A federated congregation or federated church is two or more congregations that are affiliated with different denominations that acts as one
local church congregation. Federated congregations are distinguished from dual affiliated congregations, where the congregation as a whole is affiliated with more than one denomination. Federated congregations are also distinguished from
union congregations, which are formed by separate congregations that cooperate, but exist as separate entities affiliated with separate denominational bodies.
Examples
The Federated Community Church of
Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Coconino County, Arizona, Coconino County in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2019, the city's estimated population was 75,038. Flagstaff's combined metropolitan area has ...
, was formed in 1916 by Methodist and Presbyterian congregations that recognized that they both had insufficient resources to survive as separate entities. Originally called "Federated Church", the congregation added "Community" to its name in the 1920s. The church is affiliated with both the
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelical ...
and the
Presbyterian Church USA
The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC(USA), is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the US, and known for its liberal stance on doctrine and its ordaining of women and ...
. Through its history, members of other Protestant groups associated with the church temporarily, until they could establish separate local congregations. The United Methodist Church held legal title to the church facilities until the 1960s, when the congregation incorporated as an independent entity.
The Federated Church of
Sutton, Nebraska, which is affiliated with both the
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination based in the United States, with historical and confessional roots in the Congregational, Calvinist, Lutheran, and Anabaptist traditions, and with approximately 4 ...
and the United Methodist Church, started out as two separate churches founded in the late 19th century. To reduce costs, in 1919 the Congregational and Methodist Episcopal congregations began to worship together and share a minister, shifting between their two church buildings and alternating between Congregational and Methodist Episcopal clergy. They continued to operate as separate congregations until 1949, when they merged and adopted the "federated" name.
In
Marlborough, New Hampshire
Marlborough is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,096 at the 2020 census. The town is home to the Kensan-Devan Wildlife Sanctuary at Meetinghouse Pond.
The primary settlement in town, where 1,066 people ...
, there was a history of congregations of different denominations sharing facilities long before the Federated Church of Marlborough was formed. After a town meeting house was built in 1790, it was shared by congregations of five denominations (
Universalists,
Congregationalists,
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
s,
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
s, and
Unitarians). Access to use of the building for Sunday worship was apportioned according to the congregations' relative memberships; congregations assembled in members' homes or barns on Sundays when they didn't have use of the meeting house. In subsequent years, the different denominations built their own buildings. In 1927, when the federated congregation was formed by the Congregationalist, Methodist, and Universalist congregations that realized they could no longer sustain themselves separately, the most challenging issue to resolve in uniting the three groups was deciding where the combined congregation should meet. The Federated Church of Marlborough maintains affiliations with the United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church, and
Unitarian Universalist Association
Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is a liberal religious association of Unitarian Universalist congregations. It was formed in 1961 by the consolidation of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America, both P ...
.
New Spirit Community Church in Berkeley Is affiliated with the Metropolitan Community Church, the United Church of Christ, and the Disciples of Christ.
The Federated Church of
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the state of North Dakota (after Fargo and Bismarck) and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2020 census, the city's population was 59,166. Grand Forks, along with its twin city o ...
, is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the
American Baptist Church
The American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) is a mainline/evangelical Baptist Christian denomination within the United States. The denomination maintains headquarters in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The organization is usually considered mainl ...
. To accommodate the differing practices of the two denominations, the church sanctuary is equipped with two
baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture used for baptism.
Aspersion and affusion fonts
The fonts of many Christian denominations are for baptisms using a non-immersive method, such as aspersion (sprinkling) or affusion (pouring). ...
s, one for infant
baptism
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...
s and the other for immersion of adults.
The Federated Church of Livingston, New Jersey
Livingston is a township (New Jersey), township in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States census, 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 29,366, reflecting an increase of 1,975 (+7.2%) from the ...
, is also a combination of UCC and ABC. The Federated Church of Green Lake, Wisconsin
Green Lake is a city in Green Lake County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 960 at the 2010 census. The city is located on the north side of Green Lake. The city of Green Lake is the county seat for the county of Green Lake. The Tow ...
, is a combination of ABC, UCC, and United Methodist.
The Federated Church of West Lafayette, Indiana
West Lafayette () is a city in Wabash Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, about northwest of the state capital of Indianapolis and southeast of Chicago. West Lafayette is directly across the Wabash River from its sister cit ...
, is a combination of American Baptist American Baptist may refer to:
* American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA), formed (as the Northern Baptist Convention) in 1907
* American Baptist Association, formed 1924
* American Baptist College, Nashville, Tennessee, formed 1924 by the National B ...
and Disciples of Christ. The Federated Church of Brookston (Indiana) is American Baptist and Presbyterian Church USA. They have been together since 1919.
First Federated Church of North Jackson, Ohio
North Jackson is an unincorporated community in central Jackson Township, Mahoning County, Ohio, United States. It lies along State Route 45 between Salem and Warren. North Jackson is the site of a Marian shrine of the Catholic Church
...
, is a combination of United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination based in the United States, with historical and confessional roots in the Congregational, Calvinist, Lutheran, and Anabaptist traditions, and with approximately 4 ...
, Disciples of Christ, and Presbyterian Church (USA)
The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC(USA), is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the US, and known for its liberal stance on doctrine and its ordaining of women and ...
. El Dorado County
El Dorado County (), officially the County of El Dorado, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 191,185. The county seat is Placerville. The County is part of the Sacramento- Roseville-A ...
Federated Church, in Placerville, California
Placerville (, ; formerly Old Dry Diggings, Dry Diggings, and Hangtown) is a city in and the county seat of El Dorado County, California. The population was 10,747 as of the 2020 census, up from 10,389 as of the 2010 census. It is part of the Sa ...
, is a combination of Presbyterian Church (USA) and United Methodist.
Indian Hill Church, outside of Cincinnati, is a combination of Episcopal and Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
congregations.
Lamb of God Church in Fort Myers, Florida, is Episcopal Church and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. This combination is also present at St. Christopher's Community in Olympia, Washington and St. John's Episcopal-Lutheran Church in Williams, Arizona.
The Lutheran Church of Arcata, California
Arcata (; Wiyot language, Wiyot: ''Goudi’ni''; Yurok language, Yurok: ''Oket'oh'') is a city adjacent to the Arcata Bay (northern) portion of Humboldt Bay (United States), Humboldt Bay in Humboldt County, California, Humboldt County, Californ ...
, is a combination of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a mainline Protestant Lutheran church headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA was officially formed on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three Lutheran church bodies. , it has approxim ...
and Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), also known as the Missouri Synod, is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 1.8 million members, it is the second-largest Lutheran body in the United States. The LC ...
. Nearby, in McKinleyville, California
McKinleyville (formerly Minorsville) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Humboldt County, California McKinleyville is located north of Arcata, at an elevation of . The population was 15,177 at the 2010 census, up from 13,599 at the time of the ...
, Grace Good Shepherd is a combination of Lutheran and Presbyterian. The United Church of the San Juans in Ridgway, Colorado
The Town of Ridgway is the home rule municipality that is the most populous municipality in Ouray County, Colorado, United States. The town is a former railroad stop on the Uncompahgre River in the northern San Juan Mountains. The town populati ...
, is a combination of Lutheran (ELCA), United Methodist, Presbyterian, and United Church of Christ. Bethany Lutheran Church in Ames, Iowa
Ames () is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States, located approximately north of Des Moines in central Iowa. It is best known as the home of Iowa State University (ISU), with leading agriculture, design, engineering, and veterinary medici ...
, says that it is Evangelical Lutheran Synod
The Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) is a US-based Protestant Christian denomination based in Mankato, Minnesota. It describes itself as a conservative, Confessional Lutheran body. The ELS has 130 congregations and has missions in Peru, Chile, ...
and Wisconsin Synod
The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), also referred to simply as the Wisconsin Synod, is an American Confessional Lutheran denomination of Christianity. Characterized as theologically conservative, it was founded in 1850 in Milwaukee ...
, but it may not be a true federated church.
References
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Types of Christian organization