TWC NEWS VIDEO: The Cross Island Chapel is in the middle of the Mason family pond in Oneida, Madison County. The only way to get there is by boat.
The church is about the size of a walk-in closet, and fits, at most, five people.
"A minister, bride, groom and two witnesses," said Beth Mason, Cross Island Chapel Keeper of the Cross
The chapel hosts about two to three weddings a year, including Manfred Ochs'.
"A church setting was a little too, too big for me so I started looking at the Internet," said Ochs, a groom. "I went on Google Earth and had a look at the place and I said this is it. We've got to go here. I fell in love with it right away."
"I've never done anything like this but because I am a Navy veteran, I enjoyed rowing in the row boat," said Rev. Dexter Smith, the officiant.
During the mid-80s, the only thing that was in this pond was that cross. Mason says two people passing through who happened to be admiring the cross, told her father it would nice to have a church here and so he built one.
"He always wanted to do things that were unique, so he went and took one of the Guinness Books of World Records, one of the old ones and looked up where the World's Smallest Church was and what the dimensions were and said I wanted to make mine just a little bit smaller," Mason said.
Chandler Mason got to work, building the chapel in his garage. Rocks were donated to make an island and they waited until winter to transfer to chapel to where it stands now.
"We took a snow mobile and took it across the ice."
He sent pictures and specifications to the Guinness Book of World Records and in 1989 it was the World's Smallest Church.Since that time, people from near and far have come to visit. Her father wanted everyone to enjoy it so it costs nothing to have a wedding here or to even go for silent reflection.
Chandler Mason passed away several years ago but Beth said he would be pleased that his big dream for a place for people to come and reflect lives on in this tiny church.