Tabernacle Chapel, Abercynon - Evan Roberts (1904)
'Seeing the Abergwynfi meeting in full swing, after counting 27 converts, Mr Roberts and his party proceeded to Abercynon, ready for today’s meetings, and the torch which had ignited the blaze at Abergwynfi was taken to the Sunday’s scene of operations. Tabernacle Chapel at Abercynon was crowded even before Mr Evan Roberts appeared this morning, but the service seemed too much like the ordinary Sunday service to lead one to expect what soon followed. I have already referred to the “sermon” conveyed in the wonderfully touching hymn rendered by one of the young ladies. It was not the first incident of the meeting, but it was “the sermon.” for Mr Evan Roberts did not preach a sermon. The gentleman who read a portion of Scripture read it with the spirit of one “touched by the living fire.” The congregational singing was at, times very effective. But “the sermon” contained in that pathetic hymn caught the congregation and swayed it considerably with emotion. Tue missioner (Mr Roberts) in the course of his address spoke very solemnly of the value of a soul—the purchase price, he said, of one soul was the Divine blood. He declared that he had, like others, in the past been more or less imbued with the spirit of anxiety for material position, for an easy retirement from active life and so forth, but he had now given all to God and did not trouble to look ahead. The God which called for these things was the God Who could provide for all. He had among the letters received last night one containing a cheque for one guinea, the donor asking him not to refuse it. Refuse it, no! He took it for God and would use it for God’s work. Another letter told him to write if he wanted money; so that God opened hearts to provide, and he had absolutely no care for the future. Some people, he said, strained their eyes to look ahead, and did not see or smell the beautiful flowers at their feet. Then he came to a climax in relating a simple incident. While listening to a sermon at Newcastle-Emlyn once, he said, he received much more of the spirit of the Gospel from what he saw than from what he heard. The preacher was doing very well, was warming with his work, and sweating by the very energy of his delivery. And when he (Evan Roberts) saw the sweat on the preacher’s brow he looked beyond and saw another vision: his Lord sweating the bloody sweat in the garden (and then as Mr Roberts thought of the “vision” he utterly broke down). The congregation sang “Diolch Iddo,” and presently Mr Roberts recovered sufficiently to proceed. On this occasion he invited those who were saved to stand on their feet. The majority of the congregation did so. He then invited those who wished to “confess Jesus” to rise, and several responded. He urged his friends to take down the names, and presently he and others spoke earnestly and privately to a number of others who had not risen. They were not in all cases successful, but at the morning service the new rollcall numbered nineteen, among them being people from Ynyshir, Ynysybwl, Pontypridd, Treharris, and other places. Thus is the “fire” spread.' From 'The Western Mail'. 23rd November 1904. 'At a meeting at Abercynon, finished shortly after 11.00pm, several young men and women went to the big seat and told their experiences, and two young men from Brynmawr stated that they had come specially to the meeting with a view of taking the 'fire,' as they termed it, back with them to Brynmawr. The meeting prayed that they might succeed in their objective. 57 addional converts took place, bringing the total since Sunday to over 300.'
From, 'The South Wales Daily News, 23rd November 1904.
Additional Information
The building has been demolished, but it stood where marked.