International Congregational Fellowship


The International Congregational Fellowship is an association that brings together congregational denominations around the world in order to promote mutual cooperation.
WWW congregational.org.uk/who...

History

Background

In 1891, in London, the International Congregational Council was founded. This body represented, for many decades, congregational unity throughout the world.
However, in the 20th century, Liberal Theology and Ecumenism spread among congregational churches throughout the world. Many congregational churches, as a result, abandoned the doctrine of biblical inerrancy and also the distinctives of Congregationalism.
In the 1960s and 1970s, several congregational groups around the world merged with Presbyterian and/or Methodist and/or Anglican groups, forming denominations such as the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Portugal, Uniting Church in Australia, United Church of Canada, Church of North India, Church of South India and United Reformed Church.
In 1970, the ICC was already formed by several united churches, which were also members of the Alliance of Reformed Churches that maintain the Presbyterian System. Thus, in that year, the ICC and AIRSP merged, giving rise to the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. In 2010, the AMIR merged with the Reformed Ecumenical Council to form the current World Communion of Reformed Churches.

Formation

In 1975, Congregationalists from various parts of the world met at Chiselhurst in the United Kingdom to discuss the need and possibility of some kind of worldwide fellowship to replace the ICC that had been dissolved that decade. Thus, in 1977, the inaugural conference of the ICF was held.
In the years that followed, the organization expanded, adding congregational unions and associations from around the world. In the 21st century, it is the largest congregational fellowship in the world in terms of membership.

Differentiation of the World Evangelical Congregational Fellowship

Another large global organization of congregational churches is the World Evangelical Congregational Fellowship. This has a more conservative and evangelical stance than the ICF. While the FMEC requires its members to affirm biblical inerrancy, the ICF does not require such a commitment.
Thus, the majority of ICF members are also members of the World Communion of Reformed Churches.

Members

In 2025, the members of the International Congregational Fellowship were:
CountryDenominationNumber of congregationsNumber of membersYear
South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and ZimbabweUnited Congregational Church of Southern Africa1,0001,500,0002024
South AfricaUnion of Congregational Churches in South Africa---
ArgentinaEvangelical Congregational Church in Argentina1206,0002021
ArmeniaCongregational Churches in Armenia---
Australia and New ZealandCongregational Federation of Australia and New Zealand312,9852004
BrazilEvangelical Congregational Church in Brazil37550,0002010
South KoreaKorean Puritan Movement---
United StatesNational Association of Congregational Christian Churches30441,5822020
GreeceCongregational Churches in Greece---
GuyanaGuyana Congregational Union402,4522006
IndiaCongregational Church of India (Maraland)235,5002006
MyanmarCongregational Church of Myanmar---
United KingdomUnion of Welsh Independents39020,0002006
United KingdomCongregational Federation23510,8832004
SamoaCongregational Christian Church of Samoa32570,0002006
GlobalInternational Congregational Fellowship2,8431,709,4022004-2025