Ystalyfera History

History and Heritage

Ystalyfera and District

Ystalyfera History & Heritage

Pulpit Bible presented to the Church, 1933

The 'South Wales Voice' newspaper from July 15th 1933 recorded the dedication of a new Bible for the pulpit at the English Congregational Church, Ystalyfera. Click on the photograph to the left, to see the front page of the Bible full-sized.

TRIBUTE TO FAITHFUL MEMBER
Dedication of Bible at Cong. Church, Ystalyfera

There was an impressive service at the English Congregational Church, Ystalyfera, on Sunday evening last, when a Bible, given by Mr Silas Evans and his son, Mr G.S. Evans, was handed over to the church, and dedicated. The Bible, which is a handsomely bound volume, intended for pulpit use, was given in memory of Mrs Silas Evans who, up to her death some years ago, was a faithful member of the church.

The Rev. Melville Phillips, pastor, said they were about to receive a much appreciated gift for the church, and it was to be formally handed over by Mr Thomas Watkins, of Hay, who was an uncle of Mrs Evans, and who was himself a prominent church worker in Hay.

Mr Watkins said he was pleased to have been invited by Mr Silas Evans and his son, to make the presentation to the English Congregational Church at Ystalyfera. Mrs Evans was his niece and he knew that she was devoted to the cause. In handing over the Bible, he wished the church and pastor every prosperity.

Mr Phillips then read the inscription on the Bible, which was as follows:
"To the glory of God, and sacred to the memory of Mary Ann Sheen Evans, who departed this life, 26th October, 1927"
"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures"
"Dedicated by her husband, Silas Evans, and her son, Tudor Gwyn Sheen Evans."
The dedication prayer, impressively offered by Mr Phillips, then folllowed, after which the congregation sang the doxology.

A TRIBUTE
Mr Phillips said that, unfortunately, Mrs Evans was almost a complete stranger to him, but an old friend, Mr D George Williams, was present, and had kindly consented to deliver a brief address.

Mr Williams said it was some reluctance that he had agreed to do this. Not because he had not the deepest regard for Mrs Evans, but because he felt scarcely equal to the task.

He was priveleged to have known Mrs Evans for many years, and he cold bear testimony to her Christian character, and her great human sympathies. The form the dedication had taken was particularly appropriate, and fitted in with the object in view. Anything associated with Mrs Evans should be serviceable, simple and of use to the church. They found all these things in the gift which had been handed over, and it could be said with perfect truth and sincerity that the life of their departed sister had been framed on the truths of the Bible, and she unquestionably showed signs of her religious upbringing. Her Christian fortitude was well shown during her long illness, and there was evidence of true conviction.

Mr Williams expressed the hope that the church and pastor would prosper in Ystalyfera and he prayed that the church would be a home for those who hungered and thirsted after righteousness.

THE BIBLE
Mr Phillips, instead of preaching the usual sermon, gave an address on the Bible. After expressing appreciation for the gift which had been handed to the church, he said that the old Bible had become so dilapidated that they were a bit ashamed of its condition. In some homes, the Bible was in an excellent state of preservation, because it was never used, and in others it was well worn through constant use. To some people, it was their sole library, and they derived great consolation from its pages.

Mr Phillips referred to the Bible as a rich literary treasure-house, besides being a historical record of human progress. There were some parts which they could do without, particularly those passages which dealt with wars, but nevertheless it was a record of human experience.

The message of the Bible was one of hope and comfort. It was the word God, and a nation which tried to do without God was doomed. The Bible filled a great human need.

In the course of his closing remarks Mr Phillips made the interesting announcement that next year he would complete 21 years in the ministry.

Sadly, during demolition the Bible was thrown out onto the verge outside of the church, and not claimed by anyone.

BIBLE DEDICATION RETURNS HOME

Anyone who has read this page would probably be as surprised as me to find that the last sentence was not in fact the end to this story.
When I “rescued” the discarded family Bible in 2005, I discovered the dedication on one of the pages and after further research the subsequent newspaper article in the Llais high lighting the fact that this Bible had once held pride of place within the English Congregational Church on Commercial Street Ystalyfera.
After drying it out and aware of its former importance it felt wrong to discard it for a second time, so it became part of YEARGroup’s Archive material. And there it remained until I received an email from a lady in February 2014 living in the USA:-

“I want to thank you for the article on the English Cong Church, the bible dedication was to my grandmother I have been trying for many years to find out what happened to that bible,........”

Today I can now verify that the Dedication Page is safely hanging on the wall in pride of place for family and grandchildren to admire and as I was told, because it has been mounted in acid free paper IT SHOULD BE PRESERVED for at least another 80 years.