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Jenny Kimber tells of the rebirth of a church in Wales
The new millennium brought a turning point in the life of Sardis URC Chapel in Ynysddu, near Risca in South Wales. There were only three left in the congregation – of them, all ladies. One died, one moved away and by the year 2000 Betty Down (right) was the only one left. But Betty had a dream… She wanted to see the chapel full again. With no congregation and no minister that seemed impossible.
Then Wendy Roberts arrived. She attended a local Baptist church and heard that Sardis might have to close. She just felt that this shouldn’t happen and decided to join. With no minister it was all down to her. She rolled her sleeves up and got stuck in… but for Wendy there was a snag… ‘I didn’t know anything about leading URC worship, I only knew about Baptist chapels – there was no-one I could ask. I said to Betty ‘What shall I do?’ Betty said ‘Do whatever you’d like’.
They meet for worship at 3pm every Sunday with visiting preachers of various denominations – Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal and Anglican. The reception has been very positive. People like it and so they come again – they value the friendliness and atmosphere. They are comfortable with the form of service – don’t have to worry about standing up or sitting down. Perhaps there’s a lesson in there for all of us.
Gradually more and more were turning up on Sundays and at the other events in the week. Then, last year, Betty Down died – but not before she saw that the chapel was very much on the rise. She had asked for the funeral to be held in the Chapel, now very dilapidated. Everyone set to and cleaned it. Instead of flowers, Betty had invited people to give money for refurbishing the church, which they did, to the tune of £1,000.
There was a little hall in the Chapel grounds, called the Ambulance Hall. It seemed an ideal temporary home until the Chapel could be restored but it hadn’t been used for 20 years… it was in quite a state. One of Wendy’s friends gave £5,000. Other donations flooded in. Caerphilly Borough gave money… there was another grant of £3,000 for cutlery and crockery. The URC Synod gave £4,000 to buy tables, overhead flipcharts and equipment. All the renovation work was done by volunteers – the walls were painted outside and inside, new windows – the list was endless. They held Christmas fairs, summer fairs, and Easter fairs.
Now, there are on average 28 attending every Sunday. 15-20 women gather on a Tuesday for tea and biscuits. Nearly a dozen attend the Bible Study; there are children’s groups and a Puppet Class for adults and children.
There’s also an art class on Mondays and Thursdays, plus ceramics and Welsh classes.
It’s amazing how everyone has got involved. On January 1st this year, Wendy gave everyone a questionnaire asking if they would use their talents in some way. There are people who read, sing, clean, arrange flowers, act as a greeter or pray for others. No-one has the ‘Top spot’. It’s a team effort.
The numbers and the coffers have been swelled by the six members of Bethany Presbyterian Church in nearby Cwmfelinfach who joined Sardis after their church closed. They sold the old building for £90,000 and the money will go towards renovating Sardis Chapel. ‘We just gelled,’ says Grosvenor Williams who is now an elder at Sardis.
Excitingly, they are only about £9,000 short of their target. The building work is underway and there should be a grand opening in the summer. They can’t wait.
What’s the secret? Was it down to Wendy Roberts’ enthusiasm… or did it all start when Betty Down had a dream? It doesn’t matter what brought it about – it matters only that in one tiny South Wales village, the Chapel is undergoing a truly amazing resurrection.
Jenny Kimber is a producer with BBC Radio Wales and worships at Canton Uniting Church, Cardiff
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