“We must be brave and strong”

Rhian Morgan attended a conference on Welsh evangelism on behalf of the diocese

Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught (Luke 5:4)

This was the theme of the Welsh Evangelical Conference – an inter-diocese and inter-denominational event – held at the end of October in Cardiff.

Nan Powell-Davies, leader of the Presbyterians in Wales, launched the boat into the waters. She said: “the deep water is not a comfortable place. It is a dark and cold place at times, a place which causes fright and panic, a fearful place because we are asked to take a risk”.

That, said Nan, is our experience as we pioneer and we must be brave and strong. Often, we have to make decisions which are alarmingly difficult. In the general meeting of the Presbyterians in 2021 she had to address the cost of maintaining buildings. ‘Our present patterns are not effective enough. The familiar is dying on its feet.”

Nan’s message was the need to develop new ways of acting and working interdenominationally in order to launch the nets into the water.

Place and buildings were the starting points for Siôn Aled’s presentation. He spoke of St Davids, and the narrow places. We heard of Saint Cadfan’s pilgrimage, a project by Bangor Diocese, which attracted poets and musicians and led to a performance by the actor Llion Williams on the Eisteddfod field.

The Dean of St Davids, Very Revd. Sarah Rowland Jones, added that over 300,000 visitors from all over the world visit the Cathedral each year.

Revd. Naomi Starkey (Bangor) spoke about the small churches of Sir Fôn. The saints knew of the power of remote places. She was inspired to see them again as ‘betysau’, places for prayer, small powerhouses of the Church. In them, although there are no services by now, hundreds come to find peace and to pray. And the doors are open.

We were inspired by Revd. Rhys Llwyd from a chapel in Caernarfon. His story reminded us that growth is possible when people who want to write a more hopeful chapter come together.

There followed a conversation between the Dean of St. Asaph, Nigel Williams, and the Sub-Dean of Bangor, Canon Siôn Rhys [pictured], about the power of cathedrals as spiritual centres, emphasising the value of history and Celtic inspiration in liturgy and music.

After two days the conclusion was that we belong to a Wales which is following its own path.

Indeed, Mary Stallard, Bishop of Llandaff, felt that no service in modern Wales should be completely in English and that there was a need to increase confidence in bilingualism which speaks to the heart as well as to the head.

To sum up everything, Revd. Adrian Morgan (Swansea and Brecon) said: “It’s good to be able to be here. But standing on the peak of the mountain is not the aim. We must take what we have seen back to the foot of the mountain. Return to share and inspire others.”