Upper Congregational Church - Westbury (1905)



The Welsh revival is beyond doubt extending into England and has just broken out in all its intense heat in Westbury, Wilts. The whole town is deeply moved, and a spirit of perfect unity permeates through all the churches of the different denominations. For the last fortnight meetings have been held nightly alternately in the various chapels of the town on precisely the same lines as in South and West Wales, and with like results. In the Churches of Westbury, as in other churches that have fallen under the spell of the revival there appears to have existed a deep longing and a general readiness for a special manifestation of the Holy Spirit. The meetings are invariably crowded and characterised by deep emotion and anxious readiness on the part of persons of all ages to sing, pray and testify. A hundred names already appear on the roll of converts of the Upper Congregational Church, and the immediate future is big with glorious events for all the churches. The lighted fuse which set the charged atmosphere of Westbury ablaze was ignited at one of Evan Robert's meetings. The Rev. H Jones, pastor of the Upper Congregational Church and a native of New Quay, Cardiganshire, came over to South Wales, 'to investigate for himself the wonderful phenomena reported in the daily Press.' and in the latter end of December, at the meetings then held by Mr Evan Roberts, at Tylorstown and Aberfan, experienced the 'phenomena' in his own soul, with the result reported above. Since his return, he seems to have discarded the old-style preaching and to have adopted the methods of Mr Evan Roberts. He writes to a friend in New Quay, 'Many thanks for your clear and definite account of the origin of the revival at New Quay. I read your letter on Sunday night. I did not preach - did not even take a text, but spoke of the wonderful things I had heard and seen and felt at the revival meetings I attended.'

From, 'The South Wales Daily News', 18th January 1905.

Additional Information

The web says that this is where the church was, but I am not sure as there is a photo of the chapel (converted into houses) in 2002 and I cannot think it would have been knocked down after being so recently converted.


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