Dictionary
con•gre•ga•tion•al•ism
Pronunciation: (kong"gri-gā'shu-nl-iz"um), [key]—
n.
1. a form of Protestant church government in which each local religious society is independent and self-governing.
2. (
cap.) the system of government and doctrine of Congregational churches.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.