Free church
A free church is a Christian church or denomination that is intrinsically separated from any government (as opposed to a theocracy or the state church). 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. This is historically what the Christian church was before Constantine and did not appear again until the Reformation and only within some particular radical movements such as the Anabaptists.
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.
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See also
- Separation of church and state
- Established church
- State religion
- Constantine I And Christianity
- Radical Reformation
- Anabaptist
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