congregation

(noun)

A gathering of faithful in a temple, church, synagogue, mosque or other place of worship. It can also refer to the people who are present at a devotional service in the building, particularly in contrast to the pastor, minister, imam, rabbi etc. and/or choir, who may be seated apart from the general congregation or lead the service (notably in responsary form).

Related Terms

Examples of congregation in the following topics:

  • The Great Awakening

    • Jonathan Edward's congregation was involved in a revival later called the "Frontier Revivals" in the mid-1730s.
    • The leaders of the Great Awakening, such as Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield, had little interest in merely engaging parishioners' intellects; rather, they sought a strong emotional response from their congregations that might yield the workings and experiential evidence of saving grace.

  • Markets and Missionaries

    • Myron Reed of the First Congregational Church became a spokesman for labor unions on issues such as worker's compensation.
    • His middle-class congregation encouraged Reed to move on when he became a Socialist, and he organized a nondenominational church.
    • One of the defining theologians for the Social Gospel movement was Walter Rauschenbusch, a Baptist pastor of a congregation located in Hell’s Kitchen.
    • For instance, the abolitionist Owen Lovejoy was among the Congregational ministers of the AMA who helped plant 115 anti-slavery churches in Illinois before the American Civil War, aided by the strong westward migration of population from the East.

  • Women and Church Governance

    • The rising number of women congregants influenced the doctrine preached by ministers as well.
    • In an effort to give sermons that would resonate with the congregation, Christ was gradually "feminized" in this period to stress his humility and forgiveness.

  • Colonial Cities

    • In New England, the Puritans created self-governing communities of religious congregations of farmers, or yeomen, and their families.
    • The Congregational Church, the church that the Puritans founded, was not automatically joined by all New England residents because of Puritan beliefs that God singled out specific people for salvation.

  • The Anglican Class

    • It passed a law in 1632 requiring uniformity among the Anglican congregations of the colony.

  • The Social Gospel

    • Myron Reed of the First Congregational Church became a spokesman, 1884 to 1894 for labor unions on issues such as worker's compensation.
    • His middle-class congregation encouraged Reed to move on when he became a Socialist, and he organized a nondenominational church.

  • Unitarianism and Universalism

    • The first official acceptance of the Unitarian faith on the part of a congregation was by King's Chapel in Boston, which revised the Prayer Book into a mild Unitarian liturgy in 1785.
    • The result of the "Unitarian Controversy" in 1815 was a growing division in the Congregational churches, which was emphasized in 1825 by the formation of the American Unitarian Association at Boston.

  • The Age of Reforms

    • The movement began around 1790, gained momentum by 1800, and, after 1820 membership rose rapidly among Baptist and Methodist congregations, whose preachers led the movement.

  • Women and the Household

    • Ministers often told their congregations that women were inferior to men and more inclined to sin and error.

  • The Middle Classes

    • In New England, the Puritans created self-governing communities of religious congregations of farmers (yeomen) and their families.