Free church

A "free church" is a Christian denomination that is intrinsically separated from government (as opposed to a theocracy, or an "established" or state church). A free church does not define government policy, nor have governments define church policy or theology, nor seeks or receives government endorsement or funding for its general mission. The term is especially relevant in countries with established state churches.

History

The free church is a pattern that evolved in the Americas, while much of Europe maintains some government involvement in religion and churches via taxation to support them and by appointing ministers and bishops etc., although free churches have been founded in Europe outside of the state system [1][2]

Protestant historians would typically argue that this is historically what the Christian church was before the Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity (see Early Christianity) and before the later setting up of the state church of the Roman Empire, and did not appear again until the appearance, within the Protestant Reformation, of groups such as the Calvinists and radical movements such as the Anabaptists. However some Calvinist churches were also state churches, such as the Dutch Reformed Church in the Netherlands. This is also a somewhat Eurocentric perspective, as there were many thriving Christian communities in the Far East (India and China) during medieval times, yet none of these communities ever wielded control of a state.

Anglicanism

One church in England in the Anglican tradition, have used the name 'Free Church', Known as the Free Church of England.

Presbyterianism

A number of churches in Scotland and Northern Ireland, mainly of the presbyterian tradition, have used the name 'Free Church'. The most important of these to persist at the present time is the Free Church of Scotland.

United States

In the United States, because of the First Amendment forbidding the government establishment of religion (the separation of church and state) "all" churches are by definition free churches. Many churches in the United States have filed for a tax exemption under section 501c3 which weakens the separation of church and state.

China

Within present-day China the largest free churches are the "underground" element of the Catholic Church (see Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association#CPCA and the Catholic Church), the true Jesus Church, local churches and the Born Again Movement. Possibly several millions of people in China belong to isolated radio churches.

Sweden

In Sweden, the term Free Church (Swedish: frikyrka) often means any Christian Protestant denomination that is not part of the Church of Sweden. This includes Baptists, Pentecostals, Methodists etc.

Free Methodist Church

Among the Methodist Churches, calling a church "free" does not indicate any particular relation to a government. Rather the Free Methodist Church is so called because of three, possibly four, reasons, depending on the source referenced. The word "Free" was suggested and adopted because the new church was to be an anti-slavery church (slavery was an issue in those days), because pews in the churches were to be free to all rather than sold or rented (as was common), and because the new church hoped for the freedom of the Holy Spirit in the services rather than a stifling formality. However, according to World Book Encyclopedia, the third principle was "freedom" from secret and oathbound societies (in particular the Freemasons).

See also

in Europe
in England
in Germany
in Iceland
in Northern Ireland
in Norway
in Scotland
in South Africa
in the United States

Notes

  1. ↑ http://anglicanhistory.org/misc/freechurch/ Project Canterbury: The Free Church Movement
  2. ↑ http://anglicanhistory.org/usa/jhhbrown/free1857.html What "Free Church" means and Why Churches should be Free. (1857)

External links