Bethany Chapel, Ammanford (1904)
"On the first Sunday of November 1904, we held our preaching services in Bethany with Joseph Jenkins preaching – as arranged some years before. But now a few months before the meetings the news had reached us that something wonderful had happened in New Quay. Indeed I remember one fellowship meeting held in Bethany in August 1904, with Mr David Thomas the schoolmaster of Penmorfa, a place not far from New Quay… venturing to tell us the story of what was going on in New Quay until we were astounded and our hearts glowed. That was the first fruit of the revival for us in Ammanford.
The last Sunday in October I was preaching at home. Fully aware that Joseph Jenkins would be there the following Sabbath. My purpose was to prepare the way for the famous preacher. But even better was the work of the officers in agreeing to hold a week of prayer meetings to prepare the way for Mr Jenkins, though it was a very new thing in those days to hold such a series in the churches. The following Sunday morning Mr Jenkins preached on Zaccheus and he urged us to get down quickly from the branches of our self righteousness. There was a heavenly electricity in the meeting. At the end I got up without consulting anyone and announced, ‘There will be a prayer meeting here in the vestry at 5 o’clock before the evening service.’ As we went home from the meeting Mr Jenkins said to me,’the Holy Spirit is fully among you here.’ I did not know that because I was not instructed in the ways of the Spirit as was the preacher.
The afternoon meeting was set apart for relating the story of the revival in New Quay. The chapel was full to overflowing and a stillness and intensity of a formidable kind possessed us all as we listened to the stirring story. In the middle of his address, Mr Jenkins referred to a meeting where the congregation had broken into singing a hymn.
With that, David Thomas, one of our quietest deacons, cut across Jenkins, turned his face to the congregation and said, ‘let us sing that hymn now, shall we?’ What liberty! The crowd broke out into song with a passion and rejoicing beyond description.
My anxiety now was for the 5 pm prayer meeting. Would anyone comes? Well, when I reachrd the vestry, to my astonishment, it was packed full. The first light of dawn had come. The hilltops were rejoicing and the un was quickly drawing nigh.
The Tuesday night after Mr Jenkins left, the sun rose in its power at Ammanford… there was no need for anyone to lead because the infallible Leader had taken the house. About 10 o’clock a young girl in the corner to the right of the big seat rose to her feet and prayed with an explosive passion until the Pentecostal cloud broke over her. It poured out its contents everywhere, until everyone lost control and turned to praying, yes and shouting, some asking forgiveness, some giving thanks, and some praising – everyone in a confusion doing something. Never before had we’ve seen such a holy disorder in a religious meeting. But despite all the disorder of the meeting, no clash of spirit was felt there. The beautiful harmony was sensed in the confessing, praying and praising. The quiet thanksgiving heard here and the brokenhearted cry sounding over there, were in the same sweet counterpoint as the tender tinkle of the harp and the trombone notes in an orchestra. The harsh sounds of self were nowhere to be heard. The meeting continued till half-past two in the morning."
"Y Drysorfa", October 1954.