Free church

The free church movement was one created to do away with the system of pew rents, wherein persons or families rented or bought the title to a particular church pew. At times they actually built the pews or modified them, at others, they rented the existing pews in the church. This was a funding mechanism for churches in situations before free will offerings became the norm. It is a change of the use of the term free church to refer to a church that is not under government control, which is the pattern that has evolved in the Americas, while much of Europe maintains some government involvement in religion and churches via taxation to support them and by appointing ministers and bishops etc., though free churches have been founded outside of the state system [http://anglicanhistory.org/misc/freechurch/ Project Canterbury: The Free Church Movement] [http://anglicanhistory.org/usa/jhhbrown/free1857.html What "Free Church" means and Why Churches should be Free. (1857)] Inasmuch as abolishing pew rents dethroned those with money, power and influence, using free will offerings and tithes to fund churches led to the modern understanding of free church as one not under government or established authority, the shift in meaning has occurred over the last 100-150 years.

Today, a free church is typically a Christian denomination that is intrinsically separated from government (as opposed to a theocracy, or an "established" or state church). However there are a number of Pagans and/or Wiccans that have also formed "free churches," of which some are referred to as Covens, Groves, or Ministries Fact|date=June 2008. A free church does not define government policy, nor have governments define church policy or theology, nor seeks or receives government endorsement or funding for its general mission.

Protestant historians would typically argue that this is historically what the Christian church was before Emperor Constantine, and did not appear again until the Protestant Reformation, and only within some particular radical movements such as the Anabaptists and Calvinists

Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Glaswegian celebrated artist, build the Queen’s Cross Church in Maryhill, Glasgow. The building was a project for the Free Church and Mackintosh gave it his own iconic twist, marrying different styles and influences together in this unique space. Queen's Cross Church is also the only church by Mackintosh to be built and functioned as a Parish Church until 1976. [ [http://www.scotlandontv.tv/scotland_on_tv/video.html?vxSiteId=60fdd544-9c52-4e17-be7e-57a2a2d76992&vxChannel=SeeScot%20Places&vxClipId=1380_SMG1835&vxBitrate=300 See video of the Church] and Interview with Stuart Robertson, Charles Rennie Mackintosh Director (February, 2008)]

Presbyterianism

A number of churches in Scotland and Northern Ireland, mainly of the presbyterian tradition, have used the name 'Free Church'. The most important of these to persist at the present time is the Free Church of Scotland.

China

Within present-day China the largest free churches are the True Jesus Church, Church Assembly Hall and New Birth Movement. Possibly several millions of persons in China belong to isolated radio churches.

See also

* Constantine I And Christianity
* Free Church Federation
* Separation of church and state

Notes

External links

* [http://mb-soft.com/believe/txc/radrefor.htm origins of the Free Church tradition within the Radical Reformation]
* [http://gospelpedlar.com/ch_st_verduin.html Where did Separation of Church and State originate?]