Afree church is anyChristian denomination that is intrinsically separate from government (as opposed to astate church).[1] A free church neither defines government policy, nor accept church theology or policy definitions from the government. A free church also does not seek or receive government endorsements or funding to carry out its work. The term is only relevant in countries with established state churches. Notwithstanding that, the description "free" has no inherent doctrinal or polity overtones. An individual belonging to a free church is known as afree churchperson or, historically,free churchman.[2] In Scandinavia, free churchpersons would include Protestant Christians who are not communicants of the majoritynational church, such as the LutheranChurch of Sweden.[3] In England, where theChurch of England was the established church, other Protestant denominations such asPresbyterians,Congregationalists,Baptists, thePlymouth Brethren,Methodists andQuakers are, accordingly, free churches.[1] In Scotland it might be used regarding any Protestant denomination, including theFree Church of Scotland, theFree Presbyterian Church of Scotland, theReformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland etc, in distinction to the establishedChurch of Scotland.
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In theMiddle Ages, groups like theWaldensians were in practice free churches. In 16th century Europe, within theradical movements such as theAnabaptists were free churches with small exceptions like theMünster Rebellion.Mennonites, theAmish, theQuakers and other churches maintain free church polities into the present date both in Europe and in North America.[citation needed] Free churches also evolved in the US supported by the official separation of church and state, while much of Europe maintains some government involvement in religion and churches via taxation to support them and by appointing ministers and bishops etc., although free churches have been founded in Europe outside of the state system.[4][5]
One church in England in theAnglican tradition, has used the name 'Free Church', known as theFree Church of England.John Gifford had founded a free church in Bedford, England in 1650.[6]
Some churches in Scotland and Northern Ireland, mainly of the splinter offPresbyterian tradition, have used the name 'Free Church'. The most important of these to persist at the present time is theFree Church of Scotland.The mainline Church of Scotland is the national church which is Presbyterian and the mother kirk for Presbyterianism all over the world, and is not part of the "Free Church".
In England and Wales in the late 19th century the new terms "free churchman" and "Free Church" started to replace "dissenter" orNonconformist.[7]
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Among the Methodist Churches, calling a church "free" does not indicate any particular relation to a government. Rather theFree Methodist Church is so called because of three, possibly four, reasons, depending on the source referenced. The word "Free" was suggested and adopted because the new church was to be an anti-slavery church (slavery was an issue in those days), because pews in the churches were to be free to all rather than sold or rented (as was common), and because the new church hoped for the freedom of the Holy Spirit in the services rather than a stifling formality. However, according to World Book Encyclopedia, the third principle was "freedom" from secret and oathbound societies (in particular the Freemasons).
Denominations belonging to theInternational Federation of Free Evangelical Churches trace their roots to theRadical Pietist movement.[8] Radical Pietists separated from theLutheran Churches, which held the status ofstate churches in Europe.[8]
In the United States, because of theFirst Amendment forbidding the government establishment of religion, all churches are by definition free churches. However, many churches in the United States have requested tax-exempt status under section501c3 of the Internal Revenue Code. This subjects the churches to certain additional regulations to maintain the tax exemption. Churches that are structured under 501(c)(3) face restrictions in the area of political speech: no substantial part of the church's activities may consist of carrying on propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation. A 501(c)(3) organization is also restricted from participating or intervening in any political campaign for or against any political candidate.[9]
In Germany, Protestant churches outside theEvangelical Church in Germany are put under a common label of, and collectively referred to, as "free churches" (Freikirchen) or "Protestant free churches" (Evangelische Freikirchen). This includes relatively new denominations likeBaptists,Methodists, etc., as well as older ones like theMennonites andEvangelical Lutheran Free Church (Germany).
Pew Research Center estimated in early 2010s that China has 35 millionindependentProtestants (mainly inhouse churches) and 3.3 millionundergroundCatholics.[10]
In Sweden, the termfree church (Swedish:frikyrka) often means any Christian Protestant denomination that is not part of theChurch of Sweden, which was the Swedish state church up to 1 January 2000. This includes Baptists, Pentecostals, Methodists, etc.[11]
In England, the term has been applied to Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Methodists, Quakers, and Baptists. There has also been a Free church tradition in Scotland relative to the established Church of Scotland, which is Presbyterian; and in Sweden, Norway and Denmark relative to the established Lutheran churches in those countries.
Waldenström was also impressed by the size and vitality of the city, but his eyes, as a temperance and free-churchman, were drawn even more to "the unbelievably large number of taverns..."
The Swedish Methodist church began at this time and is also classified as a "free church."
