Historic N.S. church wins national grant, hopes to secure more funding for full restoration

The Sharon Assembly Church is based in Yarmouth, N.S. (Source: Vanessa Fells)

For Vanessa Fells, the Sharon Assembly Church in Yarmouth, N.S., is more than a place of worship; it’s a part of her family.

“My grandfather was a minister of the church,” she said. “My parents used to go to this church. It’s been part of my family and the Black community for years.

“With 100 people the church would be packed. It doesn’t hold a lot of people, but it contains so much history and significance.”

Founded by Rev. Richard Disney, the African Methodist Episcopal Church held its first service on Nov. 3, 1877. It was originally called the Disney Chapel until it became Pentecostal and was renamed Rose of Sharon Assembly in 1941.

It later became non-denominational and was named Sharon Gospel Assembly around 1956.

“It was created, sadly, out of segregation,” Fells said. “The Black community needed a place of worship. They raised the funds and built the church for themselves.”

The church closed its doors in 2012, but Fells and other dedicated community members have been working for years to restore it. Their efforts recently paid off with a national contest victory and they’re hoping to use that momentum for further fundraising.

The Sharon Assembly Church was one of 12 finalists in the Next Great Save Competition, a national contest to preserve historic sites across Canada. The church and the Maison Doucet Hennessy House in Bathurst, N.B., were the only Maritime sites to make it to the finals.

The Sharon Assembly Church ultimately came in third place, behind the Tam Kung Temple in Victoria, B.C., and the O’Keefe Ranch in Vernon, B.C. The church earned $5,000 for its placement in the contest.

“It was a lot of work,” Fells said. “A small Black church in Nova Scotia against historic places all over the country. I commend all the members of public who supported us and voted for us.

“For us it feels great. It makes us feel the work we’re doing to restore the church is exactly what we should be doing. There were people voting for us all over the world.”

Following the contest, the church has launched a GoFundMe campaign with a $25,000 goal to fix the roof and restore the building.

“Our ultimate goal is to get a full restoration,” Fells said. “It’s complicated given its age. Altogether it will be $37,000 plus tax just to repair the roof, which seems like an insurmountable amount of money, but I truly believe we can do it. It’s only the first stage of what we have to do.”

Fells said the revamped church could serve as a warming space and an emergency space during hurricanes for the community. She also thinks it could be a spot to house the history of Yarmouth.

“We’d like a spot to house a history of African history in Yarmouth,” she said. “The Yarmouth County Museum has some information, but there is so much more information. We have nowhere to keep and house all of this history, but we think it’s important to preserve it.”

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