Letter from Rev. J. J. Brown to Rev. A. M. Poindexter, June 20, 1860

FREE TOWN - SIERRA LEONE Letter from Rev. J. J. Brown FREE TOWN, SIERRA LEONE, June 20th, 1860 Rev. A. M. Poindexter: DEAR BROTHER — I received your esteemed letter on the 12th instant, bearing the date of the 26th April, and I noticed the particulars it contains. I can assure you that as regards the church here to be self-sustaining, that is a point I have been labouring to bring them to for the last two or three years, but it seems to me that all I can do we are only able to keep up the lighting of chapel, &c. They think that I want to lay some heavy burden on them, as they were never trained up to such before. The people of Sierra Leone are more harder to be brought too than those of the interior of Africa. We have been greatly alarmed by sickness and deaths last year and this year. The ministers have met together in order to hold union prayer-meeting, which has been done every Wednesday in each week, in the different chapels in the colony. 1 cannot write favourable now, neither of the churches nor schools, as all appears to be very discouraging at present; but still I hope the Lord will smile upon us again. We still have our services as usual. Prayer-meeting every morning in the week; preaching every Wednesday night, and twice on the Sabbath. The people attend services very well on Lord’s days, but at the same time they are given to sensuality. I have visited Waterloo; brother William Brown and wife are labouring there amongst them; they are improving in the knowledge of God, as well as the school also. Brother Brown has suffered much this year, at Waterloo, by fire and other misfortunes. I am yours in Christian band. WATERLOO J. J. BROWN A letter from brother Wm. S. Brown, of this station, mentions two candidates for baptism. With regard to the school, he says it is going on well and numbers about twenty-five pupils. HOME AND FOREIGN JOURNAL September 1860 p. 12