənəl
Definitions
Relating to or denoting a system of church government where each local church congregation is independent and self-governing.
ˌkɒŋɡrɪˈɡeɪʃənəl
Relating to a congregation or the system of church government by congregations.
The church's congregational structure allows for local autonomy.
💡 Simply: Imagine a church where the people who go there make all the important decisions, like who the leader will be. That's a congregational church!
👶 For kids: It means something is about a group of people in a church that make their own rules.
More Examples
Congregational traditions emphasize the importance of community decision-making.
They debated the merits of the congregational system.
How It's Used
"The church practices a congregational form of governance."
"The early settlers established congregational churches in New England."
From Late Latin *congregatio* (assembly, meeting) + -al. The term is strongly associated with a specific form of church governance, the Congregationalist church.
The term has been used since the 17th century and is closely associated with the Reformation and the development of Protestantism.
Memory tip
Think of 'congregation' (a group of people) and 'al' (relating to). A congregational system gives power to the group.