Congregationalism

Congregationalism, a belief that it was the right and duty of each congregation to make its own decisions about its affairs, independent of any higher authority, emerged in Britain in the late 16th century. In the 16th and 17th centuries Congregationalists were often called Independents. In the 19th century Congregationalists were one of the largest nonconformist groups and tended to share the faith and general outlook of the evangelical movement.
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