Bethany Chapel

Bethany was a Calvinistic Methodist/ Presbyterian Church of Wales chapel in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, Wales, from 1881 to 2023. Services were conducted in Welsh, despite some members of the original founding committee proposing an English language chapel. This might explain the English name 'Bethany'. Bethany is notable for its experiences during the 1904-1905 revival and for three significant ministries: W. Nantlais Williams, J.D. Williams and Gareth Davies. John T. Job, the Welsh hymnwriter and one of the leaders of the 1904-1905 revival in Bethesda, was from Llandybie; his mother, Mary, was one of the original members of Bethany Chapel and was notable for her godly character. J.T. Job was the first preacher to be sent out from Bethany into the ministry, in the 1880s. He composed the Welsh hymn "Cofia'r byd, O Feddyg da" ("Remember the world, O good Doctor"). W. Nantlais Williams also founded the Cynhadledd y Sulgwyn (Whitsun Convention). Based in Bethany from 1917 until the beginning of the 21st century, it drew people from all over Wales to hear powerful, biblical preaching. Following a vote of the members in July 2023 the Calvinistic Methodist/ Presbyterian Church of Wales cause at Bethany was officially decommissioned by the local presbytery on October 26, 2023. There might be uncertainty regarding the future of the building but the same gospel message of Jesus Christ preached at Bethany is still being proclaimed in the Ammanford area.

Bethany's roots were not actually in Ammanford, but in an older branch of the Methodist cause across the river Aman in the parish of Betws: Seion Chapel. The home of Hopkin John, "Argoed" house in Betws, became the cradle of both the local Welsh Independents (Annibynwyr) and Methodists in 1748 when it was "registered a place for dissenting protestants". Howell Harris preached there at least once, in 1740. Seion Methodist Chapel emerged from this community and by the middle of the 19th century some of the members felt a need to start a new chapel in the growing town of Cross Inn (soon to be renamed Ammanford in 1883). The vision of a new chapel was originally presented in a monthly meeting of the local presbytery in 1875. A committee was formed and land acquired in Wind Street from Lord Dynevor. The new chapel was built at a cost of £900 and the first service was held in May 1881. Reverend W. Landeg Powell, the minister of Seion Chapel, became the first minister of Bethany Calvinistic Methodist Chapel. He was subsequently called to a chapel in Nantymoel in 1889. After a long period without a minister, Reverend Rhys Jones was called in 1894. Rhys Jones was originally from Brechfa, and had been a minister in Cefncoedcymer near Merthyr Tydfil. He was an effective minister who established the tradition of biblical preaching in Bethany, and also started the weekly Bible class and Gobeithlu (Band of Hope).[16] Rhys Jones' ministry was tragically cut short by illness and death at the age of 33 in 1896.[16]

W. Nantlais Williams (1874-1959) was born in Llawrcwrt, a cottage in the village of Gwyddgrug, near Pencader; the youngest of ten children. At the age of twenty he started to preach and in 1895 he went to the prestigious grammar school in Newcastle Emlyn and from there to Trefeca College to train as a minister. Before he finished his studies, however, he received a call to be minister of Bethany in 1900. Originally, Nantlais' ambition was to be a popular poet-preacher, and at that he was already successful. He was a well sought after speaker at conferences and his Welsh poetry won him various prizes including several bardic chairs, including the Ammanford Eisteddfod in 1899 and the chair of the National Eisteddfod of Wales in 1902. November 1904 Nantlais was profoundly affected by the events of

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