Sandhill Community Church, located about 6 miles northeast of Clarence, New York, was used by the western New York Mennonite (Old) Mennonite Church (MC) congregation that took rise in 1920 when several families of Mennonites were attracted by low-priced farms in the vicinity of Lockport, Akron, and Clarence. The Rural Mission Board of Ontario gave aid for organization and ministerial help. In 1923 a congregation was organized in a brick church east of Akron. Soon the place of worship moved to the Sandhill church. For a few years from 1923 Irvin E. Burkhart ministered to the congregation. Others who preached here were Chris L. Ressler, D. D. Kauffman, and Jacob W. Birky. In 1928 this congregation joined the Mennonite Conference of Ontario. The membership grew to almost 200. In the late 1930s a new meetinghouse was built nearer Clarence (see Clarence Center Mennonite Church), and Sandhill fell into disuse for the Mennonites.

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 416. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

©1996-2013 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.