The story of the Congregacional in Rio de Janeiro begins with a couple named Robert Reid Kalley and Sarah Poulton Kalley. They arrived in Rio de Janeiro in May 1855. Their mission was to begin mission work here.
The work of the Kalleys developed steadily. The first believer was baptized in November 1857. In 1858, the first church was officially organized. The evangelists and the Kalleys spread their work to the North-eastern part of Brazil. They were especially active in Recife and Pernambuco state. Robert and Sarah Kalley returned to Scotland in 1876.
Robert died in 1888. Sarah continued to raise funds for Brazil. She died in 1907. Thirteen churches formed the United Independent Evangelical Churches in 1913. In 1942, Congregacional churches united. They formed the Evangelical Christian Churches in Brazil. Later, it became the Union of Evangelical Congregational Churches in Brazil.
The Congregacional has grown significantly since its humble beginnings. Today, the church boasts 350 congregations. It also has 500 ordained ministers. It is a member of the World Evangelical Congregational Fellowship.
The Congregacional has two Seminaries. One is the Congregational Seminary in Rio de Janeiro. The other is the Northeastern Congregational Seminary. The church is also part of the Brazilian Evangelical Christian Alliance.
The Evangelical Congregational Church in Brazil is another denomination. It is of Reformed congregational origin. Missionaries from Argentina started this church in Rio Grande do Sul.
The church became autonomous in 1942. It spread across almost all states in Brazil. In the 1970s, mission outreach began in Paraguay.
Women play an important role in the life of the church. However, they are not ordained. In 2004, the church had 42000 members. These members were spread across 52 congregations and 375 house fellowships. According to the church’s statistics, the denomination has 221 congregations today. It also has 117 preaching points. Its official languages are German, Spanish and Portuguese.
Congregationalism itself is a Reformed tradition. It emphasizes congregational government. Each congregation independently runs its own affairs. These principles are in the Cambridge Platform of 1648. They are also in the Savoy Declaration of 1658. These are Congregationalist confessions of faith. The Congregationalist Churches continue the theological tradition upheld by the Puritans.
In the United Kingdom, the Puritan Reformation laid the foundation for these churches. Early Congregationalists were called Separatists or Independents. This distinguished them from Presbyterians. Congregationalism in the United States traces back to the Puritans of New England. They wrote the Cambridge Platform of 1648. It described the autonomy of the church and its association with others.
The Congregationalist tradition has a global presence. It is found in the United States and the United Kingdom. It also exists in Argentina, Ireland, Canada, and South Africa. You can also find it in Australia, New Zealand, and various island nations in the Pacific region. It was introduced by immigrant dissenters. Missionary organizations like the London Missionary Society also helped.
Congregationalists practice congregational polity. This means church members decide their church’s worship and statements. They choose their own officers. They administer their own affairs without outside interference. Congregationalist polity is rooted in the priesthood of all believers.
Congregationalists have two sacraments: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. They practice infant baptism. The Lord’s Supper is usually celebrated once or twice a month.
The origins of Congregationalism are in 16th-century Puritanism. This movement sought to complete the English Reformation. Robert Browne is considered the founder of Congregationalism. He set out explicit congregational principles.
The journey of the Congregacional is a testament to faith. Its impact stretches across Brazil and the world.