The Congregational Church is a type of Protestant church where each congregation independently runs its own affairs.
Consider Congregational Churches like classrooms in a school. Each classroom (congregation) has its own rules and ways to manage things (like choosing class monitors), but they all belong to one school (the broader church).
Puritanism: A religious reform movement in late 16th and 17th century England seeking "purity" from corruption within Anglican Church; many Puritans were part of Congregationalist groups.
Separatists/Pilgrims: These were English Protestants who believed it necessary to separate from Anglican Church due to its perceived corruption; they established Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts.
Mayflower Compact: This was a set of rules for self-governance established by the English settlers who travelled to the New World on the Mayflower. It's an example of Congregationalist principles in action.
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