On Sunday, May 10, 1992, a group of Christians led by Pastor Jeffrey Stonesifer met for the first time at Steigerwalt's Church of God in McKeansburg. The group was seeking a more meaningful kind of worship. Our purpose was "to worship the triune God-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and to study and teach the Biblical teachings of Jesus Christ, our Lord, to create a new testament faith community" (CFCC By-laws.) We wanted to be more "open." We chose not to have a consistory run our church. Rather, the ruling body would be our entire congregation. Our beliefs are reflected in our name voted on June 21, 1992 - Congregational Free Church of Christ.
With the generous support and compassion of Reverend Jeffrey Rudloff and the congregation of Steigerwalt's, we shared Steigerwalt's church until we had a permanent home over seven years later. We believe that without the support of the people of Steigerwalt's, the Congregational Free Church of Christ would not be here today.
God showered us with many blessings over the years: On July 4, 1995, lightning struck a chapel at Fort Indiantown Gap destroying its steeple and rendering it useless. Furnishings, including pews, benches, and an altar, were donated to our church. It was stored in barns and then completely refurbished by members of the congregation. Our land purchase was finalized on February 1, 1996. We purchased over seven acres of ground from Robert and Lillian Heim.
On April 17, 1998, we signed the papers giving us this Chapel from Fort Indiantown Gap. One of nine Chapels built on the base prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, it was unused since the late 1970's. The structure was taken apart piece-by-piece beginning on Monday, May 4, 1998 by an Amish construction company. We are proud to be able to preserve this Chapel as a landmark to the history of Fort Indiantown Gap and the veterans of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Cold War who were able to worship here.
Our groundbreaking Ceremony was Monday, July 6, 1998. One hundred twenty-five people attended our first service here in the Chapel on Sunday, October 17, 1999. Our official Dedication was on Sunday, May 27, 2001. May God bless the many people who have been with us and helped us through the years. Let us renew our commitment to each other and our dedication to God. With God's guidance, we can face whatever challenges the future may bring.
