WHAT IS CONGREGATIONAL?
‘to congregate’ = to gather together
‘congregation’ = a gathering of people
‘church’ (Gk. ecclesia in the New Testament) = those who God gathers together
A Congregational Church is a gathering of people who have responded to God’s message to be reconciled to God through Jesus his Son. Being therefore committed to Jesus as Saviour and Lord of their lives, these people also commit to worship and work with others who love Him.
Each Congregational church is independent of other gatherings of Christians, but not separate from them. We serve and worship the same Lord, and like them are part of his church of all the ages of history and of all the nations.
Other congregations of Christian believers may operate under a different ‘denominational tag’, having a different approach to managing the affairs of the church, and we recognise them to be brothers in sisters in the Lord.
As Christians we are subject to Jesus as our Head. Our distinctive feature as a Congregational Church is in recognising the responsibility and privilege that each member has to join together in serving him and seeking his directions for all our activities, guided by the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit.
Congregational Churches, by that name, date from the period in England following the Protestant Reformation, and have many similarities to our Presbyterian and Baptist sister churches who share that heritage.
Our Church at Engadine belongs to the Australian Fellowship of Congregational Churches