GENEROUS churchgoers are helping to restore faith in an African community struggling to recover from the impact of war.

Parishioners from Cockton Hill Methodist Church, Bishop Auckland, have raised more than £3,000 to rebuild a church minister's home in Sierra Leone.

The fundraising drive was inspired by Cockton Hill's minister, the Reverend Michael Thompson, who spent four months in the country last summer.

Mr Thompson was part of an international assembly from the Methodist church to visit Freetown, in Sierra Leone, in an effort to rebuild the church after decades of civil unrest.

Sierra Leone, a former British colony, enjoyed 30 years of relative stability after it won independence in 1961. But years of brutal conflict, fuelled by diamond wealth and resentment among the poor rural people of the rich ruling class, has shattered the country's people and economy.

Countless Sierra Leoneans, including child soldiers, lost their lives, and many fled their home villages for the capital city of Freetown, or left the country.

So the European ministers refreshed the knowledge of their African colleagues, giving them a sense of renewed faith to offer more support for those communities devastated by war.

Mr Thompson said: "We gave lectures and talks to remind them how to share their faith and gave them new books and Bibles, as many had lost everything they had. Our work was not just about rebuilding the church through ministers, but also about rebuilding trust and hope.

"We were welcomed with open arms and our work was appreciated. The people there have a great deal of respect for the British largely because of the help they have received from the United Nations."

After four months getting to know the area and people, Mr Thompson wanted his church congregation to help even more.

He said: "I visited the village of Kailahun, in eastern Sierra Leone, where the minister's home had been destroyed. I felt that to make our trip really worthwhile, ministers would have to be part of the smaller communities again so they could share their new knowledge.

"When I came back to Bishop Auckland and told parishioners about Kailahun they were very enthusiastic about helping to rebuild the minister's home as our annual appeal."

The church set a target of £2,002, but through a variety of coffee mornings, lunch days, harvest suppers, gifts and sponsored events they smashed the target by £1,000.

Mr Thompson said: "The efforts people went to were amazing, each year the church aims to support a good cause and members are so generous and hard-working.

"I was thrilled we managed to raise so much money, that should easily be enough to build a new home and enable a minister to be part of the village again to offer support and faith to its people.

"I knew we would reach the target because the people here make such special efforts to help others, but I am thrilled with the outcome.

"We believe in being an active church and supporting causes nearby and far afield when we can."