Rawdon Street Methodist Church facts for kids

Rawdon Street Methodist Church is a very old and important church in Freetown, Sierra Leone. It was built by a group of people called the 'Nova Scotian Settlers'. These settlers were African American people who moved to Sierra Leone.

The church was first led by Joseph Brown. George Carrol (also known as Carral) and Isom Gordon helped him. The Nova Scotian Settlers worked hard to build and support Rawdon Methodist Church.

A Special Way to Worship

The Nova Scotian Settlers brought their own style of worship from America to Sierra Leone. This was different from how the British people there worshipped. Their way of praying, preaching, and teaching came from their African American culture.

Wealthy Settlers and Their Churches

Rawdon Methodist Church was often attended by the wealthier Nova Scotian Settlers. People who had less money usually went to Baptist churches in Sierra Leone. So, Baptist churches were seen as places for Nova Scotians with less money. Methodist churches, like Rawdon, were known for the richer Nova Scotian traders and merchants.

The Start of Ebenezer Methodist Church

Later, some Nova Scotian Settlers left Rawdon Street Church after a disagreement. They then started a new church called Ebenezer Methodist Church. This new church was also founded by wealthy Nova Scotian merchants.