The idea for a world Congregational congress was first mooted in 1874 by
Hastings Ross in an article entitled "An Ecumenical Council of Congregational Churches in
Congregational Quarterly. His article was widely distributed in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain. The idea was discussed at the 1880
Triennial Council of the Congregational Churches in the United States and on June 7, 1884, the
Congregational Union of Ontario and Quebec approved the idea at its annual meeting in
Montreal. The Canadian resolution asked the
Congregational Union of England and Wales to consider the feasibility of such a meeting. The Congregational Union of England and Wales approved the idea, but practical steps to the congress only came after the
Congregational Union of New South Wales approved the idea at a meeting in
Melbourne in 1888. Two requests for a convention were formally presented to the Congregational Union of England and Wales in May 1889 and official adopted by the union. In October of that year the American Congregationalist unanimously approved the idea of the gathering at its Triennial Council in
Worcester, Massachusetts, after being formally invited by the English. After much correspondence and deliberations by arrangement committees the First International Congregational Council opened in London at
Memorial Hall on July 13, 1891. The Council finished its work on July 21, and an arrangements committee was set up to work with the National Council of the US Congregational Churches to convent the next Council in that country == Subsequent Councils ==