The Congregationalist Church grew out of the Puritan movement that emerged with the spread of the reformation. Two Puritan sects were formed in the British Isles: Congregationalists and Presbyterians. Congregationalist groups were formed mainly in England, Presbyterian groups in Scotland and Northern England. After the founding of the Plymouth colony (1620), thousands of their adherents went to New England.

In their churches, the settlers were guided by the organizational forms and spirit of the original Christianity. Groups of believers in each of the settlements were United “by agreement” in a community for worship and study of the word of God. Differences in the interpretation of the Bible led to some minor differences in the organization of churches. At the initiative of three leaders of colonial Congregationalism-John cotton of Boston, Thomas hooker of Hartford, and John Davenport of new haven-representatives of these churches met in Council in Cambridge (Massachusetts colony) in 1646; thereafter, these meetings were held annually for three years to “discuss, discuss, and clarify with the word of God” the problems of Church administration and discipline. The results of this long conference are summarized in the well-known Platform of Church discipline, which sets out the basics of the organization of Church life of Congregationalists in America.

During the 20th century, Congregationalists twice merged with related religious groups. In 1931, the Congregationalist churches merged with the Christian churches – similarly organized religious associations in revolutionary times, forming the Congregationalist Christian denomination. In June 1957, the Congregationalist Christian churches and the Evangelical reformed Church merged into the United Church of Christ in America, which by the end of the 1990s had more than 1.8 million members.

In this Union, Congregationalist communities exist in their traditional form as Autonomous local churches, while the Evangelical reformed Church continues to maintain its hospitals, schools, and orphanages in former structures; trains its own priests, supports Church sisterhoods, and oversees colleges and seminaries.