Chenunda Creek Fellowship (Andover, New York, USA)
The Independence Mennonite Church, located in Independence, New York, began in 1962. It is located just north of the Pennsylvania border and was part of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference. The group appeared to meet in varying locations until 1974. Robert Buckwalter was ordained as the pastor of the new congregation in 1965.
In 1974, the group rented the 1888 Seventh-day Adventist meetinghouse in Independence. Several years later, they purchased the building for $1500. By 1980, it was using the name Independence Gospel Fellowship. At some point, the church dug out the basement and added four classrooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms, a mechanical room, and a social area.
Independence Gospel Fellowship joined the New York State Fellowship that emerged in the early 1970s to bring together Mennonite Church (MC) congregations affiliated with different district conferences.
In April 2008, the Independence Gospel Fellowship was named Chenunda Creek Fellowship.
In 2024, the congregation withdrew from the New York Mennonite Conference of Mennonite Church USA, and re-affiliated with LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches, the newer name of Lancaster Mennonite Conference.
Bibliography
"The history of CCF and our meetinghouse." Chenunda Creek Fellowship. 29 January 2025. https://chenundacreekfellowship.org/about.
Additional Information
Address: 2030 Independence Road, Andover, New York 14806
Telephone: 607-478-5277
Website: https://chenundacreekfellowship.org/
Denominational Affiliations:
LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches (1962- , 2024-)
New York Mennonite Conference ( -2024
Mennonite Church USA (Until 2024)
Pastoral Leaders at Chenunda Creek Fellowship
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Visiting Ministers | 1962-1965 |
| Robert D. Buckwalter (1921-2007) | 1965-1984 |
| Glenn E. Brubaker | 1971-1984 |
| Elmer Donald "Don" Siegrist (1934-2024) | 1984-2001? |
| Lay Leadership | 2001?-2006? |
| John H. Lapp (Interim) | 2006?-2008 |
| Stephen Richard | 2008- |
Chenunda Creek Fellowship Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1965 | 9 |
| 1970 | 24 |
| 1980 | 41 |
| 1990 | 28 |
| 2000 | 43 |
| 2009 | 20 |
| 2020 | 20 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | January 2025 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Chenunda Creek Fellowship (Andover, New York, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. January 2025. Web. 2 Feb 2026. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Chenunda_Creek_Fellowship_(Andover,_New_York,_USA)&oldid=180161.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (January 2025). Chenunda Creek Fellowship (Andover, New York, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 2 February 2026, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Chenunda_Creek_Fellowship_(Andover,_New_York,_USA)&oldid=180161.
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