Share My Journey: A Short History of Moriah Chapel and the 1904 Welsh Revival

It was in 1739, following the visit of the itinerant preacher Rev'd Howell Harris to the Loughor area in South Wales, that a Society of Methodists was formed. They met in the kitchen of the farmhouse of Tŷfry - now a ruined building on the opposite side of the road to the present Moriah Chapel. Rev'd Hopkin Bevan became the first minister of the Society which flourished to such an extent that the need for a chapel building became a necessity. The members were poor and unable to afford to build a meeting place. Mrs Elizabeth Morgan, however, made provision in her will for the renovation of a thatched barn which was adapted and became the first Moriah in 1827-28. it was situated at the left hand rear comer of the present burial ground, behind the vestry entrance facing north and with the back towards the present main road. It was known as Capel y To Gwellt, and was officially opened on the 11th October 1828, when the Rev'd Hopkin Bevan of Llangyfelach, preached, amongst others.

The cause at Loughor was strengthened to such an extent that very soon Capel y To Gwellt became too small, and it was decided to build a larger chapel upon the same parcel of land in 1842, and it then became known as Moriah. A burial ground was attached to the place of worship. A gallery was added to the building in 1849 and before long a chapel-house was attached. The first tenants of the Ty Capel were the family of Margaret Lewis, who came from Landore, Swansea. David Lewis, a son of the household, became an Elder at Moriah. The family still retained the chapel-house for fourteen years. Traces of the house can still be seen today on the east wall of the schoolroom.

Another branch grew eastwards out of Moriah, so that in 1890 the first Libanus was built in Gorseinon. On the 15th January 1893, a Sunday School was started in a room above the Broadoak Colliery offices, kindly lent by the owner, Samuel Thomas. This flourished to such an extent that after two years, in 1895, land was acquired and the Pisgah Schoolroom built. The membership at Moriah was again increasing and soon the need arose to build a larger and more spacious building and this was done in 1898 at a cost of £1,700. the foundations being laid by Samuel Thomas, the owner of the Broadoak Colliery, and William Clement, Coed Brydwen Farm, on the 12th September, 1898. The first service was held on a Sunday in July 1899 and the resident minister, the Rev. Daniel Jones, preached the first sermon from the First Book of Kings, chapter 8, verse 57: “The Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; let Him not leave us, nor forsake us.”

The old chapel, built in 1842, was transformed into a schoolroom in 1903 at a cost of £500. In 1901 the second Libanus was built, and the Rev'd Daniel Jones acted as Minister there as well as at Moriah for about three years, at the end of which time the congregation at Libanus became strong enough to maintain the upkeep of its own minister. In 1903 the members at Libanus built Bethlehem Schoolroom in Penyrheol.

Rev'd Daniel Jones resigned the ministry of Moriah on the 31st December 1904, and the church remained without a minister until the Rev J. Howell Davies took charge in June 1907. it was during the last few months of the Rev'd Daniel Jones’ ministry that the congregation at Moriah witnessed the greatest Pentecost in its exciting history when Loughor became an important centre of Christian pilgrimage, and the young Evan Roberts became the ‘man of the hour.’

The devoted son of Hannah and Henry Roberts of Island House, Bwlchymynydd, Lougher, Evan Roberts was a miner by profession. He preached his first sermon at Moriah on the Sunday morning of 18th December 1903, taking his text from Luke chapter 9, verse 23: “And He said to them all, if any man will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”

At the age of 26, his heart was set on entering the Ministry and on the 13th September 1904, he went to Newcastle Emlyn to attend a Grammar School in order to obtain the basic qualifications needed to enter the Theological College at Trefecca, the college founded by Howell Harries, one of the men used by God in the 1859 Welsh Revival. The headmaster was John Phillips, the son of Rev'd Evan Phillips.

During the evening service at Bethel Chapel, Newcastle Emlyn, on Sunday 30th October, Evan Roberts felt the presence of the Holy Spirit urging him to return the following day to work with the young people at Moriah. His arrival at Island House at mid-day on Monday was totally unexpected, and his mother presumed that he was ill or that he was preaching somewhere in the area. The next fortnight has rightly been called `The Dawn of the Revival in Loughor.' Wales had never witnessed such a fortnight in its history since the exciting days of 1859.

Commencing on Monday evening, 31st October 1904, a series of prayer meetings was held at Moriah in which Evan Roberts made urgent appeals to the people to rise and confess Christ publicly. At first the reception he received was one of indifference, which was no doubt due to the unorthodox way in which he conducted the services, the failure to realise that what he prophesied could come about, and more than anything, the cold reception given to anyone who aspires to great things in his own locality. However, this local prejudice soon gave way to the firm reality that Evan Roberts was under the complete guidance of the Holy Spirit. On Sunday night, 6th November 1904, the Holy Spirit descended with great fire upon the people present, and they prayed until the early hours of the next morning. This religious fervour spread rapidly and there was a genuine upheaval. Night after night Moriah was crowded to capacity, and the services continued until four and five o’clock in the morning. People of all denominations took part and made their way to the scene of this great Pentecost from many different countries.

On the 28th October 1928, under the ministry of Rev'd W. J. Lunt, centenary meetings were held at Moriah to commemorate the opening of the Thatched Roof Chapel' on the 11th October 1828. It was also the 24th anniversary of the commencement of the 1904-05 Revival. The special preachers at the centenary were the veteran preacher, the Rev'd W. E. Prytherch, and Evan Roberts. To quote the Cambrian Daily Leader of the 1st November 1928: “The great congregation would bear testimony to the blessing on the cause in that place for the past hundred years. Twenty years ago to that very night, a vision had been granted to one and there were many who would celebrate the anniversaries of their salvation in the approaching days.”

On the 29th January 1951, at the age of 72, Evan Roberts passed away in Cardiff, and was buried in the family grave in Moriah cemetery.

In 1953 a memorial column was erected in front of Moriah chapel to commemorate the greatest Revival the world has known since the Day of Pentecost.

In March 1969, under the ministry of Rev'd J. H. Walters, both the schoolroom and chapel were filled to overflowing to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the 19041905 Revival. The afternoon service was conducted in English by Rev'd Dr Eifion Evans, author of The Welsh Revival of 1904. the evening service was conducted in Welsh by Rev'd Dr Martin Lloyd Jones.

Whilst visitors come to the chapel from all parts of the world, 2004 was a particularly busy year, being the centenary of the 1904 Revival. Visitors from around the globe flocked to Moriah for the celebrations, most from churches, but also many from schools and historical societies. The climax of the celebrations took place on 30th and 31st October, when a large congregation gathered in the chapel to give thanks to God for sending His Holy Spirit in great power to Moriah exactly one hundred years previously. The chairmen were Rev'd lain Hodgins, Clerk of West Glamorgan English Presbytery and Rev'd D. Leslie Jones, former Moderator of the West Glamorgan Welsh Presbytery. The guest speakers were Rev'd Geraint Fielder and Rev's Owen Milton, both natives of Loughor. The congregational singing was led by Alun Ebenezer of Caersalem, Gorseinon, the nephew of one of Evan Roberts' closest friends, Mr Sam Jenkins, known as `the Sankey of Wales'. Mrs Angela Davies of Llwynhendy was the soloist.