Upper Wesleyan Methodist Chapel - Blaenavon (1905)
At the invitation of Blaenavon Free Church Council, Mr Sidney Evans and his co-workers opened a mission in the town on Tuesday. Special prayer-meetings held in the district have yielded good results, and the visit of the revivalists was eagerly anticipated. Me Evans was unable to be present at the morning meeting held in Bethlehem Chapel. When he put in an appearance at the afternoon meeting at Upper Wesleyan Chapel, the building was packed with an ardent congregatation. Several well-known hymns were sung with great fervour, and after the revivalist had addressed the audience, a middle-aged man thanked God that he had had the courage to start a prayer meeting underground the previous night when 14 men came out of their stalls to unite in prayer with him. "Bend us all," he cried in a tremulous voice, "We thank thee for bending Evan Roberts and Sidney Evans." Then the hymn "Diolch Iddo" was feelingly sung. A woman hailing from Cwmavon declared that she had been praying for her husband for many years, but she had not been a true Christian, otherwise her prayer would have been heard. "Oh Lord," she pleaded, "make the place red hot for them at Cwmavon, make it red hot." Following this, prayers were offered for members of the congregation, and a member of one of the local churches announced his intention of shaking hands with a former friend who was now at emnity with him. At the close of the meeting the whole of the congregation publicly confessed Christ, and 25 converts were announced. At night the workmen's hall was packed, and an overflow meeting was held at Horeb Chapel. Great fervour was shown. Converts at the workmen's hall 82, at Horeb 100.
From, 'The South Wales Daily News', 10th January 1905.