International Congregational Council

This was formed in London in 1891 for the purpose of obtaining greater cooperation among the Congregational churches over the world. The Congregational response to the emerging ecumenical movement of the latter part of the nineteenth century, it was designed not only to bring greater unity among Congregationalists, but also to bring Congregationalism into greater cooperation with other Protestant churches in the task of evangelism. It proved, however, to be a suitable vehicle for the promotion of the Social Gospel* and was increasingly used for this purpose by liberal theologians.