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Notable Churches in and around Llanelli

The information in this section is an edited version taken from Llanelli - Birth of a Town a CdRom by William and Benita Rees

The Welsh Baptist Associations (Cymanfaoedd)

Llanelli Baptists

1633 The first Baptist Church in Wales Olchon, on the Welsh and Brecknockshire border seems to have been the birthplace of Nonconformity and the oldest Baptist Church was established there in 1633. Close to the site of the old church and on the hill above it Capel-y-ffin, or the Boundary Chapel, was also built.

1649 The second Baptist Church in Wales was built at Ilston, Gower, around 1649 and John Miles was the first minister. Baptists continued to worship at Ilston for 50 years until around 1698 when they moved to Swansea.

The third Baptist Church in Wales was established at Llanharan, Glamorgan, in 1649 before it moved to Llantrissant, then to Craigyrallt and then to Berthlwyd. Because they did not have a suitable meeting house they built a chapel at Hengoed in 1710.

1650 The three Baptist churches of Olchon, Ilston and Llanharan, formed the first Baptist Association of Wales and held their initial meeting at Ilston on the 6th and 7th days of the ninth month in the year 1650. At this first meeting the members decided to hold a “means of grace” in Carmarthen and district, to support the church at Llanharan, and to defray the expenses of the missionaries, who travelled around the country preaching their message.

Llanelli Baptists

It is known that there was a small community of Baptist faithful in Llanelli around 1650 and they met in the home of a member living in the Berwick district of Bynea.

1651 The first Baptist Association meeting in Carmarthenshire was held on 19 January 1651 and the ancient town of Carmarthen [Caerfyrddin] was honoured to be chosen for the historic event.

1656 The Baptists were subjected to persecution but they continued to hold their meetings for the next four consecutive years. In 1656 the Association held a meeting at Brecon and decided to publish a book entitled Gwrthfeddyginiaeth yn erbyn gwenwyn yr amseroedd (An Antidote against the Poisons of the Times). This book was circulated amongst the members of the Baptist churches which had been established at Ilston, Fenni, Tredynog, Carmarthen, Henfford, Byddordyn, Clydach and Llangors.

1660 Following the restoration of the Stuarts in 1660 and the accession of Charles II to the throne all meetings were prevented and this situation lasted for 28 years.

1689 Early in 1689, following the Toleration Act, when religious liberty was granted, Baptist ministers in London sent letters to all their fellow Baptists in the country inviting them to send delegates to a general meeting. Six Welsh ministers attended the London meeting and the churches were united to the London Association.

The church in Carmarthen had collapsed but another one had been established at Rhusiaccer [Rhydwilym].

1692 To accommodate their members, the London Association divided into two parts and the Welsh churches joined the Bristol Association. From 1692 to 1698 Association meetings were held in the city of Bristol.

1698 In 1698 the Association moved to Taunton and for the next two years delegates represented Wales until it was decided to form a Welsh Association.

1700  The Welsh members formed their own Association and since then all the great meetings have been held in the Principality.

1708 Before 1708 the Association held their meetings in Swansea or Llanwenarth and the letters and resolutions were written in English. In 1708 the Baptists west of Carmarthen held their first meeting at Rhydwilym and the most important question for their consideration, at this historic conference, was how best to support their poorest members.

1709 Although the small community of Baptists had held their services in a member’s house from around 1650 they did not build their chapel until 1709. The first Baptist chapel in the Llanelli area was established at Felinfoel and, initially it was known as ‘Tynewydd’ until the name Adulam was adopted in1840 when the chapel was rebuilt.

1710 It is thought highly unlikely that the Association held their meeting at Tynewydd in 1710.

1713 The Association conference was held in Rhydwilym and a letter reported that the decrease in membership was because Baptists had emigrated to America. July 1st was set apart as a day of fasting.

1718 First Association Conference in Llanelli - it seems that at this time the Baptist Chapel at Felinfoel was still a branch of the Swansea Baptist Church. The Association meeting held at Tynewydd in 1718 is thought to have been the first of such meetings to be held in Felinfoel and therefore the first to be held near Llanelli. This meeting was said to have brought about a happy termination to two questions that had caused considerable anxiety to the churches. Also at the meeting undue gratification was expressed on the accession of such a good King to the throne of Britain. [Queen Anne died in 1714 and George I acceded to the throne.]

1725 The Gymanfa [Assembly or Festival] was held at Tynewydd, Felinfoel and reports suggest that the Baptist cause was in a rather low state at this time. The Association held their meeting at Felinfoel in 1735 and Tynewydd, which had been a branch of the Swansea Church, was now a separate church in its own right. Some authorities maintained that the formation of the church as an independent body had taken place considerably earlier but the Association letter for 1735 settled the matter once and for all: “Resolved in reference to the question from Swansea. 1. That the Llanelly people be formed into a separate church.”

1749 Association Meeting at Felinfoel - on the second day of the meeting the Revd Griffith Jones preached his farewell sermon because he was emigrating to America shortly after the service.

1766 Association Meeting at Felinfoel -the Association meeting was held at Felinfoel when the deaths of the Revd David Owen, pastor of Felinfoel, and Brother John Duckfield, Assistant Pastor at the same place, were recorded. An increase in members of 45 was noted.

1772-1790 In 1772 there were 23 churches and by 1790 they had grown to 46 and it became necessary, for convenience, to divide the Association into three – Carmarthen, Cardigan and Pembroke. The churches within these counties were Aberystwyth; Aberduar; Pant Teg; Y Graig; Cilfowyr; Ebenezer; Llangloffan; Rhydwilym; Moleston; Salem; Meidrym; Porth Tywyll; Priory Street, Carmarthen, and Felinfoel.

1794 The Association met on a Tuesday afternoon at Felinfoel and the theme was to follow the things that appertained to the peace and stability of the churches. Various clergy addressed the gathered crowd and the Revd Owen Jones described the event:

“In the year 1794 there was a great association to be held in Felinfoel, Carmarthenshire, and Christmas Evans was invited to go there. The distance was far, over 200 miles; nevertheless he went and arrived in due time. He was appointed to preach with two others at ten o’clock Wednesday morning and the meeting was held in a field in the open air. The time was summer, the grass green, the day fine, and the sun was hot. One sermon was to be in English, and Christmas Evans was to preach last. The first two had taken a great deal of time, so that the multitude was weary when Christmas stood before the desk. His subject was the return of the Prodigal Son. With an abundant flow of beautiful language, with apt illustrations, and with great fervour and enthusiasm, he described, in a long strain, the mercy of God welcoming the sinner back to his home. Immediately he began, the people collected together into a compact mass; those that were sitting on the ground at once stood on their feet. And with description after description of the return of the prodigal, the palace, the guest, the sumptuous feast, &c., a strong wave of emotion passed over the congregation, and there were tears and great joy and loud praise, and these expressions of feeling continued for a long time after the preacher had finished his sermon.”

1798 Difference of Theological Opinion - By the time the Association met in 1798 the reports were not encouraging. Some of the churches at this time were troubled with a difference of theological opinion.