The Aberdare Leader

Induction Service. I STEW PASTOR OF HEN DY CWRDD, TRECYNON. The annual meetings of the South East SYales Unitarian Society were held at Sen Dy Cwrdd, Trecynon, on Monday, j Committee meetings were held in the j morning, the president, Rev. Simon j Jones, B.A., Swansea, occupying the chair. Mr. Jones is home for a few weeks from France, where he has been doing service with the R.A.M.C. Rev.. W. J. Phillips, Nottage, was re-elected secretary; Mr. Gomer Ll. Thomas, J.P., Merthyr, treasurer, and Mr. D. R. Llew- elyn, M.E., Aberdare, was elected presi- dent for the ensuing year. The afternoon service took the form of a welcome meeting to the Rev. E. R. Dennis, who has taken over the pastor- ate of Hen Dy Cwrdd, and who started on his new duties on the previous day. There was a large attendance, presided over by Rev. R. J. ones, M.A.. who ministered at the church for over 40 years. During the last three years the congregation has been without a pastor. The service was opened with reading and prayer by Rev. D. G. Rees, Tre- banos. In the course of an interesting j and reminiscent address the chairman 'I' said it was about 65 years since he first opened his mouth in that pulpit. Hen Dy Cwrdd was the third daughter of the old I church of Cwmyglo. The firet was Cefn, 1747; the second Ynysgau, 1749, and the j third Trecynon, 1751. The first minister j at Hen Dy Cwrdd was Owen Ree6, some of whose descendants made a mark in II the world. A great-grandson of his be- came physician to Queen Victoria, while another, Sir Josiah Rees, was governor of a British Colony. Continuing, Mr. Jones said that to- day they were welcoming a new minister, and he begged the congregation to con- sider how they treated him. Peace I ought to reign between minister and I congregation. Let them say nothing but good of their minister, and if they had nothing good to say let them hold their tongues. (Hear, hear.) He also appealed to them not to compare the old minister and the new. The latter j ) would have his own ideas. < At this juncture the secretary. Mr. Gwilym Griffiths, read a letter from the Rev. J. Grawys Jones (Cong.), Tre- cynon, who was at Mumbles recupera- ¡ ting, wishing success to the meetings. The welcome to Mr. Dennis on behalf ¡ of the South East Wales Society was extended by the Rev. W. J. Phillips, I who testified to the earnest work per- formed by Mr, Dennis as his co-secretary of the Society/ Mjr. Dennis had (lone excellent work al Pentre and Clydach Vale. He (Mr. Phillips) hoped the Hen Dy Cwrdd congregation would support Mr. Dennis in every possible way. Rev. T. Arthur Thomas, B.A., J.P., | Lla.nd.yssul, extended a welcome* to ^he new minister on behalf of the South Wales Unitarian Association. He re- I marked that Mr. Dennis was a great. favourite in Cardiganshire, and if Hen Dy Cwrdd people were not careful the I Cardiganshire people would take him away.. Mr. John Stanley Evans spoke on j behalf of the Sunday School, and re- marked that they had already had some J experiences of Mr. Dennis' qualities as a Sunday School teacher. I Mr. Gwilym Griffiths, on behalf of the church, spoke of its unanimity in ex- tending a call to Mr. Dennis. The congregation had had an opportunity I or Hearing tne new minister preach on j occasional Sundays during the last three j years, and they were strengthened in the j belief that under his ministry the cause f at Hen Dy Cwrdd would flourish. Mr. George Payne, Treherbert, a mem- ber of Mr. Dennis' old church, re- marked that they-, in the Rhondda were j losing an excellent man, and they were very grieved that Hen Dy Cwrdd were taking him away. However, he wished. the new union every success. Rev. Rudolf Davies, B.A., Gloucester, was introduced by the chairman as the great-grandson of David Davies Castell Hywel, who ministered in Cardiganshire for over 60 years. Mr. Davies gave excellent advice to the congregation, and asked them to be prepared for changes in their institutional life. He extended on behalf of the British and Foreign Unitarian Association -a warm welcome to Mr. Dennis. In conclusioh, he re- marked that he was most pleased that the chairman of the meeting was the Rev. R. J.» Jones, one of the best known Welshmen, and who was spoken of as the Grand Old Man of South Wales. Rev. John Morgan (C.M.), Trecynon, remarked that he had been a co-worker of Mr. Jones' for 23 years. It was not always easy to co-operate even with a I minister, but he honoured Mr..Jones I very much, and was ready to say «0 I king, live for ever." He had a favour- able impression of the new minister, and he was confident that that im- pression would be strengthened. Rev. D. Bassett (B.), Gadlys, wel- corned Mr. Dennis to the district.. and observed that he would be glad to co- operate with him in killing the evil spirits which prevailed in their midst, and help religion, virtue and morality to find their proper place. Rev. E. J. Gruffydd (Cong.), Trecynon, offered to Mr. Dennis the right hand of fellowship.. He had not had the pleasure of being one of Mr. Jones' colleagues, but he trusted to be able to unite with Mr. Dennis in any good work which might be required to be done at any time. .Mr. John Griffiths, Brynhyfryd, said that Aberdare was well-known as a place where ministers made a long stay., A man once told him, "Once you come to Aberdare you won't leave it till you are carried from here. He hoped that would be the experience of Mr. Dennis. Rev. E. T. Evans (U.), Aberdare, Te- marked that he was a co-student of their new minister, and he had every con- fidence that Mr. Dennis was destined to do great work in their midst. The chief work of a minister was to develop the spiritual life of a church. I Rev. E. R. Dennis' acknowledgment was brief. He referred to a period of his life when he was under the chargfe of j Mr. John Griffiths at Ysgol Comin. He j had had a very successful and happy I time at Treorchy for eight years, and he hoped his ministry at Hen Dy Cwrdd would be equally happy and fruitful. j ADDRESS BY MR. J. F. L. BRUNNER, M.P. I A public meeting was held in the evening, presided over by Mr. D. R. Llewelyn. In introducing Mr. Brunner to the meeting, Mr. Llewelyn remarked that Mr. Brunner'e father, Sir John Brunner, was not unknown to the people of Wales. He it was who be- friended and brought out the late Tom Ellis. Their visitor was at the head of one of the greatest industrial concerns in the country, and it was gratifying that he could find time to come down to a little Nonconformist chapel in South Wales to address them. The Hen Dy Cwrdd was one of the oldest Noncon- formist churches in Wales. Mr. Brunner, who had a cordial re- ception, said Mr. Llewelyn had just men- tioned the name of Tom Ellis. It was quite true that his (the speaker's; father had befriended the late lamented Tom Ellis. The latter was a graduate at Oxford, and was very uncertain about his career, when Sir John Brunner asked him to become his private secre- tary. He did so, and they carried on a political campaign together during 1885. In the following year his father I thought it would be a good thing if his I private secretary were elected to Parlia- ment, and receiving an invitation from Merionethshire in 1886 Tom Ellis was I elected. The irony of the situation was, I' however, that his father was rejected at that General Election, so the private secretary was in and his patron was out. (Laughter). In the following year, how- ever, Sir John Brunner was elected at a bye-election. Mr. Brunner went on to speak of the principles of Unitarianism, of the. mag- nificent work performed by Unitarian Societies in -helping the Allies' cause, especially with regard to the Belgian ("Hospital Fund, and passed on to deal with the war. Rev. E. O. Jenkins, Llwynrhydowen. and Mr. John Lewis, Pontypridd. inr- ther spoke. Luncheon and tea were provided bv, the ladies of Hen Dy Cwrdd at the schoolroom.