Tabor Baptist Chapel - Brynmawr (1905)
Brynmawr was thoroughly invaded with the spirit of revival on Sunday when Mr Sidney Evans and his comrades opened a two-day mission at the ‘City of the Hills’. For weeks revival meetings have been conducted at the several churches, with the result that large numbers have been added to church membership.
The local corps of the Salvation Army has conducted an effective "Stop-Tap mission" on Saturday night. Messrs Marks and Campbell, evangelists who have been doing splendid work at Zion Baptist Church, not directly connected with the Welsh revival movement, but in full sympathy with it, have also held prayer meetings at local collieries, and altogether the place was well " warmed " for the mission gathering.
In the morning it was arranged that prayer meetings should be conducted by the congregations at the respective places of worship in preparation for the special services to follow. At 2 o'clock Tabor Baptist Chapel was so packed that the aisles had to be utilised. Mr Sidney Evans, after several hymns had been sung by the congregation read a portion of Scripture and prayed in Welsh that all might be bent, and if necessary, broken, and that there might be an outpouring of the Spirit. "Wait upon God—don't wait upon me. I have nothing to give—I have come here empty-handed—but God has come here to bless us, therefore open your hearts to receive the blessings." He fervently appealed that the audience might plead for the Spirit of God. What had they come to seek there that afternoon?—not, surely, to see him. He hoped not. But if any had come from curiosity he hoped the Lord would forgive them. "Worship God in Spirit and in truth," was his concluding counsel. One of the listeners in the aisle prayed for a warming of the apparent coldness which up to then seemed to have possessed the assembly. Supplications were offered up in the same spirit, after which Mr S. Jenkins rendered ‘Saved a poor rebel like me" with powerful effect. Numerous voices responded to the question of the missioner that they had prayed for someone in that meeting and that they believed they would be saved that afternoon. "Are you Christians ready to go down upon your knees and pray for them?" Inquired the missioner, "Yes” was the answer from all quarters, and soon the majority of those present were kneeling, some engaging in silent and others in audible prayer. After several hymns of invitation to come to the fold of Christ, “Is no one coming?” A brief pause and a young brother was announced to have come in, and the congregation broke forth into "Songs of Praises.” "Oh, that my Benjamin would come," exclaimed a female. In tears a coloured man prayed for a friend of his, for continued blessing upon the underground meeting, and that Brynmawr, "the den of mischief," might become a heavenly earth. The meeting again engaged in singing, and Miss C Morgan, Treherbert, followed the reading of Scripture with an appeal to all who thirsted for the water of salvation to come forward, The missioner said that a great deal of indifference had manifested itself throughout the meeting, and he hoped that a more serious mood would pervade the gathering. "Those who made it a point to read the Bible, every day stand up," He requested, "Are those," he continued in amazement, " all the Christians that are here—about a dozen out of a congregation of several hundred? How can you live without the Bread of Life?” Many stood to their feet to indicate that they intended to read the Gospel dally in future. Most of the audience professed themselves Christians by rising to their feet, which drew from the missioner the remark that many of them had just declared that they did not read the Bible daily.-how could they expect to be Christians without partaking of the Bread of Life? The usual test was made and between 20 and 30 gave themselves to Christ.
Special services were held simultaneously at Libanus Calvinistic Methodist Church (where the movement started at Brynmawr) and at the Primitive Methodist Church. There was a large attendance at the former. Several hymns were sung and prayers offered, and one conversion was reported at the close.
At the Primitive Methodist Church, they were soon in a spirit of great fervour. “Lord quicken us, we have been dead long enough” was the prayer of a listener, and the intercession was quickly followed by a manifestation of intense feeling. During the singing of “For you I am praying” two women walked up the aisle and prostrated themselves in prayer. Several professed Christ during a most spirited meeting.
A children’s service was also held at Ebenezer Welsh Wesleyan Church and after the usual evening services at the several places of worship, the missioners again conducted meetings as in the afternoon.
The meetings on Saturday night were held at Bethany Baptist Chapel and were marked with much spiritual fervour, between 20 and 30 converts being numbered.
From, 'The South Wales Daily News', 9th January 1905. About 700 converts are reported to have joined the different places of worship in the town. That represents glorious work in a town which has been regarded as the stronghold of Satan in the hill districts.
From, 'The Radnor Express', 26th January 1905.