Free Churches

The Free (or Nonconformist) Churches are those Protestant sects in Britain which, unlike the Church of England and the Church of Scotland, are not established as official churches of the state. Their history is that of schism and separation, not only from the Church of England but also from each other. This has resulted in the formation of many different sects and the continuation of the nonconformist tradition. These sects have developed their own convictions and traditions, which are often characterised by simple church services, worship and buildings as well as having no bishops or 'episcopacy'. The Free churches tend to be strongest in northern England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The major Free Churches today are the Methodists, the Baptists, the United Reformed Church and the Salvation Army. All of these allow both men and women to become priests.

The Methodist Church is the largest of the Free Churches with some 330,000 full adult members and a community of 1.2 million. It was established in 1784 by John Wesley (1703-91) who graduated from Oxford University and was ordained as a deacon in the Church of England in 1725. He became known as a ‘Methodist’ because of his methodical and strictly religious lifestyle. He began to disagree with the Church of England on some issues and the Church of England obliged him to separate and form his own organisation. The present church is based on the 1932

union of most of the separate Methodist sects, though independent Methodist churches still exist in Britain (the Methodist Church of Ireland has over 14,000 members in Northern Ireland) and abroad, with a world-wide membership of several million. Members of this church are sometimes referred as Weslians, after their founder. The organisation of this church is similar to that of Presbyterians in practice, that is, it is governed by 'presbyteries' or local councils in which each congregation is represented by its minister and laymen. Most of the ministers in this church are laymen.

The Baptists date from the 17^th century, being the oldest dissenters in Britain. They reject state authority over the church, each congregation is governed by its own Church Meeting of members over whom the Minister presides. The Baptists practice Believers (Adult) Baptism (whence the name). The Baptists today are mainly grouped in associations of churches, most of which belong to the Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ireland (re-formed in 1812). The membership of this Union is some 141,000. There are also separate Baptist Unions for Scotland, Wales and Ireland, and other independent Baptist Churches.

The third largest of the Free Churches is the United Reformed Church (with some 90,000 members). It was formed in 1972 when the Congregational Church in England and Wales (the oldest Protestant minority in Britain, whose origins can be traced back to the Puritans of the 16^th century) and the Presbyterian Church of England (a church closely related in doctrine and worship to the Church of Scotland) merged.

The Salvation Army, with its emphasis upon saving souls through a very practical Christian mission, was founded in the East End of London by William Booth in 1865 and now has some 50,000 members, 3,150 officers (ordained ministers) and more than 750 centres of worship. It has since spread to 85 other countries, and has a

worldwide strength of about 2.5 million. The Salvation Army is a very efficient organisation and has 130 centres to help alcoholics, the homeless, the poor, the abused and the needy. The members of this church, men and women alike, wear a special dark blue military-like uniform. They may be frequently seen on the streets of British towns and cities, playing and singing religious music, collecting money, preaching and selling their magazine.

The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) came into being in the middle of the 17^th century under the leadership of George Fox (1624-91). It has no ordained ministers and no conventionally organised services, like liturgy or sacraments. Silent worship is central to its life as a religious organisation. Their churches, called meeting-houses, are found only in large towns. Most of their members are wealthy and some of the leading industrial families can be counted among them. The Quakers' pacifism and social work are influential and their membership has increased since the early 20^th century to about 16,500 adult members and 9,000 attenders in the UK.

The Free churches of Britain are growing and part of their revival may be attributed to the vitality of the West Indian churches. As West Indian immigrants in the 1950s and the 1960s were not welcomed into Anglican churches, many decided to form their own churches. Their music and informal joyfulness of worship spread quickly in evangelical circles.

There are also a number of Christian communities of foreign origin, including Orthodox, Lutheran and Reformed Churches of various European countries, the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Armenian Church. They have established their own centres of worship, particularly in London; all these churches operate in a variety of languages. The largest is probably the Greek Orthodox Church, many of whose members are of Cypriot origin.

There are also several other religious organisations in the UK, which were founded in the United States in the last century. These include the Christadelphians, the Christian Scientists, the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church), the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Seventh-Day Adventists, and the Spiritualists.

This diversity of Christian groups and affiliations results in the extremely varied religious life in Britain today, but one, which is an important reality for a large number of people.

Дата добавления: 2014-01-11