Tag: Religious Revival 1904

Merthyr’s Chapels: Elim Chapel, Dowlais

Elim Pentecostal Chapel, Dowlais

In 1873, a schism occurred at Beulah Chapel, and the Minister and 34 members left that chapel and started their own cause.

They acquired a piece of land on Walter Street and they built a small tin chapel there and called it Tabernacle. Within three years however the number in the congregation increased dramatically and it was decided to build a larger chapel. Three cottages and a shop were purchased in Ivor Street and new larger chapel designed by Mr John Williams, was built in 1876.

When, several years later, the schism between the two congregations healed, the congregation at Tabernacle moved back to Beulah, and Tabernacle became the Undenominational Christian Mission.

Tabernacle Chapel in Ivor Street after it had become the Undenominational Christian Mission. Photo courtesy of J Ann Lewis.

In 1919 a group of men, who were converts from the 1904/1905 Welsh Revival, invited Stephen Jeffreys of Llanelli to conduct a series of Revival Meetings. Both this group and Stephen Jeffreys himself had come into contact with some of the newly formed independent Pentecostal group.

Stephen Jeffreys. Photo courtesy of J Ann Lewis.

They were offered the use of the Undenominational Christian Mission, at first renting it and then, in December 1919 buying it at a cost of £600. Late in 1924 there was the first formal agreement between the leaders of the church and the Elim Pentecostal Alliance. The chapel was called Elim-Tabernacle and became the first Pentecostal Chapel on the British mainland.

This agreement was renewed in 1927 and the church became a member of the Elim Foursquare Gospel Alliance in 1928.

The old chapel was forced to close and was demolished in 1974 due to the redevelopment of Dowlais and a new chapel, Elim was built in 1975 in Upper Elizabeth Street and continues to prosper.

Rev Peter Price, Dowlais – part 2

by David Pike

Peter Price, who provoked such controversy while he was the minister of Bethania in Dowlais during the Welsh Revival, was born in Merionethshire in 1864. His family were members of Tabor Independent Chapel not far from Dolgellau – a chapel that for many years had served as a Quaker meeting house. His grandfather, who was a leading deacon there, had secured use of the building for the Independents as the Quaker group finally died out, having been compassionately involved in the care of the remaining elderly widows there. Later, Peter Price was himself greatly influenced by Quakerism, which partly shaped his own ministry.

After attending grammar school in Dolgellau, he studied philosophy at Aberystwyth University College and theology at Bala before being ordained in 1887 to Trefriw Chapel in the Conwy Valley. He served here for seven years, and in 1894 was invited to become minister of Great Mersey Street chapel, close to the docks in Liverpool. He had been invited to preach here on a number of occasions while at Trefriw, winning the hearts of the people. Here he gained a reputation as an excellent preacher and a sympathetic pastor who went out of his way to help alleviate hardship. He also gained a city-wide reputation for being a clear and uncompromising preacher of the Gospel. While he was in Liverpool the church released him in 1897 to study philosophy at Queen’s College, Cambridge, and he graduated in 1901. It is a measure of the respect and affection with which he was regarded at Great Mersey Street that they continued to support him in that period.

In was in July 1904 that he came to Bethania in Dowlais. By this time he had married Letitia Williams of Llanrwst, and she worked closely with him. They were both particularly engaged in working to alleviate hardship in the slums. Peter Price’s involvement in the Revival while he was here I have dealt with in an earlier piece.

The interior of Bethania Chapel as it would have looked in 1904. Photo courtesy of the Alan George Archive

In 1910 Peter Price became the minister at Bethlehem, Rhosllanerchrugog, where the organist was the great Welsh composer Caradog Roberts. One newspaper report of his induction spoke of Peter Price as ‘one of the ablest preachers of the Welsh pulpit’.

R.H. Davies wrote of this period:

‘I am almost tempted to add that this was the most sympathetic and passionate circle of those in which he laboured. He was now in full swing as a preacher and lecturer. The people of Rhos had a ministry soaked and immersed in his own personal experience. It is said that the late Harry Evans, Dowlais, would whisper in his ear when he joined on Sunday evening cheerfully with the choir, ‘Keep it up’; but in later years in Rhos Caradog Roberts had to say more than once, ‘Keep it down, Doctor.’

Bethlehem Chapel, Rhosllanerchrugog

In 1913 Peter Price was invited to the USA on a preaching tour, and while there, he was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity at Washington University, which he must have found gratifying.

During the Great War years, Peter Price was a strong advocate of pacifism, which probably reflects the influence of Quakerism on him.

In November 1920 Peter Price became the minister at Capel Seion, Baker Street, Aberystwyth. It was not long before the chapel was reinvigorated, and many of the university’s students attended the services and prayer meetings there.  Of this period, the chapel records report:

‘“Contributions have increased, members have been fired up, and new interest has been generated in the Cause. A strong wave of spiritual life has flowed into the heart of the Church …’”

Many students found their lives profoundly impacted by Price’s ministry, and they came to revere him. One of them was Iorwerth Peate who went on to establish the Museum of Welsh Life at St. Fagans. He wrote of the prayer meetings:

‘ … scores of us, if not hundreds, were loyal to him, and the parents of all denominations … The influence of that meeting remains today not only in Aber but throughout Wales … I know of no other Welshman, except Peter Price, who could do such a miracle, which is to draw together such an intractable collection of us, for prayer. He put faith in our hearts and hope in our spirits at a time when the minister needed only a little laziness to throw us over the edge of doubt …’

Peter Price retired from the ministry in 1928 and lived for a time in Swansea. For several years he continued to travel all over Wales to preach, in spite of increasing ill-health. Eventually, he was forced to pull back from itinerating, and he and his wife moved to Llanfairfechan in North Wales, and then to Prestatyn, where he died on 1st July 1940. His widow Letitia died in 1949. The two of them were buried together in the public cemetery in Prestatyn.

One of Peter Price’s biographers, D.J. Roberts, wrote of him:

‘Peter Price was a strong man with powerful opinions and passionate feelings, who was revered by his admirers but who also made enemies easily; a powerful preacher and an influential minister; a pacifist and an original character.’

Another, R. H. Davies, wrote:

‘Many a service I remember when I was completely humbled by his passion for the truth he spoke, and by his desire for the divine presence of the Saviour. …I miss the thunderous rapture of his voice, and the lightning that flashed from his eyes, but I remember with gratitude how much he did from 1904 to 1940 to heal my country’s religious atmosphere.’

If you would like to read more about the 1904 revival, please have a look at David Pike’s excellent blog……

http://daibach-welldigger.blogspot.com/

Rev Peter Price, Dowlais – part 1

by David Pike

In July 1904, Peter Price took up an appointment as the minister of  Bethania Welsh Independent Chapel in Dowlais. This was just four months before the outbreak of full-blown revival in Glamorgan under the ministry of Evan Roberts at the start of November. Remarks Price made later suggest that Bethania, while large and seemingly successful, had become somewhat complacent prior to his arrival. It was certainly galvanised in the weeks that followed as Price’s preaching, described by historian R. Tudur Jones as ‘majestic intense preaching’, took effect. It was not long before young miners and steel workers in the congregation were turned into evangelists, and the wider community began to feel the effect of the new minister’s work. An article in ‘Y Dydd’ early in December 1904 mentioned that 40 had been added to the church even before the Revival came, and that 150 had been added since; while a piece about Peter Price which appeared in ‘Tarian y Gweithwr’ in April 1905 included the following:

‘From the time of his arrival in Dowlais in July 1904, by the zeal and tireless labours of Peter Price, especially among the young, the church has greatly increased the number of its members – and its membership now stands at one thousand. On one Sabbath night alone, he received one hundred and four new members and has received about three hundred since his arrival at the place.’

Bethania Chapel as it would have looked in 1904. Photo courtesy of the Alan George archive

Undoubtedly, long before Evan Roberts himself came to Dowlais in January 1905, Bethania had been experiencing revival, as had several other chapels in the Merthyr district. Roberts led a meeting at Bethania on Monday evening 23rd January, which was only scantily reported in the press the following day. All that appeared in the ‘Western Mail was the following brief comment, part of the longer article about the meetings held in various chapels in the town:

‘ … the prayers and testimonies were numerous, but there was no outstanding feature in them. Still, there could have been no possible exception taken to the devotional character of the Dowlais meetings, unless the curiosity which naturally prevailed may he said to have, now and then, acted as a barrier to the “swing” of enthusiasm which is characteristic of Dowlais people as it is of those of anywhere in Wales.’

But it seems that Evan Roberts had been somewhat critical of a certain coldness of heart that he had detected in some of those who were occupying the Big Seat in the meeting, among whom no doubt would have been some of the chapel deacons, and probably Peter Price himself.

Peter Price subsequently wrote a letter to the Editor of the ‘Western Mail’ which was published on the last day of January 1905. It was highly critical of what he called ‘the Evan Roberts revival’ which he saw as a false, worked-up  and man-made phenomenon which was distinct from the true Holy Spirit revival which had been occurring in his own church and elsewhere. In the letter, Evan Roberts was portrayed by Price as an ill-educated and inexperienced newcomer who was not even trained as a minister, and who was causing untold damage to the churches out of a desire for personal prominence. More specifically, Price challenged Evan Roberts’ use of what might be called today ‘words of knowledge’ to identify in the meeting where people were coming to faith, questioning the spirit behind it; and also the apparent expressions of anger and rebuke when he sensed a coldness or unresponsiveness in the meeting. The letter was rather pointedly signed

“Rev. Peter Price, B.A. Hons., Mental and Moral Science Tripos, Cambridge (late of Queen’s College, Cambridge), minister of Bethania Congregational Church, Dowlais, South Wales.”

The letter created a furore in response, which found expression in a torrent of letters to the Editor of the ‘Western Mail’ which went on for several weeks.

Four fifths of the letters were strongly supportive of Evan Roberts (right), the young former coal-miner who in a few short months had emerged as a leading revivalist of the time; but the rest strongly took the side of the letter-writer himself. Evan Roberts  did not respond and privately denied that the letter attacking him had any impact on him personally. However, within a week of its appearance, he became unwell, and had to cancel engagements for a period. Among them was a long-awaited visit to Cardiff, which subsequently never happened.

The Revival gradually petered out thereafter; and the letter has ever since been regarded by many as a primary cause for its coming to an end. However, while the letter he wrote may have been unnecessarily vehement in its criticism of Evan Roberts, it is also unfortunate that it has tended to overshadow the very positive outcomes of his ministry both in Dowlais and elsewhere. In spite of the backlash, Peter Price remained unrepentant, a reflection on how sure he was of his point of view. In fact, in September 1905, he spoke publicly again of his views on the Revival when speaking in Liverpool, and once more there was widespread public consternation.

In some circles in Wales after the Revival Peter Price continued to be regarded with a significant degree of disfavour. Even today there are those who only know him as the man who opposed the Welsh Revival. But his ministry was undoubtedly fruitful in Liverpool and Bethania; and after the Revival, his powerful and direct preaching won him considerable favour both in Wales and further afield. His ministry as a whole will be explored separately.

To be continued……..

Merthyr Tydfil Historical Society

The Merthyr Tydfil Historical Society is pleased to announce details of forthcoming lectures.

Monday 2 September 2019
The Rev Maber and Merthyr’s Glebelands
Barrie Jones

Monday 7 October 2019
Anthony Bacon (1717-1786) ‘A Man of Foresight’
Founder of Cyfarthfa Ironworks
Mary Owen

Monday 4 November 2019
Some Aspects of Early Nineteenth Century Housing in Merthyr Tydfil
Clive Thomas

Monday 2 December 2019
Evan Roberts the Evangelist
David Pike

Meetings are held at Canolfan Soar at 7.00pm
Membership – £10 per annum
Non members – £2 per lecture

ALL ARE WELCOME

Merthyr’s Chapels: Nazareth Chapel, Troedyrhiw

We continue our regular look at Merthyr’s chapels with Nazareth Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Chapel in Troedyrhiw.

Sometime during the middle years of the 1800’s, several members of Pontmorlais Chapel decided to start a Sunday School in Troedyrhiw.

The Sunday School was firstly held at the Harp Inn until these premises were given over to the Welsh Independent congregation. The Sunday School then moved to a house in Wyndham Street and finally to the long room of the Heath Conservative Club.

The local Methodists, however, had to travel to Graig Chapel in Abercanaid to worship, so it was decided to build a chapel in Troedyrhiw. Nazareth was built in 1858, the architect being Rev Evan Harris, minister of Pontmorlais Chapel, and the builder was Mr Rees Powell. At first, services were conducted by deacons from Pontmorlais Chapel, but by 1874 membership had grown sufficiently to warrant calling their own minister, and Mr D G Jones was appointed Nazareth’s first minister.

Major renovations were carried out in 1897 to a design by Dr Aaron Davies which gave the chapel its current appearance. The vestry was also built at this time. Further renovations were carried out in 1926 at a cost of £1,411.1s.7d.

The 1904 Religious Revival affected the fortunes of the chapel with dozens of people joining the congregation. By 1917 the chapel had 162 members, with 238 attending the Sunday School which had 27 teachers and 2 superintendents. By the 1960’s however, the congregation and Sunday School attendance had declined drastically, with the children’s Sunday School eventually closing in 1977, and the chapel closing in 2000.