Finding a Way

any Black people in North America in the 1700s had actually been born in Africa. They still spoke their mother languages and remembered some of the practices and beliefs from their previous lives. While enslaved, many were not allowed to practice any form of religion, including Christianity. However, people met in secrecy and developed their own religious practices and rituals that combined African and Christian beliefs.

	Boston King's memoirs appeared in 1798 in The Methodist Magazine Published: England

Many Black Loyalists followed the Baptist faith under the direction of David George, the first Black Baptist minister in Nova Scotia. Others followed the Methodist faith under the direction of John Marrant, Boston King, and Moses Wilkinson. Some, such as Stephen Blucke and Thomas Brownspriggs, were Anglican, the state church of England. Some became Roman Catholics.

Having been denied open and formal religion in slavery, Black Loyalists in Nova Scotia used the church as a source of security, a social gathering place, an educational institution, and a place for political discussions. The church provided a spiritual and emotional release for these settlers who were in a trying situation. They continued to express their yearning and hope for real freedom and equality through spiritual songs.