The Welsh-language Christian witness in Pembrokeshire has been a matter of concern to many in recent years. Over the past year a small group have felt an increasing call to establish a new work in Haverfordwest to reach the catchment area of Ysgol Caer Elen, with the vision of reaching Welsh learners, families and young people. The result has been the launch of a new service in Welsh, starting on a monthly basis in Haverfordwest on the first Sunday of each month.
The seven who share the vision, including BUW President Geraint Morse (Welsh-language wing), have been meeting monthly to pray and plan for this new missional project. The project is called “Rhwyd y Brenin” (“the Net of the King”), and the vision is to share the good news of Jesus Christ in Haverfordwest and south Pembrokeshire through the medium of Welsh.
On the 6th of October, the leadership team of Rhwyd y Brenin met to pray before welcoming the first visitors to the opening service. There were 30 present, including 8 children and 22 adults. A lovely service was held on the theme of “Thanksgiving”. Geraint said: “We are deeply indebted to the staff of the Baptist Union of Wales for their guidance and support, and to Emmanuel Merlins Bridge church for all their support in opening the chapel doors to welcome us. We would appreciate your support in prayer – and if you happen to be free on the first Sunday afternoon of the month and would like to call in, you would be more than welcome!”
We called on Geraint in early December for an update on the work…
What happens in a normal service by now, Geraint?
Although the service begins at 3 pm, the leaders try to be there around 2 pm to pray, prepare and set up the room. After setting up the sound etc., having a welcome team is important, so there are at least two people on duty, one at the outer door and the other at the inner door.
The service opens then with approximately ten minutes of uninterrupted worship, in a mixture of traditional and contemporary hymns. Then we have a message to the children who come and sit in front of the stage with a song straight afterwards. Someone then reads from the Bible with a message following on. We sing a hymn to close the meeting and it all takes somewhere between 45 and 55 minutes. There needs to then be time for coffee and a chat for at least 30 minutes before the room is cleared up. There are no long prayers, just two or three short prayers. There is no collection, but there is a box in the back to receive money if people wish to contribute.
What is the language of the meetings?
The meetings are held in Welsh, but we cater for those who may not understand much Welsh. The hymns appear on screen bilingually and the vast majority sing in Welsh. The Bible reading appears on the screen and the message on powerpoint. We have invested in translation tools. Of course, there needs to be an interpreter present who sees the outline of the message beforehand, usually. But technical troubles do arise! Our intention is to be accessible to learners of Welsh, so there is an emphasis on simple language and speaking a little more slowly than usual.
How do you advertise and where do people come from?
Currently most people have come because of personal invitations and ads on “Facebook”. So far, the majority of people who have appeared at the service are already attending services in chapels or other churches. Of this number, the majority are already Christians but are very keen to worship in the Welsh language. Others have come without a current connection to a church, but have had a connection in the past, perhaps as a teenager. Some will come from traditional Welsh chapels to experience a “different sort of service”.
I remember hearing a good definition of what evangelism is – “One beggar telling another beggar where to get bread!” And that’s what I hope happens. We have tried to contact the local Welsh schools, but the journey to build a good relationship between the faith community and the schools is difficult and slow, particularly when starting a new missional project.
What is your vision for the future?
Our vision is to share the good news of Jesus Christ through the medium of the Welsh language in south Pembrokeshire and to pray that people will come to personal faith in him. It must be stressed that the work of Rhwyd y Brenin is a missional project and not a new church. Who knows what will come of this under God’s blessing. I pray that some will appear among us with a burden to see the work succeed under God’s blessing and be ready to take up the baton for the coming years.
How can we pray for the work?
Collaboration is important so pray that the crew of seven who have set up the work will work together and develop giftings within the work. Wisdom will be needed on next steps, e.g. setting up another service on a Sunday afternoon and meeting more regularly. We’ve already started thinking about how to hold something weekly e.g. meeting over a coffee for a chat or a short Bible study. And of course, if the work is going to grow it will require funding, grants, donations etc. Most of all, pray that the Holy Spirit will move powerfully among us. And if you are in the vicinity on the first Sunday afternoon of the month, come, join us and go and tell others and pray for us. The address to find us is “Emmanuel”, 87 Pembroke Road, Faglen Bridge, Haverfordwest SA61 1LN.