The Old Catholic Church is a community of Christian churches. Many of these were German-speaking churches of laymen and clergymen who split from the Roman Catholic Church in the 1870s because of the promulgation of the dogma of Papal Infallibility as promoted by the First Vatican Council of 1869–1870.

The term 'Old Catholic' was first used in 1853 to describe the members of the See of Utrecht, who were not under Papal authority. While the European Old Catholic Churches are a part of the Union of Utrecht, there are many more that are independent, especially in the United States.

Soon after Old Catholicism's momentous events  at the end of the 19th century, Old Catholic missionaries came to the United States. The first Old Catholic missions and churches were established  in the Midwest.

Since the passing of the original organizers from the ecclesiastical scene, the Old Catholic Church in the United States has evolved from a centralized administration with structured oversight of ministry to a local and regional model of administration with self-governing dioceses and provinces.

According to some, this local model more closely follows the ancient tradition of the early Christian Churches as a communion of communities each laboring together to proclaim the message of the Gospel.

For more information on the history of Old Catholicism, visit Wikipedia.