Free Church Worship: Renewed from Within and Beyond

Abstract

Unpredictable. When I was invited to choose one word that describes Anabaptist worship to contribute to a video several years ago, the word that I chose was “unpredictable.” Unpredictable not only describes worship in my own Anabaptist Mennonite tradition, but in Free Church traditions broadly. The eclectic collection of Christian traditions and communities that may be considered Free Church, and the decentralized structures of these Christian communities, result in Free Church worship practices that are difficult to predict. Even within specific Free Church denominations, congregational polity leads to significant local variation. In a single congregation, there may be dramatic shifts in practice week-by-week that reflect changes in leadership or circumstance. Yet, while Free Church worship is unpredictable, it is also patterned. Congregations often rely on strong local traditions, denominations and parachurch organizations create shared resources, and larger trends and movements shape worship over time. Paying attention to the study and practice of Free Church worship is essential in the twentyfirst century as Free Church traditions continue to wield significant social and political power in the United States, and as Christianity flourishes in the Global South, with independent and Pentecostal traditions as a locus of church growth worldwide. In this brief reflection, I first outline what constitutes Free Church worship. I then explore two movements that have shaped worship in Free Church traditions in recent decades, and consider four scholarly approaches to Free Church worship.