History

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FREE WILL BAPTIST CHURCH

The oldest church in Stephentown NY is the Free Will Baptist Church which was opened to all residents on September 13, 1783. The society had no regular place to worship, so folks met at various places, such as private homes and Black River District School House. Then a meeting house was erected and called "the Old Yellow Meeting House". This lasted until they moved to a more convenient location in Stephentown Center. It was enlarged, remodeled, and still in use today, newly named Stephentown Center Community Church. Elder Benjamin Corpe was its first pastor. It had no ordained preacher for two years after its organization, so 23 members were baptized by Elder Crandall. Church records were badly kept and neglected and in most cases it is impossible to acquire dates and periods of services of past pastors. When they had no ordained pastor available, one of the neighboring pastors, like Elder Nicholas Northrup, pastor from the Second Free Will Baptist Church, would supply or preach more regularly between 1797 and 1824. The first five pastors were ordained from its own membership. Black River district was settled by families from Connecticut and Rhode Island. The immigrants settled on the crest of the hills above the river for safety from the Indians and diseases in the valleys. Around 1855 the majority of business and populace moved into the valley, where a gristmill, sawmill and turning shops were supported by the dams. The church's location was no longer convenient, so they took the building down and reassembled it in its present location called "Little Mechanicville", now Stephentown Center.

BAPTIST CHURCH

The Stephentown Center Baptist Church observed its 175th anniversary Sunday, September 14, 1958. It is the second oldest Baptist Church in the United States. Over 150 persons, many of them former members, attended the afternoon and evening services. The Rev. Frank Beach, instructor of history and English at Averill Park Central School, and an ordained Baptist minister, was the speaker at the afternoon service. He was introduced by the pastor of the church, the Rev. Oscar Arnold. The evening sermon was delivered by the Rev. Paul Maxson, pastor of the Seventh-Day Baptist Church, Berlin, NY. The evening service was featured by a hymn sing led by Wayne MacVeigh of Stephentown. Mrs. Albert Fise, church clerk, read the church history and messages of congratulations from former members and former residents of the community. In 1992 an energetic Pastor by the name of Shawn Chamberlain came along at a time, when the church was about to close. An elderly Pastor by the name of John Fay, sent Pastor Shawn from the Union Gospel Church in Poestenkill NY to this church to see if he could save it. With just two members attending, Shawn hit the streets and built the congregation to 30 members in the first month. In the spring of 2004, Pastor Shawn Chamberlain changed the name to the Stephentown Center Community Church, (an Independant nondenominational Church Fellowship). Pastor Chamberlain keeps the doors open to this day and enjoys the fellowship, Youth Group, and a thriving Food Pantry. The Youth Group took charge of the food pantry December 2005 and enjoy serving an average of 20 families a month.

One point of Historical interest.
England officially recognized American independence in the Treaty of Paris, negotiated by Benjamin Franklin and others in 1783. The same year this church was built.

Pastor Shawn Chamberlain
Stephentown Center Community Church
NY